GREY CUCKOO. Ill 



SO that there is no division into lateral muscles ; its middle 

 coat very thin ; the inner or cuticular, Fig. 2, c, d^ slightly 

 rugous, frequently stuck all over with hairs, as in Fig. 3, but 

 sometimes quite free of them, varying from a twelfth to half 

 a twelfth of an inch in thickness, and exceeding the other 

 coats. The pylorus is an oblong slit, without knobs or valves, 

 but closed by a thick-edged fold of the inner coat. The intes- 

 tine. Fig. 1, c, h, i, j, k, which is seventeen inches long, is 

 rather wide, its diameter varying from four and a half twelfths 

 to two and a half, enlarging towards the coeca to three-eighths ; 

 the rectum, Fig. 4, a, b, two and a half inches long, enlarging 

 to a diameter of nine-twelfths. The coeca, c, d, are about an 

 inch and a half long, but very frequently unequal in length, 

 cylindrical, about two-twelfths in diameter, but contracted at 

 the base. The walls of the intestine are thin and translucent ; 

 the duodenal fold, Fig. 1, c, k, i, villous internally, the lower 

 part, i, h, _/, with shallow scrobiculi. The intestine runs at 

 first along the right edge of the stomach, as usual, returns and 

 ascends behind the right lobe of the liver, receives the biliary 

 ducts, descends on the right side, forming several short con- 

 volutions, then a second fold, which is contorted, ascends on 

 the left side as far as the middle of the proventriculus, and 

 then passes along the middle of the sacrum. 



The nostrils are ellijitical, a twelfth and a, half long, with 

 a prominent margin, and placed in the lower and fore part of 

 the short and broad nasal membrane, which is anteriorly bare. 

 The eyes are of moderate size, their aperture three-twelfths. 

 That of the ear elliptical, and four-twelfths. The feet are 

 very short ; the tarsus feathered halfway down, anteriorly with 

 four large scutella, posteriorly rather sharp, with eight small 

 scutella. The first toe is very small, with six scutella ; the 

 second much longer, with eight ; the third longest, with 

 eleven ; the fourth considerably shorter, reversed, with eleven 

 scutella. The claws are rather small, arched, much compress- 

 ed, laterally grooved, rather blunt. 



The plumage is soft and blended ; the feathers generally ovate, 

 with a short plumule ; those on the rump elongated and rather 

 strong, the upper and lower tail-coverts stronger than usual. 



