122 SHUFELDT. [Vot. III. 
blend, but codssify, forming by their union a strong, straight, 
bony rod, which is harbored in a very considerable groove down 
the back of the tarso-metatarse, its distal end even extending a 
little beyond the free accessory metatarsal of the hallux. Here 
it splits up into four nonossified tendinous slips, which are dis- 
tributed to the four digits in the usual manner. 
The foregoing facts not only prove that the arrangement of 
the plantar tendons differs among the diurnal Raptores, but a 
still different arrangement is to be found in the American 
Cathartide, birds in no way especially related to the former ; 
while Sfeotyto goes to show that at least one other peculiar 
arrangement of these tendons is to be met with among the 
Strigide. This Burrowing Owl has the power of reversing the 
hallux, but it is not the normal position of that toe. It may be 
as well to add here that in this specimen the tendon of the super- 
ficial flexor at the back of the tarso-metatarsus is also completely 
ossified. 
THE VISCERA AND CERTAIN OTHER STRUCTURES. 
An examination of the heart and great vessels reveals the 
fact that the first-mentioned organ is comparatively large for the 
size of the bird, and elongated rather than of an ovoid shape. 
Both carotids are present, and ascend the neck to the head 
through the usual canal intended for them on the anterior aspect 
of the cervical vertebreze. 
Turning to the trachea and syrinx, we find the former for its 
lower half, somewhat compressed from side to side, the reverse 
of the case in the upper part of this tube. Its rings are 
ossified ; not so, however, the ring of the bronchi. Two of the 
semi-rings and the pessulus are ossified, and the former open 
wide apart posteriorly. But two pairs of muscles appear to be 
present, the “ sterno-tracheales,” and the “ tracheo-laterales.” 
The “ver is divided into fwo very nearly equal-sized lobes, 
joined with each other by a very slender band; and I fail to dis- 
cover the presence of any ga/l-bladder. 
Of considerable calibre, the wsophagus, including the proven- 
triculus, has a total length of 9.5 centimetres, the latter organ 
merging gradually into the ovoid and somewhat muscular giz- 
zard. This is lined with a firm corneous coat, and the pouch 
when opened contained a few large black beetles, being in a 
