C77 1 



IX. A Description of the solvent Glands and Gizzards of the 

 Ardea Argala, the Casuarius EmUj and the long-legged Caso~ 

 wary from New South JVales. By Sir Everard Home, Bart* 

 F. R, S. 



Read December 17, 1813. 



XxAviNG, upon a former occasion, laid before the Society an 

 account of several varieties in the structure of the solvent 

 glands and gizzards of birds, I now avail myself of some 

 further materials, which I have procured. since that time, to 

 render the series more complete. The Ardea Argala, a native 

 of Bengal, which feeds upon carrion, and is exceedingly vora- 

 cious, has the solvent glands differently formed from those 

 of any bird which I have examined ; each gland is made up 

 of five or six cells, and these open into one commozi excre- 

 tory duct. The glands are disposed in two circular masses, 

 one on the anterior, the other on the posterior surface of the 

 cardiac cavity, putting on a similar appearance to those of the 

 cormorant, but differing both in structure and situation. The 

 gizzard of the Ardea Argala is lined with a horny cuticle, 

 nearly of the same general appearance as that of the crow, 

 and the digastric muscle is of similar strength. These parts are 

 represented in the annexed drawing. (See Plate III.) This bird 

 has a large bag hanging down on the forepart of the neck, 

 which is rendered conspicuous by the skin that covers it being 

 almost entirely without feathers, having only a few scattered 

 on the most prominent depending part. The bag appears to 



