Dr. Latham** EJfay on the Trachea or Windpipes of Birds. 1 19 



In the Golden Eye the windpipe is of a curious and wonderful 

 uru&ure, for the labyrinth is not only of a different and much 

 more complicated form than any of the foregoing, 'but a finguiar 

 enlargement takes place about the middle of the trachea itfelf. This 

 ventricofe part confifts of divers joints or plaits placed obliquely, and 

 folding over each other {o as to admit of its being contracted into a 

 very ihort compafs, or dilated to a great diftance, as the lengthening 

 or fhortening of the neck may require. In the recent irate, thefe 

 rings are eafiiy, by compreflion, folded into a fpace of little more than 

 an inch, and, by drawing out, may be made to occupy the length 

 of four inches, or even longer ; and being of a cartilaginous nature, 

 they recover their tone after being drawn out, if left to themfelves. 



It is manifeft that the ftructure of the trachea in this bird being 

 fo very unlike that of any other, will ever prevent its being con- 

 founded with a different fpecies ; and on this account I can with 

 confidence affert, that the Anas Glaucion of Linnasus, or Morillon, 

 commonly fo called, has no exiftence taking it as a fpecies, for it is 

 merely the Golden Eye in incomplete plumage. But this is not the 

 only one known by the name of Morillon, for a fpecimen put into my 

 hands for that bird has proved to be the young of the Tufted Duck, 

 and others that of the Scaup. Whatever {hare the ftrueture of 

 this finguiar kind of trachea may have in promoting the loudnefs of 

 the voice, I will not here infift on ; but it is notorious that the cry is 

 heard further off than in many others of the genus. 



XXIV. ANAS FUSCA— Velvet Duck. Tab. xv. Fig. 3 7. 



A. nigricans, palpebra inferiore fpeculoque alarum albis. 



Anas fufca, Linn. Sjfl. Nat. I p. 196.— Ind. Orn. ii. p. 848.— 



Rait Syn. p. 141. A. 4.— Erifch. t. 165. 

 Grande Macreufe, Buf. Oif. ix. p. 242.--.P/. Enl. 956. 

 Velvet Duck, Gen. Syn. vi. p. 482.— £r. Zool. No. 272. t. 96.— 



WilL Orn. p. 363. t. 70. 



T ine 



