Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-02-10
BIRDS AND THEIR TAILS.
SOMETIMES A RuDpER AND MORE
OFTEN A DANGER SiGNAL.

- ~tN - SOfN4Gn 9f&fNH+~s
Origin and Use of a Most important
MEMBERSHIPS Air Brake Ever
known-Long Tails and Short Ones,
and Birds That Have None at All.
Birds have not always had the grace
full fan-like bunch of feathers which
is the typical form of tail OF most liv-
ing species. Their ancestors, the liz
ard-like birds, srailed long appendages
composed of many little bones or YER
tebrae, with pair of perfectly de
veloped feathers growing from each
separate piece of the backbone
If we look at the skeleton of SPAR
row or dove, we will see, AT the tail,
end of the spinal column, curious
wedge-shaped bone, which is known as
the ploughshare bone This is all that
is left of the lizard tail, but the rest of
the appendage. in the course of it's
evolution through the ages, has not
dropped off, nor, like the tail of poly
wog, has it been absorbed. 1t has been
telescoped or crowded together, the
bones nearer the body bullying out
Slightly on either side So at the pres
ent day, tailfeathers grow, not like the
webs on the shaft of feather, but
fan-like from a composite mass Of
bone.
Now that we have evolved our mod
ern birds tail, let us see to what uses
it may be put, AMI a fine place to do
this is in the New York Geological
Park. Of course, its use as an aid to
flight is the first thought which comes
to our mind, and rightly. too, for the
parts which it plays in this respect in
various birds. are many The tail IS
used as rudder, especially when it is
long and powerful, enabling birds such
as tropic birds and magpies to make
quick turns in the air. Tails some
times perform the junction of brakes.
When great pelican settles gradu-
ally toward the surface of the water,
the tail, widespread and lowered, is of
great Importance in regulating the
shock of alighting. The tail is aided
in this function of break by the grea.
expense of web between the toes, both
feet being comically stretched out in
front.
Birds which have very short tails
are unable to turn quickly, and their
flight is very direct, or even when
there is a long tail, if it is principally
for an ornament, and not well muscled,
it is of little use III helping it's owner
to change the direction of flight
Among many other uses OF tails we
must mention props. Woodpeckers
and creepers really sit on their tails,
the feathers of which are stiffened,
p with just enough resistance at the
APPS to admit Of their bending into and
making use of every crevice in the
bark. AS we watch brown creeper
hop rapidly up a tree-trunk, never
missing foothold, no matter what
smooth places it may encounter, we
say to ourselves, how impossible this
mode of progression would be with
cut the all-isnportant caudal append
ace. But here as everywhere Nature
copfronts us with surprises Our
Eaturai philosophers tell us that the
law q grsyitation is universal, and yet
In almost every grove of trees in win
ter, we will find what are apparent
exceptions. Associated with the brown
creepers little blue and white birds
will often be seen-nut hatches-
which run and hop merrily over the
trunks and branches, upside down,
wrong side up, anyway, any place
which promises an insect titbit And
most wonderful of all, it is only by
means of their eight little claws that
they do this, the rather short tail is
often bent far forward over the back
and in every case never touches the
bark.
Even the innate characteristics of
birds are often portrayed in the man.
ner of carrying the tail, quiet, soft
hammered birds carrying it low be-
meath the wing tips, while active ner-
vous species carry it more or less
raised. The peacock's real tail con-
sists of small brown feathers which
serve as support to the magnificent
train of feathers growing from the
lower back.
The motmots, birds of Central and
South America, not satisfied with hav-
ing long decorative tail feathers, pro-
coed to embellish further, and when
full grown, pull off the barbs from
portion of each of these feathers, leav-
ing a rounded disk at the tip Even
birds which have been reared from
the nest. carry out this habit through
inheritance. The males of certain
weaver birds-the window fnches-
have very elegant tails much longer
than their bodies. And most grace
fully do they carry them, flying
through thick foliage without injuring
their long trains In the least
In some birds, as in our meadow
lark and vesper sparrow, the central
feathers of the tail are protectively
colored and when the bird is at rest
help to conceal it from observation.
The minute these birds take wing, the
lure white outer feathers flash out
conspicuously. 1t is SAID that these
are like the cotton tail" of the rabbit
"a signal to it's young. or to other
members of the flock, to follow and es-
cape, the older and more experienced
birds being stronger and therefore
usually in the lead.
The tinamous of South America has
no tail at all.-C. William Beebe.