 In 1879 , Forbes stated the cere was covered by feathers which concealed the nostrils . This contradicts other accounts that mention that the nostrils were surrounded by red skin . Forbes based his description on the Paris specimen which had previously had its skull and mandible removed for study by French mammalogist and ornithologist Alphonse Milne @-@ Edwards . This may have led to the distortion of the shape of the head and nostrils as indicated by the illustration in Forbes ' article . 
