314 DEGLUBITORES. HUSKERS. 



is sagittate, emarginate and denticulate at the base, fleshy, 

 sheathed with a horny covering at the end, its apex more or 

 less slit. The oesophagus, PI. VIII, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, a, h, c, 

 d, is rather wide at its commencement, dilates on the middle 

 of the neck into a crop of moderate size, b, which always lies 

 on the right side, becomes very narrow as it enters the thorax, 

 c, and before opening into the stomach, forms an oblong pro- 

 ventriculus, d, having a complete belt of oblong or cylindrical 

 glandules. The stomach, e, /, ^, k, is a remarkably powerful 

 gizzard, of a roundish form, compressed, with two large lateral 

 muscles, e, /, and an inferior prominent muscle, ^ ; its cuticular 

 lining dense, tough, and longitudinally rugous. The intestine, 

 h, i, j, k, /, m, 71, is short, or of moderate length, and of nearly 

 equal diameter beyond the duodenal portion, /^, «', j. There 

 are two very small oblong or cylindrical adnate cceca, /, near 

 its extremity. The rectum, /, W2, n, is nearly of the same dia- 

 meter, and very short. 



The body is ovate and short ; the neck short. The legs are 

 rather strong, of ordinary length or short ; the tarsus compres- 

 sed, covered anteriorly with seven scutella ; the toes four, com- 

 pressed, three anterior, slightly spreading, the first stouter, 

 broader beneath, and not so long as the second and fourth, 

 which are about equal, and much shorter than the third, which 

 is united at its base with the fourth. The claws are rather 

 long, arched, slender, compressed, tapering to a fine point, that 

 of the hind toe longest. The wings are of moderate length, 

 short, rather pointed, the primaries tapering, but not separated 

 towards the end w^hen the wing is expanded, the three outer 

 longest. The tail is of moderate size, and is composed of 

 twelve feathers, of which the lateral are bent a little outwards 

 toward the end. 



The arrangement of the plumage is as follows : — There are 

 four kinds of feathers : quills, feathers, dowTi-feathers, and 

 hair-feathers. 



The quills, inserted along the posterior edge of the wing, are 

 seventeen in number, ten primary and seven secondary. Three 

 pollical quills. Twelve tail-quills inserted close together, the 

 two middle above the line of the rest. 



