700 STEENA FULIGINOSA, SOOTY TERN. 



ing the ordinary characters as to muscularity aud dilatability ; of pretty uniform 

 calibre throughout. The gastric zone is very narrow, less than half an inch. The 

 mucous membrane differs but little iu color from that of the resophagus, but is some- 

 what darker, with broader and more irregular rug;e, and presents the usual soft, vel- 

 vety, vascular appearance. The gigerium is situate far back, aud turns a little to the 

 rigiit from the line of the cesophagus. It measures when empty about one l>y one and 

 a half inches, presenting the usual constriction at its neck. Its cuticular lining is 

 thrown up into numerous longitudiual ruga>, except over the tendons of the musculi 

 lateralcs, where there is a smooth button formed. 



The duodenal fold is short, only about IJ inches ; just at its termination the intestine 

 receives the hepatic, cystic, and pancreatic ducts, the latter piercing the intestine be- 

 tween the two former. All are quite short and open near each other. The liver is of 

 ordinary size, the right lobe nearly double the size of the left. The two are loosely 

 connected by a fibrous band, but little if any of the glandular substance being inter- 

 posed. Gall-bladder present, of ordinary size and shape. The kidneys measure one 

 and a half long by about one in breadth. Each is divided into three or four lobes, of 

 which the superior are strictly reniform, the inferior nearly rectangular, the median 

 irregularly oval and elongated. 



The intestines measure about sixteen inches from pylorus to anus. The creca are 

 extremely sliort, only about two-tenths in length ; oval in shape. Rectum short, only 

 about half an inch long. The cloaca large and globular. It is fully described, witli 

 the oviduct, infra. 



The trachea is about four inches long, consisting of from ninety to ninety-five rings. 

 It is weak and thin, and of small calibre throughout. Sujieriorly it is very Hat, but 

 about an inch from the larynx becomes almost perfectly cylindrical, and continues so 

 for the rest of its length. The lower larynx is extremely small and delicate, compara- 

 tively nuire so than iu other species ; its cartilage appears softer and less dense. ltd 

 anterior wall is very short, scarcely one-tenth of an inch. Its anterior inferior ai)ex 

 aud lateral inferior augles are very prominent and acute, the edges between them con- 

 cave, as is also the posterior wall. The lateral bronchial apertures are narrow. The 

 bronchial half-rings are about twenty-six in number, delicate, but quite distinct up 

 to the first one, which, as usual, is larger and stronger than the rest. The laryngeal 

 aud tracheal muscles are as in the other species, but small and weak. 



The following descri2)tiou of the ovaries, oviduct, aud cloaca of this species was 

 taken from a perfect female, obtained iu 1858, at Bird Keys, Florida : 



The condition of the oigans show that the bird was takeu while these were at their 

 period of full activity. The left ovary, the oue developed, as usual, contains a large 

 quantity of ova, the majority of which are of the size of a pin-head. Five or six, how- 

 ever, have attained the size of peas, aud hangout from the rest of the mass upon long, 

 slender, well-developed pedicles. Upon the largest of these the vessels are distinctly 

 visible, ramifying over its surface, and conve ging toward the white zone, already 

 well marked, which indicates the place where the envelope is to be ruptured for the 

 exclusion of the ovum. A calyx larger than any of the others has been emptied of its 

 contents, and hangs by a very long pedicle in a shrunken, collapsed condition. The 

 line of rupture is quite straight and smooth, extending over somewhat less than u, 

 third of the circumference of the envelope, and is located on that part directly oppo- 

 site to the i)edicle. The walls are quite thick, aud have a fibrous feel between the 

 fingers, but they are delicate and easily torn. Their internal surface is soft and per- 

 fectly smooth, and studded everywhere with minute puncta. The pedicle is about an 

 eighth of an inch long. 



The oviduct measures, when outstretched, about ten inches in length. In situ, how- 

 ever, its length is only from the anus to the extremity of the kidneys, a distance of 

 about two and a half inches. It is consequently nuich convoluted. Its two extremi- 

 ties are widelj- diverse iu appearance, the upper being so delicate and attenuated that 

 it can hardly be examine*! except under water, while near the cloaca it is a stout, 

 thick, muscular tube, half an irch in diameter. For two or three inches it is simidy 

 a very delicate membrane, upon which no structure is recognizable by the naked eye 

 beyond a few slender, muscular fasciculi, arranged chiefly in a longitudinal direction. 

 The tube then becomes quite abruptly thicker and stouter, and its lining membrane is 

 thrown up into well-marked longitudinal ruga-, which have a good deal the appear- 

 ance of the ordinary O'sophageal folds. Tliey are, however, more irregular and convo- 

 luted, and no one i'old extends the whole length of this portion of the tube, they sub- 

 siding into the level of fi e canal at various places, and being interrupted by numerous 

 transverse depressions. They cannot be nuuh- entirely to di.'-appear by stretching the 

 membrane transversely. On this portion of the duct, which is about four inches iu 

 length, both ciicnlar aud longitudiual muscular fibres are very apparent. Beyond 

 this the tube, ibr a short distance, again becomes more delicate, resembling somewhat 

 the superior portions, but with the longitudinal ruga' still distinct. It then resumes 

 the jjhysical characters of the second ])ortion, until within an inch and a half of its 

 termination, where both the luucous aud muscular coats undergo a total change. The 



