49 



but rapidly diminished to a breadth of three Hnes, of which size it 

 continued to the commencement of the proventriculus ; its position 

 w'as to the right of the cervical vertebra, and a little behind and to 

 the right of the trachea, to w-hich latter it was closely connected. 



The muscular coat of the cesophagus was about half a line in thick- 

 ness, and its fibres were arranged in two layers ; iu the intemal 

 layer the fibres presented a longitudinal arrangement, Tvhile in the 

 external their disposition ^vas circular. The length of the tube was 

 about eight inches, and its dilatibility M'as indicated by the lining 

 membrane being disposed in narrow longitudinal ntgcs. 



The proventriculus was one inch two lines in length and half an 

 inch in diameter, and situated in the axis of the msophagus, of which 

 it formed an immediate continuation ; the gastric glands were de- 

 veloped around its entire cireumference, their orifices opening in the 

 meshes of a reticulated surface, produced by the longitudinal rugm 

 of the oesophageal membrane, changing their character after entering 

 the proventriculus, and branching, as it were, over its surface. 



The stomach was small, measuring less than two inches both in 

 its longitudinal and transverse diameters : in shape it had more 

 the character of a membranous stomach than of a gizzard, being 

 of a regular oval-rounded form. The muscular fibres Avere not ar- 

 ranged in the definite masses called digastrici and laterales, but 

 radiated firom two tendincus centres of about t\vo-thirds of an inch 

 in the longest diameter. Upon the inner surface of the gizzard were 

 two protuberances, one at the lower and one at the upper end of the 

 posterior part. The situation of the latter -vvas such Tvitli respect 

 to the cardiac and pyloric openings, that Mr. Owen conceives it 

 \vould tend to close these openings during the forcible contraction 

 of the fibres at the upper part of the gizzard, and thus jjrobably in 

 some measure regulate the passage of food into this cavity, by re- 

 taining a portion in the proventriculus, until the gizzard should have 

 become emptied of its previous contents. 



A narro\v pyloric passage of about three lines in length extended 

 from the upper extremity of the gizzard into the duodenum ; there 

 was no sphincter present, and no pyloric pouch, as in the Ostrich, 

 but the cuticle ■vvas continued into the duodenum about three lines 

 beyond the pylortts. 



Upon removing the abdominal miiscles, the two lobes of the liver 

 were seen to occupy the anterior part of the cavity, extending from 

 above the notches of the sternum, to midway bet\veen the sternum 

 and the cloaca. 



The stomach was entirely concealed by a large omental adipose 

 process, continued from that of the peritoneum, and upon the longi- 

 tudinal division of which so much of the stomach -vvas exposed as 

 projected betvveen the lobes of the liver ; its position was towards 

 the left side of the abdomen. 



The space below the stomach and liver was occupied by long and 

 simple loops of intestine, extending obliquely and nearly parallel 

 "vvith each other from the upper and right to the lower and left side 



