Vol. XXIX1 



1912 



J Clark, Notes on the Laysan Finch. 167 



narrower and sloping inwards, is present on the lower margin also. 

 So far as I can understand from Gadow's description (1. c, p. 246) 

 this arrangement is very much like that found in Rhodacanthis 

 and Chloridops. It is less like that found in Psittirostra and seems 

 to be noticeably different from what is shown by Loxioidcs. It 

 seems probable that Rothschild's description of the nostrils in 

 Teles piza (Avifauna of Laysan, p. 199) was made from a dried 

 specimen, for it does not accord with what alcoholic material 

 shows. It may be that in life the nostrils can be ({uite closed by 

 the movement of the bare surrounding skin. 



Tongue. In Telesjnza, although the tongue resembles that of 

 Loxioides, the vertical thickness and fleshiness are remarkable. 

 The tongue proper is 11 mm. long, scarcely 2 mm. wide and about 

 2.5 mm. in vertical thickness. The fleshy surface is quite papillose 

 and the tip is not divided but is finely fringed as in Loxioides. 

 As compared with Pipilo, Telespiza has a much larger, thicker, 

 fleshier and blunter tongue. 



Pterylosis. — The resemblance between Telespiza and Pipilo in 

 the general pterylosis is so striking as to be remarkable. The head 

 is very fully feathered and has no apteria; above the eye there is 

 more or less evidence of longitudinal rows in the arrangement of 

 the feathers. The upper cervical tract is narrow and well defined 

 and is continuous with the dorsal tract, which is characterized by 

 a rhombic saddle of good size. The femoral tracts are narrow, 

 about 10 mm. long and perfectly defined. The lower cervical 

 tract forks well up on the throat and each branch connects very 

 evidently over the shoulder with the narrow humeral tract. The 

 sternal tracts are moderately wide and are slightly but distinctly 

 separated posteriorly from the ventrals, which are moderately 

 broad and end some distance anterior to the anus. In Telesjnza, 

 a narrow but quite distinct branch of the sternal tract runs directly 

 upward on the side of the body under the wing for 6-8 mm., at 

 right angles to the main tract; it contains 10-12 feathers. Indi- 

 cations of this tract are present in Pipilo but Gadow does not refer 

 to its occurrence in any of the Hawaiian birds examined by him. 

 Possibly its definiteness in Telespiza is associated with the ground- 

 loving habits of the bird. While there are only nine primaries in 

 Pipilo, there are ten in Telespiza, the tenth being short and appar- 

 ently non-functional; the longer j)rimaries had all been cut in my 



