﻿6 
  PEOCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL. 
  MUSEUM 
  vol.67 
  

  

  121) 
  modify 
  this 
  by 
  having 
  six 
  or 
  seven 
  tangled 
  tips 
  well 
  calculated 
  

   to 
  collect 
  small 
  insects 
  and 
  spider 
  eggs 
  from 
  the 
  crevices 
  of 
  tree 
  bark. 
  

  

  Such, 
  in 
  brief, 
  is 
  a 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  modifications 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  pattern 
  

   seen 
  among 
  birds. 
  There 
  are, 
  however, 
  many 
  tongues 
  that 
  are 
  ap- 
  

   parently 
  fashioned 
  on 
  other 
  foundations. 
  Among 
  these 
  are 
  found 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  shore 
  and 
  water 
  birds. 
  Thus 
  the 
  tongue 
  of 
  a 
  gull 
  (fig. 
  

   28) 
  (Larus) 
  might 
  be 
  selected 
  as 
  a 
  type. 
  In 
  these 
  forms, 
  according 
  to 
  

   Giebel, 
  6 
  the 
  ceratohyals 
  tend 
  to 
  fuse 
  into 
  one 
  bone. 
  Superficially 
  

   one 
  sees 
  this 
  manifested 
  by 
  a 
  rather 
  fleshy 
  organ 
  which, 
  while 
  having 
  

   a 
  median 
  depression 
  or 
  groove 
  running 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  tongue, 
  still 
  

   has 
  no 
  tendency 
  to 
  curl 
  and, 
  while 
  often 
  very 
  slightly 
  incised 
  or 
  

   frayed 
  at 
  the 
  tip, 
  is 
  not 
  split 
  to 
  any 
  degree. 
  Such 
  a 
  tongue, 
  varying 
  

   in 
  length 
  and 
  breadth, 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  series 
  of 
  rails, 
  sand- 
  

   pipers, 
  terns, 
  plovers, 
  and 
  the 
  like. 
  

  

  Some 
  interesting 
  adaptations 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  noted 
  especially 
  among 
  the 
  

   fish 
  feeders. 
  If 
  the 
  tongue 
  is 
  edged 
  laterally 
  with 
  sharp 
  spines 
  for 
  

   one-half 
  or 
  more 
  its 
  length 
  we 
  would 
  have 
  it 
  as 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  petrel 
  

   tribe, 
  fulmars 
  (fig. 
  25) 
  and 
  shearwaters; 
  loons 
  (fig. 
  23) 
  modify 
  the 
  

   pattern 
  by 
  concentrating 
  all 
  the 
  spines 
  in 
  one 
  large 
  sharp 
  patch 
  

   posteriorly. 
  Finally 
  if 
  this 
  process 
  is 
  continued 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  whole 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  tongue 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  retroverted 
  spines 
  we 
  would 
  

   have 
  the 
  condition 
  as 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  penguins. 
  

  

  Another 
  ground 
  pattern 
  is 
  seen 
  among 
  the 
  woodpeckers 
  (fig. 
  13). 
  

   As 
  has 
  been 
  noted 
  the 
  basihyal 
  has 
  been 
  greatly 
  lengthened 
  in 
  these 
  

   birds 
  whereas 
  the 
  ceratohyals 
  are 
  fused 
  as 
  a 
  small 
  conical 
  tip. 
  The 
  

   true 
  tongue 
  then 
  is 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  sharp 
  horny 
  white 
  tip 
  armed 
  

   with 
  lateral, 
  backwardly 
  directed 
  spines, 
  while 
  behind 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  

   long 
  extensile 
  wormlike 
  basihyal 
  portion 
  which, 
  when 
  drawn 
  back 
  

   into 
  the 
  mouth, 
  inverts 
  and 
  forms 
  a 
  sheath 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  

   the 
  organ 
  can 
  be 
  retracted. 
  This 
  portion 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  minute 
  

   spines 
  scarcely 
  visible 
  to 
  the 
  unaided 
  eye, 
  the 
  apparent 
  function 
  of 
  

   which 
  is 
  to 
  hold 
  the 
  saliva, 
  which 
  is 
  especially 
  abundant 
  in 
  these 
  

   birds. 
  This 
  pattern 
  is 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  Picidae 
  and 
  is 
  

   seen 
  in 
  no 
  other 
  forms. 
  

  

  An 
  odd 
  pattern 
  is 
  assumed 
  by 
  the 
  Ardeidae 
  (figs. 
  31-34) 
  in 
  which 
  

   it 
  is 
  long, 
  fleshy, 
  and 
  cylindrical, 
  the 
  characteristic 
  feature 
  being, 
  

   however, 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  sharp 
  spines 
  at 
  the 
  posterior 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  

   tongue. 
  Instead 
  is 
  found 
  only 
  a 
  soft, 
  fleshy 
  flap, 
  somewhat 
  ser- 
  

   rated 
  in 
  outline, 
  ending 
  laterally 
  in 
  large 
  but 
  flexible 
  tips. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  Anatidae 
  (fig. 
  9) 
  again 
  this 
  organ 
  assumes 
  a 
  char- 
  

   acteristic 
  appearance 
  undergoing 
  many 
  interesting 
  variations 
  to 
  

   be 
  described 
  later. 
  

  

  * 
  Giebel, 
  C. 
  Die 
  Zunge 
  der 
  Vogel 
  und 
  ihr 
  Geriist, 
  Zeitschr. 
  fur 
  die 
  Gesammten 
  Natur- 
  

   wiss., 
  vol. 
  11, 
  1858, 
  pp. 
  19-53. 
  

  

  

  