Page:GrouseinHealthVol1.djvu/134

64 feather of the wing at its distal end. If blood can be squeezed from the quill it is considered as a sign that the bird is of the year. If no blood can be squeezed, and the feather is old and dry, it is considered as a sign that the bird is more than a year old.



This reasoning is based upon the following facts: When the chick produces its first set of primary wing feathers they are all very thin and weak, and soon become frayed out; they have rather narrow pointed ends, arc blackish-brown, in colour mottled with incomplete buff bars. Nine of these little feathers can be