The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Alula \Al"u*la\, n. [NL., dim. of L. ala a wing.] (Zool.) A false or bastard wing. See under Bastard. [1913 Webster]WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
alula n 1: scalelike structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly [syn: alula, calypter] 2: tuft of small stiff feathers on the first digit of a bird's wing [syn: bastard wing, alula, spurious wing]