18G6.~| MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE CAPRIMULGID*. 583 



Each feather consists of a horny sheath, about 0'8 inch in length, of 

 which 0-5 is external. At the termination of the sheath the feather 

 presents the usual decomposed appearance of powder-down patches, 

 being divided entirely into numerous elongated minute filaments of a 

 dark-grey colour. The entire breadth of each patch is nearly 1 -5 inch, 

 the space between the two patches across the rump measures 07 inch. 



The rectrices are ten in number, the two medial being, as usual, 

 rather elevated above the lateral. 



The remiges are twenty-two in number, ten primaries (of which 

 three are on the metacarpus) and twelve secondaries. 



The anterior covering of the tarsus (acrotarsia) consists of about 

 seven parallel scutes, which rather decrease in breadth from above 

 downwards, each one barely overlapping the next succeeding one. 

 Similar series of smaller scutes are continued along the upper surface 

 of the digits. The tarsus is covered posteriorly with small, closely 

 placed, hexagonal scutella, larger at the sides next to the anterior 

 scutes. 



The gullet is very wide from the commencement, measuring about 

 3*5 inches in length, and terminating in a thicker-walled and rather 

 widened proventriculus, which is encircled within by a series of 

 rather large proventricular glands. Externally the proventriculus 

 is tolerably muscular, the fibres being continuous with those of the 

 outer layer of the gizzard. Between the proventriculus and the giz- 

 zard is a slight contraction. The gizzard itself is pyriform, with a 

 rounded tendinous muscular centre, but little or no constriction at 

 the pyloric end. The internal coats are thrown into elongated ruga?, 

 composed of soft leathery membrane, which pouts up at the pro- 

 ventricular aperture. 



The pyloric aperture is lateral, and lies 0*3 inch below the cardiac 

 aperture. The intestinal canal is tolerably uniform in diameter 

 throughout, and measures 25*1 inches in entire length. Three inches 

 above the anal extremity two large caeca are given off, 3-6 inches in 

 length, and almost as Wide as the intestine. Of these the blind ex- 

 tremities are much widened and bulbous, the lower halves being con- 

 siderably narrower — very much as in the Owls (Strigidce). 



The tongue of this bird consists of a flat, elongated, translucent, 

 horny membrane, much widened at its base, gradually decreasing in 

 width until it tapers suddenly at about one-fourth of its whole length 

 from the anterior extremity. The slender tip is slightly crenated. 

 The whole length from the glottis to the apex is 2-1 inches, the 

 breadth at the root 0-4. The posterior basal fourth is much thick- 

 ened and nearly opaque, being of a whitish colour. It projects an- 

 gularly forward into the translucent portion, and almost forms an 

 isosceles triangle. The posterior lateral projections are horny and 

 translucent like the tongue itself, and present no traces of papilla; ; 

 but their free-pointed extremities present several small lateral spines. 



From these notes, and from what has been stated in my former 

 communication, it appears that Podargus differs from the typical 

 Caprimulgidce not only in the several important characters already 

 noted (antea p. 1 27), but also in the entire abortion of the oil-gland 



