382 PHALACROCORAX CARBO. 



distended ; the palate flat, with two very prominent ridges ; 

 the posterior nasal aperture linear. The tongue is oblong, 

 carinate above, extremely small, being only seven-twelfths 

 long, and three-twelfths in breadth. The oesophagus, 

 twenty-two inches long, is very wide, wath extremely thin 

 walls, measuring when inflated from two and a half to tAvo 

 inches in width, and within the thorax dilated to three inches. 

 The walls of the proventriculus are very thick, and its glan- 

 dules, which are large, disposed in two circular patches about 

 two inches and a half in diameter, and separated by two 

 spaces of about a quarter of an inch. The stomach is com- 

 paratively small, of a semicircular shape, forming the bottom 

 of the proventricular sac, somewhat compressed, with its 

 walls very thin, the muscular coat being composed of a single 

 series of fibres, with rounded thin tendinous spaces, and a 

 rather thick, soft, and rugous epithelium. There is a round- 

 ish pyloric lobe. The intestine, eight and a half feet long, 

 varies in width from four to three-twelfths, at first curves 

 forwards, then describes the usual duodenal curve, and is 

 convoluted with ten folds. The coeca are only four-twelfths 

 long, and three-twelfths in breadth ; the rectum seven inches 

 in length, with a very large cloacal dilatation of a globular 

 form, two inches and a quarter in diameter. 



The nostrils are completely obliterated by ossification, 

 although their place is faintly indicated externally ; but the 

 nasal cavity is open and continuous with the posterior nares. 

 The eyes are small ; the aperture of the ear only a twelfth in 

 width. The feet are short, very strong, and placed far 

 behind ; the tibia feathered to the joint ; the tarsus com- 

 pressed, reticulated, with about twenty scutella ; the second 

 toe with thirty -five, the third with fifty-two, the outer, which 

 is longest, with seventy-five ; the interdigital webs full. The 

 claws moderate, compressed, arched, strong, rather acute, 

 that of the third toe pectinate. 



The plumage is dense and rather short; on the head, 

 neck, lower parts in general, and hind part of the back, silky 

 and blended ; on the Avings and fore part of the back firm, 

 imbricated ; the feathers ovate, satiny, with silky margins. 

 On the occiput and nape the feathers are slightly longer ; and 



