OCR Text |
Show 1874.] ANATOMY OF THE COLUMB.E. 251 II. The presence or absence of the oil-gland in the genera of the Columbae. The oil-gland is present in most of the Pigeons; it is very small in the genus Ptilonopus. It need hardly be remarked that, when present, it is never tufted. The oil-gland is present in all the specimens examined by me of Caloenas, Metriopelia, Carpophaga, Ocyphaps, Chalcopelia, Phaps, Chalcophaps, Phlogoenas, Chamapelia, Ptilonopus (? in P. melano- Columba, cephalus), Ectopistes, Pterocles, Geopelia, Turtur, Leptoptila, Tympanistria, Leucosarcia, Zenaida, Lopholamus, Zenaidura. Macropygia, The oil-gland is absent in all my specimens of Didunculus, Starnoenas, Goura, Treron. III. The presence or absence of caca to the intestine in the genera of the Columbae. My dissections lead to the result, that the intestinal caeca are absent in more genera of Pigeons than they are present in, being found in only 7 out of 26. When present they never exceed a quarter of an inch in length (except in the Pteroclidae), and are frequently not half that size. In Turtur they are generally shorter than in Columba. Caeca are present in Columba, Pterocles, Ectopistes, Starnoenas, Macropygia, Turtur. Phlogoenas, Caeca are absent in Caloenas, Lopholamus, Carpophaga, Metriopelia, Chalcopelia, Ocyphaps, Chalcophaps, Phaps, Chamapelia, Ptilonopus, Didunculus, Treron, Geopelia, Tympanistria, Goura, Zenaida, Leptoptila, Zenaidura. Leucosarcia, 17* |