242 



DR. P. CHALMERS MITCHELL ON THE 



of the first and third loops of Meckel's tract and the great elongation of the axial and 

 supra-duodenal loops. Aramus is more difficult to place. It appears to be certainly 

 more archecentric than other Gruiformes, and is to be derived either from the Charadrii- 

 form-Gruiforrn metacentre or, even more archecentrically still, from the metacentre 

 common to the Limieoli and Gruiformes. 



CUCULIFORMES. 



CTJCTJLI. 



CucuLlDyE. I have examined the intestinal tract of Cacomantis lanceolatus, Carpo- 

 coccyx radiatus, Centropus (species ?), Crotophaga ani, Gruira piririgua, and Scythrops 

 novcB-hollandice, and find that it presents the same conformation in all. The duodenum 

 (fig. 60) is straight and narrow. Meckel's tract is not very definitely produced into 



Fig. 60. 



sof 



Intestinal Tract of Carpococcyx radiatus. 



loops, but on its periphery there are two loops anterior to the diverticulum, and, posterior 

 to it, one very long supra-duodenal loop to which the long caeca are attached. The 

 rectum is always straight, but differs in length, being extremely short in some Cuckoos. 



