378 Zoological Society. 



short stiff plumes and hairs, while at its base a number of long black 

 bristles are given off, the presence of which, in conjunction with the 

 extension of sensitive skin upon the beak, is considered by Mr. 

 Owen to indicate the importance of the sense of touch to the Apte- 

 ryx, and to correspond with the account given of its nocturnal 

 habits. The general form of the beak is adapted for insertion into 

 crevices and holes, in search of insects, which were found to consti- 

 tute in part the contents of the gizzard. 



The tongue, as in all the struthious birds, was short and simple, 

 yet presented nevertheless a greater relative development. It was 

 of a compressed, narrow, elongated, triangular form, with the apex 

 truncate and slightly notched ; the lateral and posterior margins 

 entire ; 8 lines in length, 4 lines broad at the base, 1 line across 

 the apex. 



The oesophagus at its upper extremity was half an inch in diameter, 

 but rapidly diminished to a breadth of three lines, of which size it 

 continued to the commencement of the proventriculus ; its position 

 was to the right of the cervical vertebra, and a little behind and to 

 the right of the trachea, to which latter it was closely connected. 



The stomach was small, measuring less than two inches both in 

 its longitudinal and transverse diameters : in shape it had more 

 the character of a membranous stomach than of a gizzard, being 

 of a regular oval-rounded form. The muscular fibres were not ar- 

 ranged in the definite masses called digastrici and laterales, but 

 radiated from. two tendinous centres of about two-thirds of an inch 

 in the longest diameter. Upon the inner surface of the gizzard were 

 two protuberances, one at the lower and one at the upper end of the 

 posterior part. The situation of the latter was such with respect 

 to the cardiac and pyloric openings, that Mr. Owen conceives it 

 would tend to close these openings during the forcible contraction 

 of the fibres at the upper part of the gizzard, and thus probably in 

 some measure regulate the passage of food into this cavity, by re- 

 taining a portion in the proventriculus, until the gizzard should have 

 become emptied of its previous contents. 



A narrow pyloric passage of about three lines in length extended 

 from the upper extremity of the gizzard into the duodenum ; there 

 was no sphincter present, and no pyloric pouch, as in the Ostrich, 

 but the cuticle was continued into the duodenum about three lines 

 beyond the pylorus. 



The stomach was entirely concealed by a large omental adipose 

 process, continued from that of the peritoneum, and upon the longi- 

 tudinal division of which so much of the stomach was expose ! as 



