22 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.67 



change is marked by the dotted line on figure 87, of the tongue of 

 Pteroglossus frantzii. This is so striking and characteristic an ap- 

 pearance that it would seem useful for taxonomic purposes. 



The Picidae possess a tongue so distinctive of the group, that 

 while modified in response to diet, it could in no way be con- 

 fused with that of any other family. Even the odd little piculet 

 Picumnus, with its rounded tail so imlike that of woodpeckers, has 

 a tongue which, except for its small size, is perfectly typical of the 

 group as exemplified by Dryobates. This is the more interesting 

 since the diet of so small a bird must much more nearly approxi- 

 mate that of the creepers, titmice, and nuthatches than of its larger 

 allies and yet the tongue remains in all respects truly that of a 

 woodpecker. 



Typically the tong-ue is very extensile and the tip is armed with 

 six or seven sharp backwardly directed barbs. This is found in 

 Dryohates villosus hyloscopus (fig. 88), Dry abates nuttalli (fig. 89), 

 Picus, Gecinus, Xenopicus albolarvatus (fig. 13), Geocolaptes^ Den- 

 drocopus^ Centurus^ Chryserpes, Microptenius, Dyctiopicus, and 

 Yungipicus. Picoides americanus doi'salis has a rather small tongue 

 for so large a bird, while the barbs at the tip are delicate. Veni- 

 liornis cecilii has a small tongue with but a few barbs and the same 

 is true for Nesoctites micro^iiegas. It is also surprising to note that 

 the very large Phloeotomus pileatus^ with its large, heavy bill, has 

 an astonishingly small tongue in comparison with the rest of the 

 body. The tip is very short and small and is armed with but four 

 or five barbs. 



Colaptes cafer collaris (fig. 14) has the most extensible tongue, 

 but it is not so well accommodated for impaling objects as the tip is 

 not as sharp, nor are the barbs prominent, being reduced to but 

 two or three. 



Melanerpes {formicivoi'us hairdi, fig. 15) has converted the barbs 

 to hairlike processes and Sphyrapicus {thyroideus, fig. 16) has ex- 

 tended this process for the greater part of the length of the tongue, 

 while the abilit}^ to project this organ is much reduced. 



The wrynecks or Jyngidae are distinguished from the other mem- 

 bers of the famil}^ by the fact that while the tongue is long, worm- 

 like, and extensile, the sharp tip is not supplied with barbs. In this 

 group they are lost, and the tip while sharp, is smooth. 



It is interesting to note that in these birds as in the piculets the 

 tail is soft Avithout spiny shafts, which is misleading from a taxo- 

 nomic standpoint, and that thus in both of these groups the tongue 

 is a better guide to relationship. 



Furthermore the Dendrocolaptinae possess stiff spiny tails which 

 would mislead one in the conclusion that they are allied to wood- 

 peckers when no relationship exists; whereas, in spite of the fact 



