Zoological Society, 379 



projected between the lobes of the liver ; its position was towards 

 the left side of the abdomen. 



The small intestines had a general diameter of three lines, their 

 size slightly diminishing on approaching the rectum. The cteca at 

 their commencement rather exceeded in diameter that of the ilium, 

 their capacity slightly increasing to near their blind extremities, 

 where, having attained the diameter of about five lines, they sud- 

 denly taper to an obtuse point. The anterior half of the rectum 

 was contracted and the lining membrane thrown into longitudinal 

 folds, but these gradually subsided in the second or dilated portion. 

 The rectum communicated with the urinary dilatation by a small 

 semilunar aperture, from which several short ruga radiated. This 

 compartment of the cloaca was not expanded into a large receptacle 

 as in the Ostrich, but offered the same proportional size as in the 

 Emeu, measuring about two-thirds of an inch in length and the 

 same in diameter. The external compartment of the cloaca con- 

 tained a large single penis retracted spirally, and one inch and a half in 

 length when extended. It was traversed by an urethral groove, the 

 sides of which were not beset with papilla as in the Gander, but 

 simply wrinkled transversely. At the back part of the cloaca there 

 was a small bursa half an inch in length, and communicating by a 

 wide longitudinal aperture with the external compartment. 



The gizzard contained a greenish yellow pulpy substance, and 

 numerous filamentary bodies, amongst which a few slender legs of 

 insects and portions of the down of the Apteryx were the only re- 

 cognizable organized parts ; it also contained a few pebbles. 



The liver consisted of two large lobes, connected by a narrow 

 isthmus, the right being the larger and of a subtriangular figure ; 

 the left was more quadrangular in shape. 



With respect to the physiological relations of the apparatus, 

 Mr. Owen remarks that the whole is harmoniously co-adapted to 

 the instruments of prehension which characterize the Apteryx. 



A beak framed to seize and transmit to the gullet small objects, 

 is succeeded by a simple and narrow muscular canal. The food 

 being of an animal nature, and taken in small and successive quan- 

 tities, is digested as fast as it is obtained, and therefore the oesophagus 

 is not required to be modified to serve as a reservoir, either by its 

 extreme width, or a partial dilatation. The proventriculus, in the 

 comparative simplicity of its glands, and the gizzard, in its small size 

 and medium strength, more forcibly bespeak structures adapted for 

 the bruising and chymification of animal substances, presenting, as 

 do worms and the softer orders of insects, a moderate resistance. 



2 c 2 



