Z^C 



Alimentary canal. — The oesophagus forms a very distinct pouch-like crop, which 

 rests on the right side between the two clavicles. Such a typical crop occurs in many 

 truly granivorous Fringillidee — for instance, in Pyrrhula, Loxia, and Vidua, less 

 developed in Fringilla, Loxioides (q. v.), Emberiza, also in Ampelis and Panurus. 

 The stomach is square, strongly muscular, internally lined with a strong corrugated 

 brown cuticle ; it contained seeds and particles of flowers. The whole gut is rather 

 wide, consequently shorter and more regularly convoluted than that of Loxioides ; its 

 absolute length is 30-5 centim., its relative length 5*5, agreeing in this respect with 

 Fringilla ccelebs, Passer domesticus, and many other Passerine birds. The two cseca 

 are inserted about 2 centim. from the anus, and are comparatively long (0-8 centim. 

 and 1 centim. in length) and functional, which is a very exceptional feature among 

 Passeres. The right lobe of the liver is in bulk about double that of the left. 



Summary. — There are no features in Psittacirostra which disagree with its being placed 

 among the Fringillidee ; on the other hand, its nostrils, crop, and intestinal convolutions 

 show clearly that it well deserves generic distinction from Loxioides. Lastly, no 

 characters remove these birds from the Fringillidse and connect them with either the 

 Diceeidae or the Meliphagidse. 



Aceuloceecus beaccatus. (Pis. II. and III. figs. 21-35.) 

 Bill. — The distal third of the edges of the upper and lower jaws is finely serrated, the 

 points of the indentations being very sharp and directed forwards. There is no notch 

 near the tip. 



Nostrils large, somewhat removed from the base of the bill, with a large coriaceous 

 upper operculum, and with a somewhat smaller lower one which is partly overlapped 

 by the upper. The nostrils are bare, not covered by feathers, but there are a few 

 soft rictal bristles. 



Tongue as long as the bill, considerably protractile. The yellowish horny sheath of 

 the tongue constitutes its greater portion. The lateral margins of the horny sheath 

 are sharp and quite thin ; they curve upwards and inwards, and, by approaching each 

 other in the dorsal middle line, form two nearly closed tubes, each of which breaks 

 up into two, and is frayed out on its lateral margin. The distal third of the tongue 

 presents, therefore, the aspect of a quadruple brush. The hyoid bones extend back- 

 wards and upwards round the occiput, and end at the level of the middle of the orbit. 

 The principal protractor muscle of the tongue is the M. genio-hyoideus. This consists 

 of two parts, each of which arises as a narrow band from the inner margin of the 

 middle of the mandible. This band passes backwards and splits into two. The 

 median portion attaches itself to the upper half of the cerato-branchial or " hyoid 

 horn," by surrounding or enveloping this bone in a slightly spiral direction, while 

 only loosely fastened to it by connective tissue. The outer portion accompanies the 

 cerato-branchial throughout its length on the anterior or dorsal surface and is 

 attached to its tip. Both these portions, which form the genio-hyoid muscle, are 

 surrounded by a common slippery sheath which compels them to act exclusively in the 



