

vol. iv.). Of the last I have been able to examine specimens owing to the kindness of 

 Sir Walter Buller. Lastly, the supposed affinity of Chasiempsis to Phceomis cannot 

 be supported, because of the different nostrils, metatarsal scales, spinal and pectoral 

 feather-tracts, food, and bones of the palate. 



LOXIOIDES BAILLEUL (PI. I. figs. 11-16.) 



Bill like that of typical Conirostres and clearly Fringilline, without notches. 



Nostrils almost round, open, impervious; dorsal and posterior margins soft, not 

 forming a protecting flap or operculum ; the ventral or outer margin almost entirely 

 formed by the horny sheath of the bill. 



Tongue thick and fleshy, much shorter than the bill, very slightly protractile ; tip 

 rounded off and ending in a neat horny scoop, which is formed by the lower horny 

 covering of the tongue projecting a little ; the brim of this scoop is slightly frayed out, 

 as is the case in many Fringillidse. Each side of the tongue is accompanied by a 

 high longitudinal fold of soft tissue, which arises sidewards from the epiglottal region, 

 extends forwards, and ultimately meets its fellow from the other side below the free 

 end of the tongue, passing into the frenum linguae. Such guiding folds or projections 

 of the lingual floor are frequently met with in birds which eat uncrushed seeds, and 

 likewise in the Drepanididge. 



Pterylosis. — Spinal tract with an unbroken rhombic saddle, which is continued to the 

 oil-gland. Pectoral tracts uniformly broad, without distinct lateral corners. Primary 

 quills ten in number, the last of which is very slender and short, not functional, 

 completely hidden by the upper covert. The tip of the wing is formed by the eighth 

 and seventh primaries, the ninth being equal in length to the sixth, while the fifth is 

 still shorter. The number of secondaries is nine, as in most Passerine birds. The 

 twelve tail-feathers are nearly equal in length, but the median are slightly shorter. 



The metatarsus is covered in front by six transverse scales, which decrease in length 

 from the ankle-joint downwards. The median and the lateral side are each covered 

 by one long scute, which is followed near the toes by several small scales. 



Alimentary canal. — The oesophagus forms a capacious elongated dilatation, without, 

 however, assuming the shape of a distinct crop. The stomach is square in shape and 

 strongly muscular : that of one specimen contained, besides two soft hairless cater- 

 pillars, several hard seeds and some large unhusked seeds of another kind of plant ; 

 that of the second specimen contained small, very hard seeds, and small bits of rough 

 red lava, which, of course, had been swallowed to assist in the trituration of the hard 

 food. The gut is very narrow and longhand shows somewhat complicated convolutions, 

 there being present an extra, closed, and rather long loop (3, 4, in fig. 16), which is 

 stowed away dorsally from the usual central coil (5, 6, 7, 8). Both the absolute and 

 the relative lengths of the gut vary individually ; the female, the smaller specimen, 

 possessing the longer gut : — 



§ , absolute length of gut 49 centim., relative length 9. 

 6 , „ „ 46 „ 8. 



