Benham. — On the Viscera of Notornis. 151 



Aet. XVIII. — Notes on certain of the Viscera of Notornis. 

 By W. Blaxland Benham, D.Sc. Lond., M.A. Oxon. 

 [Eead before the Otago Institute, 13th September, 1898.] 

 Plates XII.-XIII. 



On the arrival of the fourth specimen of Notornis the viscera 

 wei'e removed by the taxidermist attached to tlie University 

 Museum (Mr. E. Jennings), and I proceeded to make an 

 examination of such organs as were Hkely to be of general 

 interest to ornithologists. I regret that I was unable to dis- 

 sect the bird in a thorough-going and careful manner, but 

 the necessity for preserving the skeleton, and for doing as 

 little injury as possible to it and to the skin, prevented me 

 making as exhaustive a study as I should have wished. 



I may mention that this is the first opportunity that has 

 presented itself to any naturalist of examining the internal 

 anatomy of this bird, and I have deemed it of sufficient 

 importance to communicate my observations, accompanied 

 by drawings, to the Zoological Society, in the Proceedings 

 of which they will in due time be published. This will 

 render unnecessary the reproduction of all my drawings in the 

 present communication. 



The entire viscera have been carefully preserved in alcohol 

 for future reference or for further study. =■' An examination of 

 the genital organs revealed the fact that the specimen was 

 a young female ; the ovary was small, and none of the eggs 

 exceeded ^in. in diameter. 



I made a special study of the following viscera : (a) The 

 alimentary tract ; (6) the larynx ; (c) the syrinx. 



(a.) The Alimentary Canal. 

 The oesophagus and glandular stomach present no features 

 of special interest ; but the great size of the gizzard seems 

 noteworthy: it measures 3J in. by 2^ in., the larger axis, of 

 course, being obliquely transverse. It is of a character usual 

 in graminivorous birds, having very thick muscular walls and 



* The contents of the gizzard were submitted to Mr. G. M. Thomson, 

 who kindly volunteered to examine the fragments of " grass " which 

 formed the bulk of its food. IMr. Thomson writes to me as follows : " It is 

 almost certain that the bird has chiefly fed on species of Carex and 

 IJncinia (cutting grasses), and what strengthens this view is that these 

 plants are particularly common at the edge of the bush. ... At the 

 same time, there probably are some pieces of true grass among the debris, 

 but I looked at over a score of pieces and they all belonged to the 

 Cyperaceous type." 



