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Show 152 .APPENDIX. llnes Length of pelvis •••••..•.••....•.. · · · · • • · · · • · · • • · · 14 Breadth posteriorly ............ · · " .. " · • · · " .. · · 8~ anteriorly ...••......•.... · · · • · · · · · · · · · · · · 4 Length ofaternum ........ · · ... • • • · · .. • .. · . · · · · · " 9~ Breadth of ditto .•.........• · · . · •• · · • •• • • • · · · · • · · · 7 In the narrowest part ...••...•...... • . · . · . . .5! Depth of keel .................... ·· ..... · ...... ·· 2i Length of coracoids ......•..•.........•••.. · · · · . · 7~ Breadth of I!Capula in the widest part •..•••••..•..... No. of cervical vertebrro, wantln~t· dorsal ditto, wanting. sacral ditto ••••...•• • ....•• • · · · • · · · • • · • · · · · caudal ditto, wanting. Remarks :-Both this and the foregoing bird are most curious; it is difficult to say in what order they ought to be placed, the external form being equally ambiguous with the internal structure. The digestive organs nearly agree with that of many insessorial birds; the pelvis also approaches neatly in form to that of the thrush; the sternum, _however, differs altogether from any for·m foun_d in that order, and is precisely tl1at of a Picus. The coracoids are lengthened; the os furcatum 1s furni~hed with only a slight process wher·e it approaches the sternum, in which particulars, also in the form of the ribs, it agrees with the Picidm. Having found the internal structure so curious, and so contrary to what I expected, I was led to examine the external more minutely than I had before done. The same form of claw is found in several species among the cuckoos, in the genus Pelopltilus, for instance; the two outer toes ure zygodactyle, being united together as far as the first joint; the bill, at first sight, might be taken for that of a gallinaceous bird; but in searching among the order Scansores, for some resemblance, I find the same structure in several of the cuckoo family, with the exception of the nostrils being nearer to the apex of the bill in Pte1·otochos. The Australian genus M(mura is, probably, allied to this, but differs in the structure of the nostrils." SYNALLAXIS MALUROIDES. IJ'Orb. (Female.) Tongue pointed, furnished at the base with two strong spines, the sides of which are armed with smaller ones; trachea, resophagus, and proventriculus as in Furnarius and Uppucertltia; gizzard rounded, not very muscular, lined with a slightly hardened smooth coat, and filled with the remains of insects ; intestinal canal of moderate size and length, furnished with two rudimentary cooca. lncht~t tnchea Length of msopha.gus and proventriculus . . . . • . . . . . . • lj I Length of intestinal canal from gizzard to cloaca . . . . . . ~ gizzard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . • . . . . . . . . . . . I from croca to cloaca ...................... · · I Breadth of ditto.................................. -t1J The parts of the skeleton of this bird whieh I was able to preserve, were more closely allied to the corresponding ones of Troglodytes than to those of any other genus in my possession, but differ in the following particulars : the lateral processes of the sternum bounding the posterior fissures are not so much expanded, consequently the fissures themselves are smaller; the keel is rather deeper; the portion to which the ribs are attached does not project so far forwards, but the • Since the above was in type, J have had, through the kindness of Mr. Gould, an opportunity of examining Menura lyra, anrlfln<l my former supposition to be correct; but neither of these genera can be placed among the gallinaceous birds where the latter bird has been arranged by some authors. BIRDS. 153 process betwee~ the coracoids is rather longer; the interocular portion of the cranium is also rather broader than m the above-mentioned genus ; the pelvis coracoids and scapula agree both in shape and size with Troglodytes. ' ' lines Lenth of sternum ........................ , .. , , , . , 6j Breadth anteriorly .... , • , , , , •• , ... , .. , .. , , .. , . , , . , 4 posteriorly ..•.••••.. , .....•• , .. , , •... , , , 4! Greatest width of fissures ... , ..... , ........... ,.... ~ Depth of ditto •• , • , , , , , , . , •.. , , , ... , , , , , , , , , , •. , 2~ Length of occiput to point of bill .......... , . .. . . .. .. 1~ Breadth of cranium .. .. . . .. . . . . .. .. . . .. . . .. .. . . . • 5i Length of pelvis ......... , . , . , • , ... , , , . , , , •. , , .. , . 0 Brcarlth of ditto posteriorly . . .. . . . . .. .. .. . . .. .. . . . . (j anteriorly ...... , .•..• , , •...... , , . 1 i No. of cervical vertebrm .............. , , .. .. .. 12 JJnes PIIYTOTOMA RARA. Molina. This bird being injured about the sexual organs, [ could not ascertain the sex. Tongue pointed, ar·med at the base on each side with a flattened tricuspid spine; trachea small, of uniform diameter throughout its whole length, acted upon by one pair of sterno-tracheal muscles; cesophagus funnel-shaped at the upper extremity, when distended capable of containing a common pencil, at its junction with the proventriculus much smaller; proventriculus scarcely perceptible; gizzard small, consisting of little more than a thick skin, inner coat hardened; the entrance of the resophagus, and the exit of the intestine placed very near together· at the upper extremity of it; intestinal canal very short, and of large diameter, entirely devoid of cooca; the whole length with the gizzard and resophagus distended with a stringy substance, resembling coarse spun cotton cut into short lengths. Inches Inches Length of <llsophagus, including proventriculus •. , • • • 3 I Lengt~of gizzard .. .. .. .. .. .. • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . i or intestinal canal • • • . • • • • • • • . • • . • . • . . . . • • • • 7! Breadth or ditto •••••. , •.•.•............. , ..• , • • ~ Sternum of nearly equal breadth, both posteriorly and anteriorly, much narrowed near the middle ; posterior margin nearly straight, indented with two large fissures, narrowed at their exit ; between the junctions of the coracoids furnished with a bifid process; the portion of the sternum to which the ribs are attached, continued anteriorly beyond the junction of the coracoids; keel of moderate size; coracoids long, not very strong; os furcatum long, slightly a1·ched, furnished with a flattened process, turned inwards at the point it approaches the sternum. Pelvis broad, and short, narrowest anteriorly, the os pubis and ischium continued far backwards, beyond the junction of the caudal vertebr"re; ribs strong, and flattened; posterior process large ; scapula long, broadest near the extremity; legs of moderate strength, the internal processes of the tibia large, and flattened; bones of the cranium strong. linea Length of sternum ...•...••..••••........•...•. , . . 121 Breadth anteriorly ........................... • .. • . 6! posteriorly , •.......•.....•.... , . . . . . . . . • 0! Width of fissures ......• , .•.... , • , , . . . • . . . . . • . . • • II Depth or rlltto .....•.•... , .••. , . . . • . . . . . . . . . • • . . 4 keel ......•......•......••..••.•..••.. ·• ~ Length of pelvis ••..• ,,,,.,.,., .. , ••.. ,, ..•. ,, ..•• I3! Width anteriorly • . . • . . . . . • • . • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . • 5 posteriorly •• , .. , .••..••.. , .•... , . . . . . • . . • • 11 Length from occlput to point of bill • • • . . . • • . . . . . . . . 16 Breadth of bend .•.•. , , • , •.. , • , . , • , •• , . , . , •.•. , . . • 8 Length of corncolds • , . , , •.. , , . , • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 9 X No. of cervical vertebrm . • .. . . .. .. .. .. . . .. . . . . .. . . 11 dorsal dltto • • • • . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . • • . • . . . . . . . • . 7 sacral ditto .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. . . 10 caudal ditto • .. . . . .. . . . .. .. . . .. .. . . .. . .. . . . 7 Total ............ 35 No. or true ribs • . • • • . • • • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . • 5 false ribs .. . . . • . .. • . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . . .. . . . . .. 2•1 Total ............ 8 |
