THE ALBATROSS. 377 



two rather semicircular depressions, (one over 

 each orbit,) to which the form of the gland cor- 

 responds, accurately filling up those cavities, 

 and bound down firmly by a strong and dense 

 fascia : the distance between these cavities, or 

 depressions, (in the specimen now under exa- 

 mination) was three-eighths of an inch ; the 

 external margin of this cavity is very narrow, 

 partly cartilaginous, partly bony ; the gland 

 does not project over the outer margin, a dis- 

 tance of one-eighth of an inch being left beyond 

 it. Not finding any duct when I came to the 

 anterior portion of the gland, which was visible, 

 I commenced a further research, by laying open 

 the bony plate which covered the olfactory part 

 of the upper mandible, continuing the destruc- 

 tion of this portion of the bill, on one side, to the 

 nostril. I then found that the gland was continued 

 for a short distance further, under the bone, to- 

 wards the nostril, situated rather above and ante- 

 rior to the nasal portion of the orbit. On pursuing 

 my dissection further, I found a nerve (a branch 

 of the fifth pair ?) passing down the thin bony 

 plate, at the interior part of the upper man- 

 dible ; this I traced until it entered the skull, 

 and thus found it had no connexion with the 

 gland, as its first appearance led me to suspect ; 

 but close to and under it was another appear- 



