178 Mr. P. L. Sclater on 



First, as regards the internal structure of Indicator. The 

 tongue is very small, short, smooth and not extensible ; so 

 that it shows no resemblance at all to the structure of the organ 

 in Picus, but is very like the tongue of Cuculus. There are 

 scai'cely any traces of lateral lacerations, in which respect it also 

 resembles Cuculus, and departs very widely from Picus. 



There is not much to be gathered of the structure of the 

 digestive organs of Indicator from the present specimen, on 

 account of its bad condition. But the muscular coat of the 

 stomach is certainly not much developed, and there appear 

 to be no traces of cseca. The whole length of the intestinal 

 tube from the stomach to the anus is about 8 inches. The 

 stomach was crammed with comminuted remains of the hard 

 parts of insects, saturated with a peculiar resinous fluid, which 

 may, perhaps, have been derived from these insects. 



As regards the osseous structure o{ Indicator, I have been able 

 to extract from the present example a nearly perfect stei-num. 

 This, it will be observed from the figures, presents obvious 

 points of distinction from both the Picine and Cuculine form of 

 sternum, and leads me to believe that Indicator belongs to a 



Fm-. 1. 





\l 



/''\f\ 



CJ / ^ - 



Sternum of Indicator minor. Sternum of Megalcenm asiatica. 



different natural family from either of these groups. All Picidce 



