| OCR Text |
Show 1866.] MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE CAPRIMULGID.E. 583 Each feather consists of a horny sheath, about 0*8 inch in length, of which 0*5 is external. At the termination of the sheath the feather presents the usual decomposed appearance of powder-down patches, being divided entirely into numerous elongated minute filaments of a dark-grey colour. The entire breadth of each patch is nearly 1 -5 inch, the space between the two patches across the rump measures 0*7 inch. The rectrices are ten in number, the two medial being, as usual, rather elevated above the lateral. The remiges are twenty-two in number, ten primaries (of which three are on the metacarpus) and twelve secondaries. The anterior covering of the tarsus (acrotarsia) consists of about seven parallel scutes, which rather decrease in breadth from above dbwnwards, each one barely overlapping the next succeeding one. Similar series of smaller scutes are continued along the upper surface of the digits. The tarsus is covered posteriorly with small, closely placed, hexagonal scutella, larger at the sides next to the anterior scutes. The gullet is very wide from the commencement, measuring about 3*5 inches in length, and terminating in a thicker-walled and rather widened proventriculus, which is encircled within by a series of rather large proventricular glands. Externally the proventriculus is tolerably muscular, the fibres being continuous with those of the outer layer of the gizzard. Between the proventriculus and the gizzard is a slight contraction. The gizzard itself is pyriform, with a rounded tendinous muscular centre, but little or no constriction at the pyloric end. The internal coats are thrown into elongated rugae, composed of soft leathery membrane, which pouts up at the pro-ventricular aperture. The pyloric aperture is lateral, and lies 0*3 inch below the cardiac aperture. The intestinal canal is tolerably uniform in diameter throughout, and measures 25-1 inches in entire length. Three inches above the anal extremity two large caeca are given off, 3*6 inches in length, and almost as wide as the intestine. Of these the blind extremities are much widened and bulbous, the lower halves being considerably narrower-very much as in the Owls (Strigidar). The tongue of this bird consists of a flat, elongated, translucent, horny membrane, much widened at its base, gradually decreasing in width until it tapers suddenly at about one-fourth of its whole length from the anterior extremity. The slender tip is slightly crenated. The whole length from the glottis to the apex is 2*1 inches, the breadth at the root 0*4. The posterior basal fourth is much thickened and nearly opaque, being of a whitish colour. It projects angularly forward into the translucent portion, and almost forms an isosceles triangle. The posterior lateral projections are horny and translucent like the tongue itself, and present no traces of papillae ; but their free-pointed extremities present several small lateral spines. From these notes, and from what has been stated in m y former communication, it appears that Podargus differs from the typical Caprimulgidar not only in the several important characters already noted (antea p. 127), but also in the entire abortion of the oil-gland |
