693 



CALAMOPHILUS. PINNOCK. 



Bill short, rather slender ; upper mandible with the dorsal 

 outline considerably convex, the sides also convex, the edges 

 thin, nearly direct, arched toward the end, without notch, the 

 tip narrow, declinate ; lower mandible with the angle rather 

 narrow, the dorsal line almost straight, the edges inflected, 

 the tip narrow. Tongue slender, trigonal, obliquely trun- 

 cate and lacerate ; oesophagus enlarged into a kind of half- 

 crop inclined toward the right side ; stomach muscular, with 

 a dense rugous epithelium ; intestine of moderate length ; 

 coeca very small. 



Head ovate, of moderate size ; nostrils small, round, con- 

 cealed by bristly plumelets directed forwards ; eyes of mo- 

 derate size ; aperture of ear roundish and rather large ; neck 

 short ; body rather slender ; feet of moderate length ; hind 

 toe stout, lateral toes about equal ; claws rather long, arched, 

 compressed, acute. 



Plumage very soft, blended. Wings short, rounded ; the 

 first quill extremely small, being scarcely apparent, the se- 

 cond not much shorter than the third and fourth, which are 

 longest. Tail very long, graduate, of twelve weak rounded 

 feathers. 



The examination of the digestive organs of the only known 

 species of this genus at once determines its natural affinities, 

 shewing that, having the kind of dilatation of the oesophagus 

 peculiar to the liuskers, it must be referred to that group, al- 

 though it has hitherto been considered as closely connected 

 with the Tits. 



