250 



DR. P. CHALMERS MITCHELL ON THE 



CAPRIMTJLGI. 



STEATORNITHID^E. I have examined only a spirit-specimen of Steatornis, and that in a 

 fragmentary condition after it had already passed through the hands of other anatomists. 

 It was easy, however, to recognize the general conformation of the gut and its resemblance 

 to the form in other Coraciiform birds. The duodenum 'was short and rather wide. 

 Meckel's tract showed two loops anterior to the diverticulum and two, not so well 

 separated, distad of it, the second being a distinct supra-duodenal loop with the functional 

 caeca attached to it. The rectum was long and straight. 



PODARGID.E and CAPRIMULGIDJE. I have examined a number of these, several of 

 which, however, were not identified as to species. In all, the form of the gut was 

 essentially similar. The duodenum (Nyctidromus albicollis, tig. 68) is short and wide. 



Fig. 68. 



Intestinal Tract of Nyctidromug albicollis. 



Meckel's tract, which is relatively short, appears as a circular expanse, upon the middle 

 of which the diverticulum was present in most cases, but in some it was absent. The 

 part of the Tract proximad of the diverticulum showed traces of expansion into the two 

 loops so common in Coraciiform birds. The part posterior to it had the long caeca 

 closely applied to it, and these were drained partly by a bridging vein. The rectum was 

 relatively long and straight. This conformation found in the Caprimulgidse is obviously 

 remarkably archecentric, and is at once compirable with the primitive type. 



GYP SB LI. 



CYPSELID^E. I have examined several species of Swifts, and in all found the confor- 

 mation similar to that in Cypzelus apus (fig. 69). The duodenum is short and very wide. 



