TOM—TONGUE 973 
Phenicopterus, Cicontidx (less so in Ibididex), Podica, Heliornis, Fulica, 
Tribonyxz, Ocydromus, Aramus, Grues and their allies (as Psophia, 
Eurypyga, Ehinochetus and Cariama), Laro-Limicole (not Dromas), 
Cathartide and Gypogeranus. This modification seems to be a 
character easily adapted according to the nature of the bird’s 
resting-place, and to be of as little taxonomic importance as the 
comparative length of the toes. 
TOM, a nickname applied to several birds: In Jamaica 
Myiarchus stolidus is the TOMFOOL, while a larger and a smaller 
species, M. validus and Contopus pallidus are respectively dis- 
tinguished as the Great and Little Tomfool (Handb. of Jam. 1881, 
p. 107), all three belonging to the Tyrannidz (TYRANT-BIRD). In 
the same island TOM-KELLY, or as Patrick Browne (Nat. Hist. 
Jam. p. 476) in 1756 has it, “‘ WHIP-TOM-KELLY ” has been said to be 
the creole name of Vireosylvia calidris, one of the Vireonidx (VIREO) ; 
but Gosse (B. Jam. p. 195) never heard it so called and could not 
believe that the bird’s note could be so written.) TOMMY,? and 
TOM-NODDY (cf. TAmmy-Norig), mean the Purrin. TOMTIT 
is a very common name in England for almost any kind of Trr- 
MOUSE, but preferably perhaps to Parus cxruleus as the best known. 
TONGUE, one of those organs which in Birds presents almost 
endless modifications, not only in size and shape, but also in gross 
and minute structure. As a whole it consists of the Hyorp 
(p. 452) framework, with its attached muscles (pp. 619, 620), the 
sensory terminal corpuscles® of a branch of the glossopharyngeal 
1 Yet March (Proc. Ac. Philad. 1863, p. 294) uses the name, and Wilson 
(Am. Orn. ii. p. 35) declares of an allied continental form, V. olivacea, that it 
‘requires but little of imagination to fancy that you hear it pronounce these 
words ‘Tom-Kelly! Whip-Tom-Kelly!’ very distinctly,” a statement denied 
by Nuttall (ddan. Orn. U. S. and Canada, i. p. 818), who also says (tom. cit. p. 
238) that this call is uttered by Parws bicolor, the Tufted Trrmovuse. 
2 Tomor, or Tymor (for both readings occur) appears to be a bird’s name, 
and though there is nothing to shew its signification, needs mention here since 
it is included in several works and has been misprinted Jornor by Hartshorne 
(Ancient Metrical Tales, p. 177). The authority for each form of the word is a 
MS. poem without title in the Public Library of the University of Cambridge 
(the first being given in Ff. 5. 48. fol. 69, b, line 6 ; the second in Ff. 2. 38. fol. 
57, col. 2, line 22). They are rightly cited by Halliwell (Dict. Arch. & Prov. 
Words, ii. pp. 880, 898), but Thomas Wright (Dict. Obsol. & Prov. Engl. pp 
968, 988) wrongly assigns them to the old poem of True Thomas. 
3 The Tongue is commonly supposed to be the chief organ of taste ; but it is 
certainly not so in Birds, where it is, with a few exceptions, subservient to 
deglutition, being also in some cases (Honey-eaters, Humming-birds and Wood- 
peckers) the means of taking up the food. It is true that the Tongue of Birds is 
very rich in sensory bodies, the so-called Pacinian or Herbst’s corpuscles, which 
are the terminal organs of sensory nerves ; but these corpuscles are frequently 
imbedded deeply in and beneath the impervious horny sheath, so that they 
