﻿20 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol.67 
  

  

  forms 
  examined. 
  The 
  anterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  hyoidean 
  apparatus 
  forms 
  

   a 
  thickened, 
  pointed 
  projection 
  in 
  the 
  tongue 
  base. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  Ante- 
  

   rior 
  to 
  this 
  strong 
  base 
  the 
  tongue 
  is 
  thin 
  and 
  translucent, 
  being 
  not 
  

   much 
  thicker 
  than 
  a 
  sheet 
  of 
  ordinary 
  writing 
  paper." 
  

  

  Steatomis 
  caripensis 
  shows 
  a 
  "tongue 
  shaped 
  like 
  an 
  arrowhead, 
  

   with 
  rather 
  elongate, 
  bluntly 
  pointed 
  tip, 
  convex 
  lateral 
  outlines, 
  

   and 
  spreading, 
  somewhat 
  slender 
  posterior 
  processes 
  that 
  project 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  hinder 
  border. 
  The 
  margins 
  of 
  these 
  posterior 
  processes 
  

   are 
  armed 
  with 
  soft, 
  slender, 
  backward 
  projecting 
  papillae, 
  and 
  

   smaller 
  papillae 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  nature 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  

   of 
  these 
  projections." 
  

  

  The 
  tongue 
  of 
  Phalaenoptilus 
  nitidus 
  " 
  is 
  small, 
  measuring 
  9.5 
  mm. 
  

   long 
  by 
  3 
  mm. 
  broad. 
  The 
  postero-lateral 
  spinose 
  processes 
  are 
  

   elongate 
  and 
  pointed. 
  The 
  lateral 
  margins 
  in 
  outline 
  are 
  approxi- 
  

   mately 
  straight 
  lines. 
  Spinose 
  backward 
  projecting 
  papillae 
  begin 
  

   at 
  a 
  point 
  anterior 
  to 
  the 
  center 
  and 
  become 
  stronger 
  and 
  heavier 
  

   toward 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  tongue. 
  The 
  upper 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  tongue 
  for 
  

   its 
  basal 
  two-thirds 
  is 
  thickly 
  set 
  with 
  small 
  horny 
  papillosities 
  all 
  

   projecting 
  backward. 
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  elongation 
  of 
  the 
  

   lateral 
  processes, 
  the 
  basal 
  margin 
  appears 
  deeply 
  incised." 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  general 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  genera 
  of 
  the 
  Capri- 
  

   mulgidae. 
  The 
  tongue 
  of 
  Chordeiles 
  virginianus 
  is 
  described 
  as 
  

   showing 
  a 
  " 
  slightly 
  different 
  development. 
  This 
  organ 
  in 
  the 
  

   nighthawk 
  is 
  small 
  in 
  comparison 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  opening, 
  

   but 
  is 
  strong 
  and 
  heavy. 
  It 
  measures 
  approximately 
  9 
  mm. 
  long 
  by 
  

   4.7 
  mm. 
  broad 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  short 
  and 
  broad 
  in 
  comparison 
  

   with 
  the 
  lingual 
  appendages 
  of 
  other 
  genera 
  in 
  this 
  family 
  that 
  have 
  

   been 
  described. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  In 
  outline 
  the 
  tongue 
  of 
  Chordeiles 
  virgin- 
  

   ianus 
  is 
  triangular 
  with 
  the 
  lateral 
  margins 
  slightly 
  concave. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  

   The 
  lateral 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  tongue 
  are 
  armed 
  with 
  spinose 
  papillae 
  

   which 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  weak 
  anteriorly 
  and 
  become 
  strong 
  and 
  heavy 
  

   toward 
  the 
  base. 
  Stronger 
  processes 
  arm 
  the 
  posterior 
  margin, 
  and 
  

   the 
  broadened 
  basal 
  third 
  of 
  the 
  tongue 
  has 
  its 
  dorsal 
  surface 
  cov- 
  

   ered 
  with 
  pointed 
  harsh 
  papillosities 
  all 
  directed 
  toward 
  the 
  

   pharynx." 
  With 
  this 
  description 
  the 
  tongue 
  of 
  Chordeiles 
  acuti- 
  

   pennis 
  texensis 
  (fig. 
  81) 
  agrees, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  

   no 
  papillosities 
  on 
  the 
  dorsal 
  surface. 
  

  

  The 
  tongues 
  of 
  Nyctidronius 
  albicollis, 
  Caprimulgus 
  europaeus, 
  

   and 
  Setochalcis 
  vocifera 
  are 
  described 
  by 
  Wetmore 
  as 
  resembling 
  in 
  

   form 
  that 
  of 
  Phalaenoptilus 
  nitidus, 
  while 
  that 
  of 
  Chordeiles 
  acuti- 
  

   pennis 
  is 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  C. 
  virginianus. 
  

  

  It 
  can 
  thus 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  considerable 
  differences 
  mani- 
  

   fested 
  in 
  this 
  group 
  not 
  easy 
  of 
  explanation 
  and 
  which 
  do 
  not 
  give 
  

   any 
  important 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  affinities. 
  

  

  The 
  Cypselidae 
  do 
  not 
  show 
  any 
  striking 
  tongue 
  characters. 
  In 
  

   some 
  forms 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  close 
  resemblance 
  to 
  tongues 
  of 
  swallows, 
  as 
  

  

  