319 



PHILOMELA. NIGHTINGALE. 



Bill of moderate length, straight, rather broader than high 

 at the base, compressed toward the end : upper mandible with 

 the dorsal outline slightly declinate and somewhat convex to- 

 ward the end, the ridge narrow, the edges slightly overlapping, 

 with a faint notch, close to the declinate, acute tip ; lower 

 mandible with the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, 

 the ridge rounded, the sides convex, the tip rather acute. 



Both mandibles moderately concave internally, with a me- 

 dian prominent line ; the palate flat, with two ridges, the pos- 

 terior aperture of the nares oblongo-linear, margined with acute 

 papillae. Tongue slender, sagittate and papillate at the base, 

 tapering to a slit and lacerate point. The mouth bedewed 

 with a clammy fluid from two slender submaxillary glands. 

 (Esophagus of moderate width, without dilatation ; proventri- 

 culus oblong ; stomach a gizzard of moderate power, roundish, 

 compressed, its lateral muscles rather thin, the tendons large, 

 the epithelium thin, tough, and longitudinally rugous ; intes- 

 tine short, of moderate width, with very small cylindrical 

 coeca, and an oblong cloaca. PI. XIII. Fig. 7. 



Nostrils rather large, oblong, operculate. Eyes rather small ; 

 eyelids feathered, with a narrow, bare, crenate margin. Exter- 

 nal aperture of the ear large, roundish. 



General form slender, the body ovate, the neck short ; the 

 head ovato-oblong ; tarsi rather long, slender, compressed, with 

 eight scutella, of which the upper are indistinct ; toes slender, 

 compressed ; the first stout, the lateral equal. Claws of mo- 

 derate length, arched, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, 

 acute. 



Plumage soft and blended, the feathers oblong ; bristles very 

 small. Wings of moderate length, broad, rounded ; the first 

 quill about a third of the length of the second, which is equal 



