TASTE OF CARNIVOROUS BIRD?, 139 



regularly formed single crop of large dimensions rather 

 on the right side, resting in the hollow of the bone, 

 which corresponds to the collar-bones (claviculee) in 

 quadrupeds. Below this is the cavity into which the 

 pipes open from the gastric or solvent glands, these 

 forming a broad compact belt. These glands are 

 each very distinct, of a cylindrical form; with very 

 small canals, or villous internal surfaces, and thick 

 coats open at one end, and closed and rounded off at the 

 other. They lie parallel to one another, and nearly 

 at right angles to the membrane through which they 

 open; the closed end being slightly turned upwards, 

 so as to make the orifice the most depending part. 

 At the lower end of the belt there is a second con- 

 traction, separating it from the gizzard immediately 

 below, which is surrounded by a digastric muscle of 

 weak power, and has a soft internal membrane, as 

 have all birds that live on animal food*. 



M. Reaumur tried several curious experiments on 

 the digestive powers of the kite, for which purpose 

 he employed tin tubes filled with different substances, 

 particularly flesh, and this being after a time ejected, 

 according to the custom of the bird, enabled him to 

 examine the effects produced. As the flesh thus 

 enclosed was, when retained long enough in the 

 stomach, completely digested (not merely macerated 

 as M. Batigne insinuatest), he concluded that the 

 digestion was caused without any trituration by the 

 gastric fluid alone. The Abbe Spallanzani made 

 similar experiments upon various birds, some of 

 which, it may be interesting to mention, particularly 

 those with the eagle, which he says was the common 

 eagle of Buffon, and the black eagle of Linnaeus, 



* Sir E. Home, Comp. Anat. i. 273 ; Blumenbach, by Coulson, 

 p. 100. 

 f Reflect, sur les Exper. de M. cle Reaumur. 



