BIRDS. 



155 



TINOCHORUS RUMICIVORUS. Eschsch. (Male.) 

 Trachea of uniform diameter, furnished with one pair of steruo-tracheal muscles, from which a few 

 fibres descend on each side to the upper rings of the bronchiae ; oesophagus of large diameter 

 to about half its length, where it is furnished with a craw, and afterwards contracted to the 

 proventriculus ; the craw where it is connected with the CESophagus is much contracted, after- 

 wards it expands into a large sac ; proventriculus small ; gizzard large, and very muscular ; 

 the grinding surfaces hard, concave in the middle, and furnished with longitudinal grooves 

 in the concave part ; the intestinal canal is of moderate length, small next the gizzard, largest 

 at the entrance of the caeca, from whence it slightly tapers to the cloaca, which is small ; cffica 

 long, of greatest diameter at the opposite extremity to their entrance into the rectum ; the 

 gizzard and oesophagus were filled with reeds, mixed with very small pebbles ; liver bilobed. 



Length of oesophagus from glottis to gizzard 3 inch. 



from oesophagus to outer extremity of craw J inch. 



Perpendicular diameter of craw 7 lines 



Greatest diameter of gizzard obliquely to the grind- 

 ing surfaces 1 inch. 



inches 



Diameter parallel to the grinding surfaces \ 



Length of intestine from gizzard to cloaca 13 



from cceca to cloaca 1\ 



of caeca 3 



A second specimen, a female, did not differ, except in sex. Skeleton light; bones in general thin. 

 Steinum broadest posteriorly, and indented on its posterior margin with two large fissures; keel 



deep, its inferior edge rounded, much scolloped out anteriorly ; a moderate-size bifid manubrial 



process between the junction of the coracoids. 

 Pelvis broad, of moderate length, similar to that found among the genus Strepsilas. 

 Os furcatum much arched, furnished with a small flattened process, where the ligament unites it to 



the sternum ; coracoid of moderate length, strong, furnished with a large process externally 



near their junction with the sternum ; ribs flattened, posterior process long, slightly curved, 



and narrow. 



No. of cervical vertebrae 14 



dorsal 6 



sacral 12 



caudal 7 



Total 39 



Length of sternum 16 



Breadtli anteriorly 7 



posteriorly 11 



Width of fissures 4 



Depth of ditto 6 



keel 7 



Length of pelvis 16J 



Width anteriorly 6 



posteriorly 12 



Length from occiput to point of bill 16 



Breadth of head C| 



Length of coracoids 7^ 



Remarks. The bill of this curious bird much resembles that of the genus Glareola, but the 

 soft skin covering the nostrils is more developed, in which respect it resembles the quails, and other 

 gallinaceous birds. The structure of the tarsi, feet, and nails approach near to that of Strepsilas, 

 but differ in the latter being sharper, and in the scales on the feet and tarsi being more apparent, 

 which may, perhaps, have been caused to a certain degree by the bird having been for a long 

 while in spirits. 



No. of true ribs 6 



false ditto 2 



Total 8 



