TONGUE OF THE WOODPECKER. 133 



nearly in the whole extent of its course, at c, d, 

 E, F, and a small portion of the left cartilage is 

 seen at l. The two cartilages form, at their 

 junction with the tongue, a very acute angle, 

 slightly diverging as they proceed backwards ; 

 until, bending downwards (at c), they pass ob- 

 liquely round the sides of the neck, connected 

 by a membrane (m) ; then, being again inflected 

 upwards, they converge towards the back of the 

 head, where they meet, and, being enclosed in a 

 common sheath, are conducted together along a 

 groove, which extends forwards, along the middle 

 line of the cranium (e), till it arrives between 

 the eyes. From this point, the groove and the 

 two cartilages it contains, which are now more 

 closely conjoined, are deflected towards the 

 right side, and terminate at the edge of the 

 aperture of the right nostril (f), into which the 

 united cartilages are finally inserted. In order 

 that their course may be seen more distinctly, 

 these cartilages are represented in the figure 

 (at d), drawn out of the groove provided to 

 receive and protect them.* A long and slender 

 muscle is attached to the inner margin of each 

 of these cartilages ; and their actions conspire to 

 raise the lower and most bent parts of the car- 

 tilages, so that their curvature is diminished, 

 and the tongue protruded to a considerable dis- 



* S is the large salivary gland on the right sido. 



