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  CONCERNING 
  BIRDS 
  ' 
  TONGUES 
  — 
  GARDNER 
  17 
  

  

  Order 
  CHARADRIIFORMES 
  

  

  The 
  tongues 
  of 
  the 
  Limicolae 
  very 
  much 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   rails. 
  They 
  usually 
  are 
  commensurate 
  in 
  length 
  with 
  the 
  bill, 
  al- 
  

   though 
  in 
  Numenius, 
  Recurvirostra 
  amerlcana 
  (fig. 
  50), 
  and 
  Meso- 
  

   scolopax 
  borealis 
  they 
  lie 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  

   extend 
  far 
  toward 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  bill. 
  The 
  last-named 
  species 
  has 
  

   an 
  exceedingly 
  narrow 
  tapering 
  organ 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  anterior 
  portion 
  

   becomes 
  almost 
  threadlike 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  measure 
  more 
  than 
  one- 
  

   third 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  bill. 
  In 
  the 
  rails 
  the 
  tip 
  was 
  found 
  often 
  

   to 
  be 
  split 
  and 
  frayed 
  while 
  the 
  sandpipers 
  generally 
  have 
  a 
  tip 
  

   entire. 
  Usually 
  the 
  tongue 
  is 
  guttered 
  or 
  grooved 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  genera 
  

   mentioned 
  above 
  it 
  tends 
  to 
  be 
  flat. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  very 
  long 
  as 
  in 
  Cato- 
  

   ptrophorus 
  semipalmatus 
  inornatus, 
  and 
  the 
  long-billed 
  dowitcher 
  

   {Limnodromus 
  griseus 
  scolopaceus, 
  fig. 
  48) 
  and 
  less 
  so 
  the 
  wander- 
  

   ing 
  tattler, 
  (Heteroscelus 
  incanus, 
  fig. 
  46), 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  short 
  in 
  

   the 
  semipalmated 
  plover 
  {Charadrius 
  semipalmatus, 
  fig. 
  60). 
  

  

  Other 
  variations 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  Actitis 
  macularia 
  (fig. 
  54), 
  Oxyechus 
  

   vociferus 
  (fig. 
  58), 
  Haematopus 
  palliatus 
  (fig. 
  61), 
  and 
  Ereunetes 
  

   pusillus 
  (fig. 
  57). 
  There 
  is 
  nothing 
  unusual 
  about 
  this 
  organ 
  in 
  

   Oreophilus 
  ruficollis 
  ruficollis, 
  Pisobia 
  minutilla, 
  Grocethia 
  leucop- 
  

   tera, 
  or 
  Squatarola 
  squatarola. 
  In 
  this 
  group, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  hawks 
  and 
  

   owls, 
  due 
  to 
  convergent 
  evolution 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  feeding 
  habits 
  

   are 
  alike 
  there 
  has 
  developed 
  a 
  very 
  close 
  resemblence 
  to 
  the 
  tongues 
  

   of 
  rails 
  and 
  an 
  indication 
  of 
  affinity 
  when 
  in 
  fact 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  real 
  

   as 
  this 
  organ 
  would 
  lead 
  to 
  believe. 
  So 
  close 
  is 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   between 
  the 
  groups 
  that 
  given 
  a 
  single 
  tongue 
  one 
  would 
  often 
  be 
  

   in 
  doubt 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  true 
  connection. 
  

  

  The 
  gulls 
  have 
  a 
  rather 
  broad 
  fleshy 
  tongue 
  that 
  is 
  somewhat 
  

   grooved 
  and 
  is 
  often 
  forked 
  at 
  the 
  tip, 
  as 
  illustrated 
  by 
  La?ms 
  heer- 
  

   manni 
  (fig. 
  27) 
  and 
  L. 
  occidentalis 
  (fig. 
  28). 
  The 
  terns 
  have 
  long, 
  

   slender, 
  often 
  forked 
  tongues 
  {Sterna 
  forsterl, 
  fig. 
  56) 
  and 
  S. 
  antil- 
  

   larum, 
  fig. 
  55). 
  Gygis 
  alba 
  kittlitzi 
  has 
  remarkable 
  fine 
  backwardly 
  

   directed 
  serrations 
  for 
  the 
  anterior 
  one-half 
  of 
  this 
  organ. 
  

  

  Rynchops 
  nigra 
  (fig 
  51) 
  has 
  a 
  rather 
  short, 
  wide 
  tongue, 
  some- 
  

   what 
  scoop 
  shaped. 
  

  

  Pigeons 
  have 
  flexible 
  tongues 
  that 
  are 
  grooved 
  and 
  posteriorly 
  are 
  

   supplied 
  with 
  soft 
  spines 
  that 
  are 
  without 
  resistance. 
  These 
  are 
  

   illustrated 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  figures, 
  Zenaida 
  vinaceorufa 
  (fig. 
  65), 
  

   Columba 
  gymnophthalma 
  (fig. 
  66), 
  Histriophaps 
  histrionica 
  (fig. 
  

   63), 
  and 
  Geopelia 
  cuneata 
  (fig. 
  64), 
  while 
  Nesopelia 
  galapagoensis 
  

   is 
  very 
  similar. 
  

  

  4331G— 
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