870 



Mr. C. Ingram on t/ie 



[Ibis, 



summer 1 liad the opportunity of examining a fully-developed 

 embryo of this species, and was surprised to see that this 

 s\jperficial enlargement of the nasal organs was even more 

 ])ronounced. At this eaily period of its existence the 

 Nightjar's nostrils protrude from eitlier side of the bill like 



jS'iglitjiir (Ciqjyinnibjns eurojiaus); head of tlie embryo much enlarged to 

 show tlie remarliable feupeiiicial enlargement of the nasal organs. 

 a, tieshy portion of the maxilla; Z>, horny portion of the maxilla; 

 c, egg-tooth ; d, commissure of bill. 



two t^mall snouts. Under a magnifying-glass the conch- 

 shaped apertures of these truly remarkable flesh-coloured 

 protuberances appear to have a rounded and slightly swollen 

 lip. A rough idea of their shape may be obtained from the 

 accompanying figure (fig. 13) which is much magnified, 

 and was drawn direct from the fresh specimen *. 



The fact that these nasal excrescences are quickly 

 absorbed and disappear during adolescence suggests a no 



* Tlie Diihky Nightjar {C. niyresvens) has "knob-like nostrils" or 

 " rounded tieshy protuberances "' in the advanced embryo stage according 

 to Innes Hartley (' Tropical Wild Life,' p. 324). 



