^ 1914 ] Clauk, iVo^es on Trochalopteron and Sicalis. 461 



not requiring a muscular stomach for its digestion. In consequence 

 we have a degeneration of the ventricuhis into a thin membranous 

 band and a straightening of the stomach to facilitate the passage 

 of food no cardiac or pyloric constriction being necessary to hold 

 matter in the ventriculus for digestion as the process of conversion 

 is carried on wholly by the secretions of the alimentary canal. 



ANATOMICAL NOTES ON TROCHALOPTERON AND 



SICALIS. 



BY HUBERT LYMAN CLARK. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Outram Bangs, I have recently 

 had the opportunity of examining freshly-killed specimens of the 

 'Chinese Thrush' {Trochalopteron canorum) and the 'South 

 American Yellow Finch' {Sicalis flaveola). There is no other 

 reason for associating these two species in this brief paper than that 

 they happened to come into my hands at about the same time. 

 So far as I can ascertain no species of either genus has ever been 

 examined with reference to either its pterylosis or internal anatomy. 

 This is my warrant for publishing these meagre notes. 



Trochalopteron. 



When the plucked carcass of this bird ( T. canorum) is compared 

 with that of a Robin {Plancsticus migratorius) , the most striking 

 difference is in the width of the feather-tracts. The body of 

 Planesticus is about one fourth longer than that of Trochalopteron 

 and proportionately heavier but the feather-tracts are two to four 

 times as wide. Thus in Trochalopteron, the upper cervical tract 

 where narrowest is 2 mm. wide, the dorsal diamond-shaped tract 

 is 13 mm., the dorsal tract posterior to the diamond is 3 mm. and 

 the sternal tract, where widest, is 5 mm. across. In Planesticus, 



