148 



FALCO. FALCON. 



Bill short, nearly of equal breadth and depth at the 

 base, compressed towards the end ; upper mandible 

 with a broad cere, its dorsal outline convex, the ridge 

 rounded, the sides convex, the edges anteriorly sharp, 

 and overlapping, with a medial festoon, and an ante- 

 rior dentiform process, the tip trigonal, acute, at its 

 lower part nearly perpendicular to the gape-line ; lower 

 mandible with the angle medial, broad, and rounded, 

 the dorsal line convex, the ridge broad and convex, the 

 edges involute, with a rounded notch or sinus on each 

 side near the tip, which is directly truncate. 



Mouth wide ; palate flat, with two prominent longi- 

 tudinal lines, which have on their ridge minute papillae 

 directed backwards ; upper mandible nearly flat within, 

 with a prominent central line, the lower deeply concave, 

 with an obscure ridge in the middle ; the palatal slit 

 defended by minute acute papillae, and having behind, 

 on each side, two flat processes fringed with acicular 

 papillae. Tongue short, fleshy, rounded, emarginate, 

 posteriorly sagittate and papillate. (Esophagus wide, 

 dilated in some degree about the middle, and at its 

 lower part enlarged, thickened, and glandular. Sto- 

 mach rather large, oblong, the muscular coat thin, the 

 wo lateral tendons small but distinct, the middle coat 



