. Annual report - New York Zoological Society. Zoology. NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 223. >r AND EGGS OF THE CASSOWARY yet been assigned for the remarkable development of the after- shaft in the Emeu and Cassowary. The third type of degeneracy is well shown by the body plumage of the adult Apteryx, in which the aftershaft is lacking. To use an irrelevant simile, we can well realize that an athlete can run with much greater ease in his loose cotton "togs" than in a starched suit of clothing. Similarly the Ostriches and their allies can carry on their cursorial life to much better advantage
. Annual report - New York Zoological Society. Zoology. NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 223. >r AND EGGS OF THE CASSOWARY yet been assigned for the remarkable development of the after- shaft in the Emeu and Cassowary. The third type of degeneracy is well shown by the body plumage of the adult Apteryx, in which the aftershaft is lacking. To use an irrelevant simile, we can well realize that an athlete can run with much greater ease in his loose cotton "togs" than in a starched suit of clothing. Similarly the Ostriches and their allies can carry on their cursorial life to much better advantage in their loose, fluffy, hair-like plumage than in the less flexible feathers of their ancestors. E. Clazvs and Sca!cs.—Degenerate as are the wings of the ratite birds, all bear the indelible hall-mark of their reptilian pro- totypes. As in many Carinatac, all are furnished with one or more claws at the extremity of the fingers. In the Cassowary, Emeu and Apteryx the second finger alone is thus terminated, but in the Rhea there are two. In the Ostrich, not only are there large and perfect claws upon the first, or thumb, and the second finger, but even the third digit, although it does not pene- trate the integument, bears a vestigial claw, this condition being. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original New York Zoological Society. New York, The Society
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1904
