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sides sloping outwards, the dorsal line slightly convex, the ridge narrow and 
rounded, the tip rather acute. Mouth very narrow; upper mandible internally 
narrow, concave, with a central depressed line ; palate nearly flat; aperture of the 
posterior nares linear, margined with acute papillae; lower mandible concave, with 
a central prominent line. Tongue slightly extensile, sagittate, narrow, grooved, 
serrulato-setose towards the end, and terminated by two bristle-points. (Esopha¬ 
gus of nearly uniform diameter; proventriculus with oblong simple glandules. 
Stomach muscular, compressed, with two roundish central tendons; its cuticular 
coat dense, tough, and rugous. Intestine of nearly uniform diameter ; two very 
small vermiform coeca. 
Nostrils linear, direct, with a bare margin above, in the lower and fore part of 
the nasal membrane, which is covered with very short feathers. Eyes rather 
small; eyelids densely feathered. Aperture of external ear round, of moderate 
size. 
Head oblong, rather small, compressed, the forehead low. Neck rather short. 
Body compact, rather deeper than broad. Legs strong, of ordinary length ; tar¬ 
sus compressed, covered anteriorly with a long undivided plate and four inferior 
scutella, posteriorly with two long plates united at a very acute angle, and several 
transverse rugae below. Toes rather large and strong, covered above with a few 
plates, papillar beneath ; first, second, and fourth nearly equal, third much longer ; 
second slightly connected at the base, by a web, with the third, which is connected 
with the fourth by a longer but narrower web, as far as the second joint of each. 
Claws short, bluntish, much compressed, slightly margined, laterally grooved, that 
of the hind toe considerably larger. 
Plumage ordinary, rather compact, the feathers oblong and rounded; those 
about the base of the bill very short and somewhat velvety, without bristly points. 
No bristles at the base of the bill. Wings rather short, broad, rounded; primary 
quills ten, the first very short and narrow, the third longest, and, with the next 
three, slightly cut out on the outer web towards the end ; secondary quills nine, 
long, broad, rounded; all the quills much decurved. Tail short, even, of twelve 
broadish feathers, which are slightly decurved. Legs feathered to the tibio-tarsal 
joint. The whole body closely covered with down, as in the diving sea-birds. 
Cinclus aquations ,—(Bechst). The Common Dipper. 
The Dipper, Water Ouzel, or Water Crow, is remarkable for the compact¬ 
ness of its form, in which respect, as well as in some of its motions and attitudes, 
it bears more resemblance to the Kingfisher and the Common WTen, than to any 
other British bird. Among foreign birds, the species of the genus Pitta, are 
those which approach nearest to it in form. Its plumage is of ordinary length, 
soft, rather compact, slightly glossed, very short on the fore part of the head, 
