tail feather (talfeTH"er)

One of the feathers of a bird's tail; specifically, the rectrices, or rudder-feathers, usually stiff pennaceous feathers, always devoid of a hypo rachis, as distinguished from the tectrices or tail-coverts. Tail feathers, like flight feathers, have for the most part a wide narrow and the is closed or folded they overlie one another alternately from side to side. The two middle feathers, whose webs are more nearly equal, and which overlie all the rest, are sometimes distinguished as deck - feathers. Tail-feathers are always paired, and hence of an even number. The number prevailing among birds is 12; this is characteristic, having few exceptions among all Pa eres, whether oscine or clamatorial, and among many other birds, as birds of prey. In picarian birds 10 is the rule, though many have 12, and a few only 8; woodpeckers have 12, though apparently 10, one pair being rudimentary. In pigeons the rule is 12 or 14; sometimes there are 16 or 20. In gallinaceous birds the numbers run from 12 to 18 or 20. Waders have usually 12, often more, up to 20. Swimming-birds have sometimes only 12, usually higher numbers, as 16, 18, 20, 24, or even 32. The archæopteryx appears to have had 40. In a few birds the tail-feathers proper are extremely modified, as in the lyre-bird. (See Menura, Tro are said to be long -exserted. Shapes of individual rectrices are described as truncate, incised, linear, acute, acuminate, filamentous, spatulate, mucronate, etc. (See these words) The relative lengths of rectrices go far to determine the having a short piece of rope attached to it by chilidæ .) Tail-feathers which project far beyond the rest which it may be fastened to any object at pleasure. See cut under block1 , 11. tail-board (tāl'börd), n . 1. The board at the hinder end of a cart or wagon, which can be removed or let down for convenience in unload- shape of the tail as a whole, which is usually in the form of a fan. The termination of the tail is described as even , The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: The Century dictionary ice of a gown. [In both senses an adaptation of the French term.] -6. In music, same as taillé (F. pron. ta-lyā'), a. [OF., pp. of tailler , cut: see tail2 , v.] In her ., party per bend sin- ister. taille (tal'les), a. [ taille ape, Inuus ecaudatus . - Taille amphibians or batrachians, the Anura ; the salient batrachians, as frogs and toads. - Taille hippopota- mus, the giant cavy, or capibara. - Taille shrew, Anu- rosorex squamipes , a small shrew of Tibet. tailleur (ta-lyer'), n. [F., a cutter: see tailor .] In rouge-et- noir and other card-games origin at- ing in France, the name of the dealer or banker. Same as tail2 . tail-lobe (tāl'lob), n. Either of the two divi- sions, upper and under, which the caudal fin of most fishes presents. See cuts under diphy- cercal, heterocercal , and homocercul. tailloir (ta-lywor'), n. [F., tailler , cut: see tail2.] In arch ., an abacus. tail-muscle (tāl'mus"l), n. A caudal or coccy- geal muscle, attached to a vertebra of the tail, and serving to move that member as a whole or any of its joints. tailor (ta'lor), n. [Formerly also taylor , tailer , tayler ; taylor , taylour , taillour , taylezour , taylzour , taillour , taille or , tailleur , F. tail leur (= Pr. talaire , talador = Sp. tajador , tal- lad or = It. tagliatore ), a tailor, lit. 'cutter,' No one would wonder at his toiling at tailoring for something like this period without beginning to sell. The Century , XXIII. 266. tailoring-machine (ta'lor-ing-ma-shen"), n. A sewing-machine adapted for tailors' use. tailor-made (ta'lor-mad), a. Made by a tailor: used especially of women's gowns and jackets variously spelled, in the surname Tailor , Tay- lor, Tayler, etc.] 1. One who makes the outer garments of men, and women's riding-habits and other garments of heavy stuff; especially, one who makes such garments to order, as dis- tinguished from a clothier, who makes gar- Thes beth the Or den a unce made and a stabled of the ffraternyte of crafte of Taylorys , of the Cyte of Exceter, by asente and consente of the ffraternyte of crafte afforesayd y-gedered there to-gedere, ffor ever more to yndewre. English Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 312. Come, tailor , let us see these ornaments; Lay forth the gown. Shak . , T. of the S., iv. 3. 61. 2. In zool .: (a) A tailor-bird. (b) The mat- towacca, fall herring, or tailor-herring, Pomo- lobus mediocris. Merchant tailor. See merchant. - Nimble tailor, the long-tailed titmouse, Acredula rose a. [Local, Eng.] - Proud tailor, the goldfinch, Car- duel is elegans . [Salop.] - Salt-water tailor, the skip- jack or bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix . See cut under blue- fish . [Local, U. S.] Tailors' chair, a chair with a seat, back, and knee-rest, but without legs, adapted to the cro -legged position usual among tailors when at work. -Tailors' cramp, a spastic form of cramp observed chiefly in the flexors of the fingers and the muscles of the thumb in tailors. - Tailors' muscle. Same as sartorius. -Tailors' spasm, a neurosis affecting the muscles of the hands of tailors. - Tailors' twist, stout silk thread used for making men's garments and outdoor garments for women. tailor (tā'lor), v. [ tailor , n.] I. in trans . 1. To make clothing, especially for men; follow the busine of a tailor.-2. To deal with tailors, as for clothing. [Colloq.] gra -warblers, grouped under ticolæ . They belong to such genera as Suya , Suthora , Pri- nia (with only ten tail-fea- thers, contrary to the rule in Pa eres ), and especially to Sutoria and Ortho tom us. There are many 3. In old French law , a tax, tailage, or sub- sidy; any imposition levied by the king or any other lord on his subjects.-4. In Eng . law , the fee or holding which is opposite to fee sim species, some ple. now placed in other genera. The original tailor-warbler IMG:content-2777.jpg:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-2778.jpg:[blocks in formation] tailor-warbler (ta'lor-warbler), n. The long- tailed tailor-bird: the original English name of Sutoria sutoria or S. long i cauda . See cut under Sutoria. Latham , 1783. tail-piece (tāl'pēs), n . 1. A piece forming a tail; a piece at the end; an appendage. Specifi- cally-(a) A small decorative engraving in the blank space at the end of a chapter. (b) In musical instruments of the viol cla , a triangular piece of wood, usually of ebony, to which the lower ends of the strings are fastened. (c) In a lathe, the set-screw on the rear spindle; the tail-pin. (d) In mining , same as snore-piece. (c) Same as tang1 , 3. 2. In zool ., one of the parts or pieces compos- ing the pygidium of an insect. IMG:content-2779.jpg:[graphic] into the condenser opens the valve; but when a partial vacuum has been produced in the condenser the valve is closed by atmospheric pre ure. 2. Same as snifting - valve.