ON LEPTOSOMA DISCOLOR. 153 



the above description with Nitzsch's figures of Coracias garrula, Leptosoma 

 is essentially Coraciine, though it differs from all others of that group in 

 its possession of powder-down patches*. 



In the CuculidsB the dorsal tract, though it divides between the shoul- P.Z. S. 1880, 

 ders, is perfectly continuous throughout, enclosing an elongated oval ? " 

 space (vide Nitzsch's figures of Cuculus canorus and Centropus rufipennis, 

 1. c. pi. iv. figs. 12 & 14). In the Cuculidae too, as is well known, the 

 after shaft is absent and there are but 10 rectrices. I may remark that 

 in the possession of an inte/*scapular dorsal fork the Coraciidae and Lepto- 

 soma form an exception to Prof. Garrod's generalization f that when 

 " the dorsal tract develops a fork between the shoulder-blades a bird is 

 homalogODatous." 



Visceral Anatomy. The mucous membrane of the palate and mouth is 

 smooth throughout, except along the margins of the nasal aperture, 

 where it develops three or four small blunt retro verted tubercle-like 

 papillae on each side, and also external to this on each side along a line 

 parallel to the axis of the palatine bones, where there is a similar short 

 row of small papillae. 



The tongue is tapering and elongated in shape ; its length is 1| inch. 

 The basal part, which alone is fleshy, and supported by the hyoid bones, 

 is of a triangularly sagittate shape, about | inch long, and provided at 

 its postero-exterual agles with a few minute, blunt, retroverted papillae ; 

 it is prolonged forwards into a horny lamina, which is strongly concave 

 above and forms the greater part of the tongue ; at its apex the part, 

 which is of a slightly tapering shape, is apparently entire . This tongue 

 closely resembles that of Coracias, and differs from that of such of the 

 Cuculidae as I have examined in wanting the w r ell-developed retroverted 

 spines that are always present on the posterior part of the lateral margins 

 in those birds . 



The oesophagus is capacious at first, but rapidly narrows ; it develops 

 no crop. The proventriculus is zonary, being j inch deep. The stomach 

 is globose and not strongly muscular : there is a distinct pyloric bulb in- 



* I may here mention that Atelornis crossleyi differs as regards its pterylosis but 

 slightly from the Coraciine type. It has the same interrupted dorsal tract, each half 

 having a furcate form ; but here the interscapular fork is very short and narrow, and 

 does not enclose the anterior part of the posterior fork, which has a long stem or 

 " handle." There are the same strong lumbar tracts. Below, the outer pectoral tract, 

 given off on the middle of the breast, is only indicated by an enlargement of the main 

 tract, and is not at all free. There are no traces of powder-down patches. 



t P.Z. S. 1878, p. 931. 



| The tongue of Leptosoma has been figured by Mr. Sclater (/. c. p. 688), and also 

 by M. A. Milne-Edwards (/. s. c. pi. 88. fig. 1). 



Vide also the figures of the tongues of Coua gigas (pi. 63. fig. 1) and C. olivacciceps 

 (pi. 64. figs. 1, 2) in Grandidier's work. 



