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Show 154 APPENDIX. Remarks :-The skeleton and soft parts of this bird very nearly resemble those of the genus Loxia, but differ in their supertot· size, in having the fissures on the posterior margin of the sternum not so deep, and in the margin itself being straighter, the coracoids larger, and in having the process at the end of the os furcatum approaching the sternum smaller than in that genus. The ribs also are stronger. TROCHILUS GIGAS. Vieill. (Male.) Tongue bifid, each division pointed; hyoids very long, in their position resembling those in the Picid<E; trachea of uniform diameter; destitute of muscles of voice; bronchia very long; resophagus funnel-shaped, slightly contracted on approaching the proventriculus, which is small, and scarcely perceptible; gizzard small, moderately muscular, the inner coat slightly hardened, and filled with the remains of insects; intestine largest near the gizzard; I could not perceive a vestige of creca. tnchet Length of resopllagus, including proventriculus. . . . . . . . li intestinal canal . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . • . • • • . . • 36 fnchct Length of gizzard ........•.... . .... . ... .. . · · · . · · · t Breadth of ditto . . . . . • • . . . . . . . • . • . . • . . . . • • . . . . . • } Sternum with the keel very deep, its edge rounded, and projecting anteriorly; posterior margin rounded, and destitute of indentation or fissure; the ridges to which the pectoral muscles have the ir attachment, large and prominent, the horizontal portion much narrowed anteriorly, consequently the junctions of the coracoids are vet·y near together. Pelvis short, very broad; os pubis long, curved upwards at the extremities, projecting far downwards, and posteriorly beyond the termination of the caudal vertebrre ; tl1e ischiatic foramen small, and linear; femora placed far backwards; coracoids short, very strong, their extremities much diverging; os furcatum shor·t, slightly arched near the extremities of the rami, which are far apart, furnished with only a small process on its approach to the sternum; scapula flattened, long, b1·oadest near the extremity; humerus, radius, and ulna short, the metacarpal bones longer than either; the former furnished with ridges much elevated for the attachment of the pectoral muscles; caudal and dorsal vertebrre with the transverse processes long, and expanded ; cranium of moderate strength, the occipital portion indented with two furrows, which pass over the vertex, and in which the hyoids lie; orbits large, divided by a complete bony septum ; the lachrymal bones large, causing an expansion of the bill near the nostrils. JIOCI Length of sternum.. . . .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. . . . . .. .. . . 131 Breadth anteriorly ............ . ..... .. ... , , .... , .. 4 posteriorly • . .•.. . .........• • .....••.... , 7l Depth of keel . . . . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6f Length of pelvis .......... ,, . , .... ,, ..... ,........ 6l Width anteriorly ..• , , ....... . , •••. , • , • , • , , , . , , , , 2i posteriorly .. .. . . .... . . ............• , .. •.. , Length from occiput to point of bill ... , ... . , . , •..• , 27! Breadth of cranium .. . .•.•...... , .. . .. , , , , . . . . . . . 0! LengU1 of coracoids .. .. . . . . .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. (I No. of cervical vertebroo •• • ..••.• • ... , • . . . . . . . . . . . 10 dorsal ditto •••....• . .••...•.•. •.. . . , . • • • . • . 6 sacral ditto .......... .... ......... . ......•• caudal ditto •••••• .. . . ..•..•••• • . .. .... . .... Total ............ 30 No. of true ribs .. .. . . .. .. . . . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . .. .. . . . 6 false ditto. • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . • • • • • • • 1·3 Total ............ 9 Remarks:-The skeleton of this bird does not differ in form from that of Trochilus pella, figured at page 270 of the Cyclop~dia of Anatomy and Physiology. The whole of the group are more nearly allied to fissirostral birds than any other. BIRDS. :INOCIIORUS RUMICIVORUS. Escltsch. (Male.) Trachea of uniform d t fi · fibres descend tame ehr, . urmshed with one pair of sterno-tracheal muscles, from which a few on eac Side to the upper rings of the b h' h to about half its length wh 't . fi . h d ronc Ire; resop agus of large diameter . ' ere 1 18 urms e with a craw, and afterwards contracted to the ~r:r~esn~:Ice~u:~dth~ craw where it is connected with the resophagus is much contracted, afterthe grind. p ~ mto h a ~arge sac ; proventriculus small ; gizzard large, and very muscular . . tl mg sur aces ar ' concave in the middle, and furnished with longitudinal groove~ m le concave part· the inte f 1 1 · f . ' s ma cana 1s o moderate length, small next the izzard lar est ~t tlle e;tiance of t?e cooca, from whence it slightly tapers to the cloaca, which ~ small· c~ca ~ng, : greatest diameter at the opposite extremity to their entrance into the rectu~ . the gizzar and resophagus were filled with reeds, mixed with very small pebbles; liver bilobe~. Length of oosophagns from glottls to gizzard .. .• . from resophagus to outer extremity of craw Perpendicular diameter of craw , , .. , . , . , , , ... . . Greatest diameter of gizzard obliquely to the grind-ing surfaces .•••• , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , . , , , • , , 3 inch. i Inch. 7 lines I Inch. Diameter parallel to the grinding surface• , , , , , , . . • . lochea Length of intestine from gizzard to cloaca , , ••• , , , , . 13 from cwca to cloaca . ...... . ...... , , .. •• lf ofcroca .. ............................ 3 : second specimen, a female, did not differ, except in sex. Skeleton light. bones in general thin ternum b:oa~est. posteriorly, and indented on its posterior margin with 'two large fissures; k~el deep, Its mferwr edg~ rou~ded, much scolloped out anteriorly; a moderate-size bifid manubrial process between the JUnction of the coracoids. Pelvis broad, of moderate length, similar to that found among the genus Strepsilas. Os furcatum much arche~, furnished with a small flattened process, where the ligament unites it to the stern.u~; c~racoi~ of moderate length, strong, furnished with a large process externally near their JUnction w1th the sternum; ribs flattened, posterior process long slightly curved and narrow. ' ' Jloeo Length of sternum .. . . .. .. .. . . .. . . .. . . .. .. .. .. • • .. 16 Breadth anteriorly . . . . ...... , , . . , , ••. , , •••. , , , • • • • 7 posteriorly.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. .. . .. . .. ll Width of fi ssures ..... , .... , , , , .. , , , .... , , , .. .. .. .. 4 Depth of ditto •• , ..• , • , .•... , .. , , . , • , . • . . . . . • • . . . . 6 keel .. .... .... ... .............. . ....... . ~~~a:~:~~:::::::::::::::: : ::: : :::·.::::::::: li posteriorly ..................... .. ........ , 12 Length from occiput to point of bill • , • , , , . , .. , , . , . . 16 Breadth of head .. .. .... ..... . .................... ~ Length of coracoids ........................ , , .. .. 7j No. of cervical vertcbrm .. .. .. .. . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . 14. dorsal .. ...... ........... .. ............... 6 eacrnl ............ , .... .. ..... .. .......... 12 caudal .... ...... ...................... . . .. Totnl ..... • •..... 39 No. of true ri~ • , •••. . • , • • •. . • ..•.. .. • . .• . . , •• • . , 6 fnlse ditto .••. •. .••••.•.. . •... , •••• , • , . . . . • . 2 ToW............ 8 R~marks.. The bill o~ t~is curious bird much resembles that of the genus Glareola, but the soft. skm cove~ng the nostr1ls IS more developed, in which respect it resembles the quails, and other galhn~ceo~s bu·ds. The st~cture of the tarsi, feet, and nails approach near to that of Strep1ilas, bu~ d1ffer m the latter bemg sharper, and in the scales on the feet and tarsi being more apparent, wh1ch may, perhaps, have been caused to a certain degree by the bird having been for a long while in spirits. |
