414 



LOXIA. CROSSBILL, 



Bill of moderate lengtli, very strong, subpentagonal and 

 rather deeper than broad at the base, tapering, compressed to- 

 ward the end, the tips laterally deflected, and curved in op- 

 posite directions. Upper mandible larger, its dorsal outline 

 convex, the ridge rather narrow, the sides sloping, the edges 

 sharp, towards the end much inflected, the tip decurved^ com- 

 pressed, worn beneath to a thin edge, slightly deflected to one 

 side, and rather acute. Lower mandible with the angle very 

 short and extremely broad, its dorsal outline convex, the back 

 rounded, the sides rather flattened, the edges sharp, much in- 

 flected, with an angular process near the middle, the tip com- 

 pressed, acute, deflected to one side. 



Although the bill is very broad at the base, the mouth is 

 rather narrow ; the upper mandible within slightly concave, 

 with a deep central and two shallow lateral grooves : the lower 

 very deeply concave ; the palate declinate ; the posterior aperture 

 of the nares oblong and papillate. Tongue, PL YIII, Fig. 4, «, 

 slender, at the base emarginate and papillate, compressed in 

 the middle, horny and concave towards the end. CEsophagus, 

 «, ^, ^, cZ, rather wide, very thin, with a large dilatation or crop, 

 h^ on the right side near the middle ; proventriculus, 6?, with 

 numerous oblong four-sided glandules. Gizzard, ^, /*, ^, strong, 

 rather small, subrhomboidal, its muscles, ^, /*, ^, distinct ; its 

 cuticular lining longitudinally rugous. Intestine, /«, ^,y, h^ l^ w, 

 ;2, shortish, rather wide, with two minute oblong adnate coeca, I. 



Nostrils basal, in the shallow sinus, rather small, circular, 

 covered over by short reflected bristly feathers. Eyes rather 



