170 Sir W. Jardine on the Habits of Crotophaga. 



the exception of the greater pectoral muscle, which is wide and 

 thick, and covers broadly a sternum comparatively weak and 

 with the keel slightly developed, causing the breast to appear 

 as possessing great power. The principal muscles which are 

 employed in moving the wings are weak, those of the limbs 

 proportionally fuller and stronger, and from the knee down- 

 wards tendinous and as if much used. The trachea is simple 

 along its whole length, and the tongue is rather large and re- 

 sembles that of the Corvince, The oesophagus on leaving the 

 mouth is widened, but immediately contracts to a simple tube, 

 again widening into a narrow proventriculus interiorly striated 

 with longitudinal rugse, until within half an inch of the true 

 stomach, where it exhibits a glandular slightly papillose inner 

 surface. The true stomach when distended with food is nearly 

 circular, flattened on the sides, and on the outside appears 

 muscular and strong ; on laying it open however the walls are 

 found to be extremely thin, almost membranaceous, and scarcely 

 exceed in thickness any other part of the canal. The intes- 

 tine is terminated by a wide cloaca, and is furnished at the di- 

 stance of two inches from the extremity with two oval caeca, 

 1^ inch in length, joined to the tube by a narrow constriction, 

 but widening at the ends to double the width of the common 

 canal. In the whole of the internal structure, so far as our 

 knowledge of that of Cuculidm extends, the Crotophagce will 

 resemble them, and will bear out Mr. Swainson^s views of 

 their position. The intestinal canal approaches nearest after- 

 wards to the conformation of that of some of the Fissirostres ; 

 but with the exception of largely developed caeca^, which how- 

 ever to a great extent prevail among the Insessores, we see 

 no approach to either the Rasores or Grallatores. In the let- 

 ter which accompanied the specimens in spirits Mr. Kirk states 

 '' As the Crotophagce now sent have been principally secured 

 while attending on the herds of cattle and sheep, it might 

 justly be expected that their stomachs will contain ticks, but 

 I could prognosticate that you will find them on examination 

 to contain principally large grasshoppers, and I found one exa- 

 mined lately to contain a few seeds of the Guava fruit.^^ The 

 stomachs when opened were found to contain principally 



