26 PROCEEDINGS OF THE aSTATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 67 



hiana (fiii'. 132), and Pica nuttalll (fi*;?. 129). The entire appearance 

 is very characteristic. 



The tongues of some of the Stiirnidae are of the standard pattern 

 as exemplified b}^ Scissirostrum duhium (fig. 131), while Lamproco- 

 rax chalyhea and L. metallicus are very similar. 



The tongues of the next six families are some of the most elaborate 

 and marvelous throughout the Class of Birds. 



The Dicaeidae have small tongues that are fiat posteriorly but at 

 about the middle 'become abruptly narrower and begin to curl into 

 a semitube which is deeply cleft at the tip, the margins of which 

 are smooth, forming two slender semitubular tips. This is found in 

 Dicaeuin Gruentatum^ D. sanguinolentum., D. flmnmeutn, and D. cele- 

 hicum. In Acmonorhipichus aureolimljatus the same holds true ex- 

 cept that the edges of each tube show a slight notching, with an at- 

 tempt at the production of four tips, while in Prionochilus these 

 notches have deepened to actual splitting with the formation of 

 four semitubular fringeless projections. 



The tongue of Dicaeu7n trigonostigma as figured by Gadow ^- 

 shows a complete tubular arrangement by overlapping of the up- 

 curled edges, which are not frayed. The tip is deeply bifurcated, 

 forming two e([ual tubes, and the tip of each one of these again is 

 cleft, forming a quadruple tongue. 



The Zosteropidae. — As to this family some are simple in struc- 

 ture, being rather flat with only a slight tendency to curling, 

 while the tip is deeply slit. Gadow ^" finds this true of Z. slinpUx. 

 Z. atrifrons (fig. 135) shows some fraying of the margins, which 

 is true also of Z. sarasinorum. This may be carried to the point 

 where, with curling added to the process, elaborate curled split and 

 fimbriated tongues are foimd as described of Z. simplex and Z. 

 japonica by Beddard.^* 



The Nectariniidae. — In this family curling is the outstanding- 

 feature, so that the anterior one-half to two-thirds is a completely 

 rolled tube the upcurled margins of which are overlapped and are 

 not fringed or frayed. In some specie.s there is some forking at the 

 tip to form two tubular projections. 



Arachnechthra asiatica has a very long tube for the anterior two- 

 thirds, without splitting or fraying. Arachnothera^ species ( 'l ) has a 

 Aery long tube slightly frayed at the tip. Cinny)^ {Cyrtostomus) 

 pectoralis and G. iugularis woodi have slender tubes, both somewhat 

 forked at the tip. He7V)wti7nia, species (?) (fixg. 141) shows the same 

 arrangement. 



J- Gadow, n. Stiucture of Certain Hawaiian Birds. The Birds of tli<i Sandwioli 

 Islands, Wilson :uid Erans, London, 1890-99, pp. 219-241. 

 13 Gadow, II. I'roc. Zool. Soc, London, 1883, p. 63. 

 "Beddard, l'\ B). Ihi.s, .ser. G, No. 3, 1891, pp. 510-512. 



