132 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch 



tongue, or any natural pouch, on examination exhibited a struc- 

 ture capable of being easily converted into an appearance of that 

 which is so carefully described by older authors. Since that 

 opportunity, I have dissected two other males ; one on February 

 14th, 1861. Dr. Albert Giinther, Dr. Sclater, and Mr. E. W. 

 H. Holdsworth were present on this occasion. The bird was a large 

 male — not an old one, but probably in the second year, the 

 whiskers being somewhat developed. The most careful examina- 

 tion, made by myself and the above-named gentlemen, failed to 

 discover any opening under the tongue. Being perfectly satisfied 

 on this point, an incision was made in the skin, beginning at the 

 coi'ner of the mouth ; and, as in the specimen which you and I 

 formerly examined, we found the same abundance of delicate 

 membranes spread over the fore part of the neck and throat. 

 By inserting the end of a blowpipe any number of cells could 

 be inflated, the walls of which on the application of a little force 

 would give way, and thus form one or more large cavities or 

 bags. During the examination, a discussion took place with 

 reference to the means whereby these membranes were distended 

 in life — whether by muscular dilatation or by inflation, — and I 

 must admit that this part of the subject has since appeared to 

 me to require moi*e consideration that I at first thought it deserved. 

 On February 21st, 1861, another fine male Great Bustard, of 

 about the same age as the last, was examined by me, and with 

 precisely the same result as before. In conclusion, the only 

 suggestion I can ofi'er as a means of explaining the existence of 

 a pouch in the fore part of the neck is that, in the males, some 

 of the membranes surrounding the throat may occasionally be 

 ruptured through the excessive distention that takes place during 

 the violent paroxysms to which the birds are subject on the ap- 

 proach of the breeding-season. I have seen them with throats 

 enlarged to an extraordinary extent, the pinions lowered to the 

 ground, while the points of the primaries are crossed over their 

 backs. In this distorted attitude they rush on and attack each 

 other, afi'ording one reason to imagine that these delicate mem- 

 branes may at such a time give way, and produce the abnormal 

 condition so often alluded to as being found in old males. As 

 a further probability of this being the true explanation, I would 



