﻿art., 
  19 
  CONCERNING 
  BIRDS 
  ' 
  TONGUES 
  GARDNER 
  23 
  

  

  that 
  feeding 
  habits 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  latter, 
  the 
  tongues 
  are 
  wholly 
  

   unlike 
  and 
  therefore 
  yield 
  more 
  reliable 
  evidence. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  family 
  the 
  tongue 
  fulfils 
  all 
  the 
  requirements 
  for 
  taxonomic 
  

   use 
  in 
  that 
  differences 
  in 
  feeding 
  habits 
  in 
  related 
  forms 
  hare 
  not 
  

   altered 
  the 
  fundamental 
  pattern 
  in 
  the 
  group, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  tongue 
  

   alone 
  is 
  sufficient 
  in 
  all 
  instances 
  to 
  refer 
  its 
  owner 
  to 
  the 
  family 
  

   and 
  in 
  many 
  instances 
  to 
  the 
  correct 
  subfamily 
  and 
  even 
  genus. 
  

   Conversely, 
  similar 
  feeding 
  habits 
  in 
  unrelated 
  forms 
  (Dendro- 
  

   colaptinae) 
  have 
  not 
  produced 
  tongues 
  like 
  these, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  more 
  

   striking 
  since 
  the 
  tail, 
  in 
  response 
  to 
  such 
  habits, 
  has 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  

   spiny 
  character 
  so 
  common 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  woodpeckers. 
  

  

  Order 
  PASSERIFORMES 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  heterogeneous 
  group 
  where 
  so 
  much 
  variability 
  is 
  found 
  

   in 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  anatomy 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  surprising 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  tongue 
  taking 
  

   part 
  in 
  this 
  diversity 
  in 
  form. 
  A 
  brief 
  survey 
  of 
  this 
  has 
  already 
  

   been 
  given 
  in 
  an 
  earlier 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  paper; 
  it 
  remains 
  to 
  classify 
  

   and 
  group 
  such 
  differences. 
  

  

  In 
  many 
  families 
  the 
  thin 
  horny 
  tongue, 
  slightly 
  curled 
  and 
  

   frayed 
  at 
  the 
  tip, 
  as 
  described 
  for 
  the 
  robin, 
  is 
  found 
  with 
  but 
  slight 
  

   differences 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  width. 
  Such 
  a 
  tongue 
  has 
  no 
  outstanding 
  

   character 
  sufficient 
  to 
  identify 
  the 
  particular 
  family 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  

   belongs 
  and 
  serves 
  to 
  do 
  no 
  more 
  than 
  to 
  indicate 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  

   order. 
  As 
  example 
  Pitta 
  erythrogaster 
  (fig. 
  90) 
  is 
  illustrative. 
  

  

  The 
  flycatchers 
  (Tyrannidae) 
  have 
  tongues 
  which 
  are 
  often 
  broad- 
  

   ened 
  at 
  the 
  middle, 
  somewhat 
  curled, 
  incised 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  and 
  often 
  

   slightly 
  frayed. 
  As 
  examples, 
  are 
  Myiochanes 
  richardsoni 
  (fig. 
  91), 
  

   Pyrocephalus 
  rubinus 
  mexicanus 
  (fig. 
  92), 
  Sayomis 
  say 
  us 
  (fig. 
  93), 
  

   and 
  S. 
  nigricans 
  (fig. 
  94), 
  NuttaUornis 
  borealis 
  (fig. 
  95), 
  Empi- 
  

   donax 
  griseus 
  (fig. 
  96), 
  Tyrannus 
  verticalis 
  (fig. 
  97), 
  and 
  Tol- 
  

   marchus 
  gabbi 
  (fig. 
  98). 
  The 
  tongue 
  of 
  Chdicivora 
  stenura 
  is 
  very 
  

   similar 
  to 
  these 
  forms 
  as 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  Muscisaxicola 
  maculirostris. 
  See 
  

   figure 
  99 
  which 
  illustrates 
  Myiarchus 
  dominicensis. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  nothing 
  remarkable 
  about 
  the 
  organ 
  in 
  Pachyramphus 
  

   viridis 
  viridis. 
  

  

  The 
  South 
  American 
  bell 
  bird, 
  Chasniorhinchus, 
  has 
  a 
  rather 
  

   simple 
  flat 
  tongue 
  that 
  is 
  slaty 
  black, 
  matching 
  the 
  gape 
  in 
  color. 
  

   The 
  postero-lateral 
  branches 
  are 
  long 
  armed 
  with 
  slender 
  spines 
  

   while 
  the 
  tip 
  is 
  slightly 
  incised 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  organ 
  is 
  comparatively 
  

   small 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  mouth. 
  

  

  The 
  Dendrocolaptidae 
  are 
  interesting 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  feeding 
  habits 
  

   of 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  woodpeckers 
  without 
  developing 
  

   tongues 
  like 
  the 
  latter. 
  In 
  most 
  of 
  these 
  the 
  anterior 
  two-thirds 
  

   or 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  tongue 
  is 
  thin, 
  horny, 
  and 
  translucent, 
  and 
  somewhat 
  

  

  