A History 
of Birds. 
( 1 8 ) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
made good. Though it is very com¬ 
monly supposed that birds have no sense 
of taste this is not really the case, though 
from the horny character of this organ 
in many species it cannot play a very 
important part in the selection of food. 
In some birds, indeed, as in the Cor¬ 
morants and Gannets, for instance, it 
is reduced to the merest rudiments. In 
others, on the other hand, as in the 
Ducks, it is thick and fleshy. Vultures 
have a quite peculiar tongue, this organ 
being trough-shaped, and having the 
edges of the trough armed with spines. 
In some species the tongue plays a most 
important part in procuring food. Such 
are the Humming Birds, Sun Birds, and 
Woodpeckers. In the Humming Birds 
each side of the tongue, which is, like 
the beak, of considerable length, is 
rolled upwards and inwards so as to 
form a pair of tubes; while in the Sun 
Birds the tongue, which, like the beak, 
is of considerable length, is cleft for 
about half its length; each half is then 
rolled on itself to form a pair of tubes, 
which eventually pass into a single tube 
formed by the meeting of the edges of 
the uncleft hinder portion of the tongue 
meeting one another. In the Sun Birds 
the tongue has its forepart split into 
three, each portion of which is frayed 
out into a finger, the filces composing 
which are twisted round to form spiral 
tubes. In some other birds, as in the 
“ Brush-Tongued ” Parrots, the top of 
the tongue is frayed out to form a sort of 
brush for the purpose of sucking up 
honey gathered from flowers. Though 
Humming Birds are commonly supposed 
to live on honey, this is, in point of fact, 
not true, since they appear to visit 
flowers for the sake of the insects which 
have gathered there to drink themselves 
drunk with the nectar. The tubular 
tongue, worked by special muscles, 
draws up the honey and the insects at 
the same time. 
The Peculiar Tongue of the Woodpecker. 
The Woodpecker’s tongue must be 
known to most of my readers. As the 
beak is relatively short, and the tongue, 
which is round and worm-like, is of 
enormous length, a special mechanism 
has been developed whereby it can be 
drawn into the mouth, or protruded at 
will. This mechanism is formed by the 
elongation of the pair of lateral horns 
which support the tongue. These run 
backwards from the base of the tongue, 
below the skull, then turn upwards, and, 
continuing, turn forwards over the roof 
of the skull, finally entering a tubular 
space above the beak. Here they rest 
while the bird is not feeding. When in 
use special muscles draw these horns 
backwards and downwards, and, as a 
consequence, the tongue is thrust far out 
of the mouth. But this is only done 
when the bird is feasting upon its favour¬ 
ite diet of ants. At such times a great 
pair of salivary glands cover the surface 
of the tongue with a gum-like saliva, and, 
so covered, it is thrust in among the 
swarms of ants that the bird has pur¬ 
posely stirred up. In a flash, as the 
writhing tongue drives through them, 
hundreds are caught and hurried to their 
living tomb kicking, but held fast by this 
novel form of bird-lime. 
The Penguin may boast, if he feel so 
inclined, of a tongue as remarkable as 
any, inasmuch as its surface is covered 
with orderly rows of conical, fleshy 
spines, though what purpose they serve 
is not clear. 
Finally, there is an old superstition 
that singing birds sing best when the 
tongue is split, and, as a consequence, 
a barbarous practice has arisen of split 
ting the tongue, I believe, with a six¬ 
pence. This is sheer brutality, and what 
makes it worse, it does not effect the 
purpose intended, so that needless pain 
is inflicted. 
(To be continued.) 
