'20 



STRUCTURE AND CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS 



seen in the Trichoglossinse (see tig. 6), named so on account 

 of the very structure, and in the Nectariniidae, &c. Very 

 frequently the tongue is more or less spiny upon its surface, 

 particularly towards the attached end 

 of the organ. A very singular modi- 

 fication is the extraordinarily long 

 tongue of the woodpeckers, which 

 is, of course, associated with the ex- 

 traction of grubs from the crevices in 

 trees. A detailed description of the 

 numerous forms of this organ would 

 occupy more space than can be allowed ; 

 but the principal varieties will be 

 found described under the different 

 families. The modifications of the 

 tongue are not of great assistance to 



->*-> 





Fig. 5. — A, Lowee Mandi- 

 ble OF Indian Baktek; 



t, EuDEHENTABY ToNGUE. 

 B, TONGDE IN PbOFILE. 





Fig. 6. — Head of Lorius, showing Extended Tongue 

 WITH Brush Tip (after Gabbod). 



the taxonomist, except as regards smaller groups. Thus 

 the Plataleidffi have been distinguished from other Herodiones 

 as ' Lipoglossae,' 



Teeth are not met with in living birds. EoSE, however, 

 has discovered what he believes to be a rudimentary tooth 

 band ('Zahnleiste ') in Sterna,'^ a discovery which may have 



' This has been recently confirmed by Miss Caelsson (' Ueber die Sehmelz- 

 leiste bei Sterna hvrundo,' Anat. Anz xii. 72), who found it to characterise both 

 jaws. For other embryonic traces of teeth see P. Fbaisse, ' tJber Zahheu. Zahn- 



