156 FACULTIES OF BIRDS. 



any other bird. These glands are not placed round 

 the upper portion of stomach, but form two circular 

 figures, about one inch and a half in diameter on the 

 fore and back part of it, each gland being composed 

 of five or six cells, and these opening into one 

 common pipe. The gizzard and digastric muscle 

 are nearly of the same strength with that of the 

 craw, and the former is lined with a similar horny 

 cuticle*. 



These birds are not only capable of digesting bones, 

 as Spallanzani proved eagles and owls to be, but 

 they seem to be fond of them, swallowing every 

 bone which they can get down their gullet, whence 

 they are denominated bone-eaters. It has been stated 

 by Sir Everard Home that there was found in the 

 craw and stomach of one of these birds a land tor- 

 toise, ten inches long, and a large male black cat, 

 entire f. Mr. Smeathman, to whom we are indebted 

 for several very interesting details in natural history, 

 has given an account of this bird, which we think 

 will furnish a good illustration of our subject. The 

 adjutants, he tells us, " are met with in companies ; 

 and when seen at a distance, near the mouths of 

 rivers, coming towards an observer, which they often 

 do with their wings extended, may well be taken for 

 canoes upon the surface of a smooth sea ; when on 

 the sand-banks, for men and women picking up 

 shell-fish or other things on the beach. One of 

 these, a young bird about five feet high, was brought 

 up tame, and presented to the chief of the Bananas, 

 where Mr. Smeathman lived ; and being accustomed 

 to be fed in the great hall, soon became familiar, 

 duly attending that place at dinner-time, placing 

 itself behind its master's chair frequently before the 

 guests entered. The servants were obliged to watch 



* Sir E. Home, Comp. Anat. i. 278. 

 t Phil, Trans, for 1813, p. 77, 



