1880.] ' MR. W. A. FORBES ON LEPTOSOMA DISCOLOR. 4G9 



In the Cuculidse the dorsal tract, though it divides between the 

 shoulders, is perfectly continuous throughout, enclosing an elongated 

 oval space {vide Nitzsch's figures of Cucidus canorus and Centropus 

 rvfpennis, I. c. pi. iv. figs. 12 & 14). In the Cuculidas too, as is well 

 known, the aftershaft is absent and there are but 10 rectrices. I 

 may remark that in the possession of an interscapular dorsal fork 

 the Coraciidae and Leptosoma form an exception to Prof. Garrod's 

 generalization' that when " the dorsal tract develops a fork between 

 the shoulder-blades a bird is homalogonatous." 



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 retroverted 

 tubercle-like papillse 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 5 

 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-external angles 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 shghtly tapering shape, is 

 apparently entire". This tongue closely resembles that of Coracias, 

 and differs from that of such of the CucuUdae as I have examined in 

 wanting the well-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 de- 

 velops no crop. The proventriculus is zonary, being | inch deep. 

 The stomach is globose and not strongly muscular ; there is a di- 

 stinct pyloric bulb indicated externally at the commencement of the 

 duodenum. Internally it is lined with rather soft epithelium, which 

 is concentrically striated. In the present example the stomach con- 

 tained hairs, apparently of lepidopterous larvae, and the horny jaws 

 and other hard parts of insects ; many of the smaller hairs had be- 

 come impacted in the soft lining of the stomach, so that this at first 

 sight appeared to be villous. Tlie same appearance has often been 

 described in our common Cuckoo*. 



The intestines in all measure 1 2| inches, of which 2f are " large ; " 

 they are not markedly capacious. The caeca^ are long and cylindri- 



■wbich 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, 



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



== The tongue of Leptosoma has been figured by Mr. Sclater {I. c. p. 688), and 

 also by M. A. Milne-Edwards {I. s. c. pi. 88. fig. 1). 



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

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



* Of. Hunter's Essays and Observations, ii. p. 285 &c. 



5 Figured, with other parts of the intestinal canal, by M. Milne-Edwards, 

 I. c. pi. 88. 



31* 



