361 



PHYLLOPNEUSTE. WOODWREN. 



Bill rather short, very slender, straight, rather depressed 

 at the base, compressed towards the end : upper mandible 

 with the dorsal outline straight, towards the end slightly de- 

 clinate, the ridge very narrow at the base, the nasal depres- 

 sion being large, the sides towards the end convex, the edges 

 sharp and direct, with a distinct notch close to the tip, which 

 is declinate, very narrow, and truncate ; lower mandible with 

 the angle of moderate length, narrow and rounded, the dorsal 

 outline very slightly convex, the back broad and rather flatten- 

 ed at the base, narrow towards the end, the sides convex, the 

 edges erect and sharp, slightly overlapped by those of the upper ; 

 the gape-line straight. 



The upper mandible within is slightly concave, with a cen- 

 tral prominent line ; the palate flat, with two parallel ridges ; 

 the posterior aperture of the nares oblong behind, anteriorly 

 linear and edged with minute pointed papillae. The lower 

 mandible is moderately concave, with a median prominent 

 line. The tongue is slender, sagittate at the base and finely 

 papillate, tapering to a slit point, and flat above. The mouth 

 is bedewed with a clammy fluid. The oesophagus is of mode- 

 rate width, nearly equal throughout, having no crop or distinct 

 dilatation ; the proventriculus small, with oblong glandules. 

 The stomach is a gizzard of moderate power, roundish, com- 

 pressed ; its muscular coat thin, and divided into two lateral 

 and an inferior muscle ; the tendons large ; the inner coat thin, 

 tough, with broad rugae. The intestine is short, its duodenal 

 portion wider ; the coeca very small and cylindrical ; the rec- 

 tum very short, with an oblong dilatation. 



Nostrils oblong, narrow, in the lower anterior part of the 

 large nasal depression, of which the membrane is feathered, 

 excepting the narrow operculum. Eyes rather small, eyelids 



