PHILIP J. K. BURTON - Feeding and the Feeding Apparatus in Waders. A Study of Anatomy and Adaptions in the Charadrii

London England, British Museum, 1974. First Edition, Binding: Decorative Cloth, Fine/Very Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" Tall Quarto 056500719X Hardback Hardback. First Edition. Feeding and the Feeding Apparatus in Waders. Slight shelf wear to edges of D/J. This book represents detailed information on the anatomy of jaws, tongue and neck in the Charadrii, devoting most attention to the important superfamily Charadriodea. The adaptive significance of modifications encountered is assessed as far as possibke, aided by studies of feeding behaviour and diet in five representative species - Golden Plover, Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin and Common Snipe. These five also receive special attention in the anatomical sections. The results of these studies are followed by a summary of available information on feeding behaviour for other members of the superfamily. Environmental forces acting on the skull and jaws during feeding are analysed, and essential features of the morphology and mechanics of the skull are reviewed and discussed. Succeeding sections describe jaw musculature, tongue, the hyoid skeleton and hyoid musculature, salivary glands and edpidermal structures, and cervical muscles inserting on the skull. In the descriptions of muscles, particular attention has been paid to the orientation and siting of raphes and aponeuroses. Quantititave data are given on tongue length relative to that of the bill. Throughout, descriptions of structures are followed by discussions of their functions. Adaptive features in the representative species are surveyed and discussed, and other species of Charadrii are then reviewed from adaptive and taxonomic standpoints. The concluding discussion considers evolutionary inplications of some aspects of this study, and some problems involved in interpreting the adaptive or phylogenetic significance of anatomical features. Illustrations. 150 pp.