﻿art. 
  19 
  CONCERNING 
  BIRDS 
  ' 
  TONGUES 
  GARDNER 
  13 
  

  

  flap 
  connected 
  with 
  flexible 
  lateral 
  "horns." 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  

   determined 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  form 
  not 
  approached 
  by 
  any 
  other 
  family 
  of 
  

   birds 
  and 
  once 
  having 
  been 
  seen 
  is 
  so 
  characteristic 
  that 
  it 
  could 
  

   not 
  be 
  confused 
  with 
  any 
  other 
  form, 
  most 
  especially 
  with 
  the 
  storks 
  

   with 
  which 
  herons 
  have 
  often 
  been 
  classed 
  and 
  with 
  which 
  they 
  

   agree 
  in 
  feeding 
  habits. 
  It 
  is 
  long 
  in 
  Ardea 
  herodias 
  (fig. 
  32) 
  and 
  

   shorter 
  in 
  Nycticorax 
  nycticorax 
  naevius 
  (fig. 
  31) 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  

   general 
  structure 
  throughout, 
  including 
  Egretta 
  candidissima, 
  Cas- 
  

   merodius 
  egretta., 
  Botaurus 
  lentiginosus 
  (fig. 
  33), 
  and 
  Butorides 
  

   virescens 
  anthonyi 
  (fig. 
  34). 
  

  

  Of 
  great 
  interest 
  is 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  in 
  that 
  odd-billed 
  form 
  the 
  

   boat-billed 
  night 
  heron 
  {Cochlearius 
  zeledoni) 
  the 
  same 
  structure 
  

   is 
  preserved. 
  The 
  tongue 
  is 
  very 
  short 
  but 
  is 
  constructed 
  exactly 
  

   as 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  herons, 
  much 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  tongue 
  of 
  Ardea 
  was 
  cut 
  to 
  

   the 
  length 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  or 
  less. 
  

  

  The 
  storks 
  (Ciconiidae) 
  have 
  rudimentary 
  tongues, 
  as 
  do 
  the 
  

   Ibididae 
  (Threskiornithidae). 
  Ciconia 
  ciconia 
  (fig. 
  26) 
  has 
  a 
  flat 
  

   almost 
  formless 
  structure, 
  while 
  Plegadis 
  guarauna 
  has 
  one 
  that 
  is 
  

   very 
  small 
  but 
  with 
  some 
  semblance 
  of 
  structure, 
  as 
  there 
  are 
  well- 
  

   defined 
  spines 
  present 
  which, 
  however, 
  are 
  flexible 
  and 
  f 
  unctionless. 
  

  

  The 
  flamingoes 
  (Phoenicopteridae) 
  are 
  characterized 
  by 
  fleshy 
  

   tongues 
  supplied 
  on 
  the 
  dorsum 
  with 
  conical 
  spines 
  and 
  posteriorly 
  

   with 
  a 
  patch 
  of 
  spinose 
  processes. 
  These 
  curl 
  downward, 
  as 
  do 
  the 
  

   bills. 
  Figure 
  11 
  illustrates 
  the 
  tongue 
  of 
  Phoenicopterus 
  ruber. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  note 
  that 
  the 
  four 
  suborders 
  are 
  readily 
  sepa- 
  

   rated 
  by 
  tongue 
  form. 
  The 
  Steganopodes 
  by 
  rudimentary 
  cylindrical 
  

   ones 
  (except 
  Fregata), 
  Ardeae 
  by 
  their 
  characteristic 
  ones, 
  Ci- 
  

   coniae 
  by 
  flat 
  rudimentary, 
  and 
  Phoenicopteri 
  by 
  large 
  fleshy 
  

   tongues. 
  

  

  Order 
  ANSERIFORMES 
  

  

  The 
  screamer 
  (Chauna 
  chavaria) 
  of 
  the 
  Palamedeidae 
  has 
  a 
  flat 
  

   tongue 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  of 
  spines 
  posteriorly 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  like 
  the 
  

   Anatidae, 
  but 
  resembling 
  more 
  that 
  organ 
  in 
  the 
  gallinaceous 
  birds. 
  

  

  The 
  Anatidae 
  have 
  a 
  characteristic 
  organ 
  which, 
  while 
  modified 
  in 
  

   response 
  to 
  diet, 
  is 
  readily 
  recognizable 
  as 
  distinct 
  from 
  all 
  others. 
  

  

  Most 
  mergansers 
  have 
  a 
  long 
  slender 
  structure 
  with 
  but 
  one 
  row 
  of 
  

   lateral 
  hairs, 
  while 
  Mergus 
  serrator 
  (fig. 
  10) 
  has 
  a 
  double 
  row 
  along 
  

   the 
  entire 
  dorsal 
  surface. 
  

  

  In 
  Branta 
  canadensis 
  and 
  B. 
  nigricans, 
  for 
  tearing 
  purposes, 
  all 
  

   of 
  the 
  hairs 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  lateral 
  rows 
  have 
  been 
  converted 
  into 
  

   strong 
  backwardly 
  directed 
  spines, 
  one 
  row 
  on 
  each 
  side, 
  while 
  

   the 
  dorsal 
  surface 
  is 
  smooth, 
  without 
  the 
  usual 
  gutter. 
  Such 
  an 
  

   organ 
  is 
  incapable 
  of 
  much 
  if 
  any 
  sifting. 
  

  

  