306 MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE [Apr. 17, 
Hooded Crow, Jackdaw, Bittern, Eared Owl (Ohrkauze), Honey- 
Buzzard, and Coot, showing that it is fully developed in young 
birds, but absent in old ones. He figures the bursa, together with 
the arteries supplying it (derived from the left pudendal), in both 
sexes of Gallus domesticus and Fulica atra (op. cit. tab. ix. fig. 13, 
15, 19, 22-24, and t. x. f. 26). Berthold devotes a special memoir 
to it, in which he describes its nervous and vascular supply. Emil 
Huschke? describes its development, showing that it arises in the 
superior part of the cloaca, in which it is differentiated in the embryo 
of the Fowl from the 8th to the 9th day of incubation, acquiring by 
degrees a more perfect form, but that after a time it increases but 
slowly in comparison with the other parts of the embryo. M. Martin 
St.-Ange, in his fine paper ‘‘ Etudes sur lPappareil reproducteur dans 
les cing classes des vertébrés”’ *, figures and describes the bursa in 
the Common Pigeon. In one adult two-year-old Pigeon he found 
the interior of the bursa filled up with a sort of calculus, forming 
a complete cast of its interior. In all others of both sexes, it was 
reduced to about half its size, and the cavity entirely obliterated. 
He found that in the egg it was better-developed in proportion 
than other organs, but that after the age of about six months in 
Pigeons, and eight in Fowls, it began to lose its functional activity, 
and to become reduced in size. Lastly, in a paper published in the 
© Atti della Societa Italiana di Scienze Naturali,’? 1875, vol. xviii. 
pp. 133-169 (for calling my attention to which I am indebted to 
Mr. Salvin), Signor Vincenzo Alesi, of Naples, has published an ex- 
haustive essay on the structure and development of this organ, 
accompanied by two plates of histological details. His observations 
have been made on specimens of Meleagris mexicana, Anser cinereus, 
Anas boschas, Columba livia, Turtur auritus, Corvus monedula, 
Turdus merula, and Coturnix communis; and he has also examined 
the cloaca of a female Rhea americana, preserved in the Naples 
Museum. To his observations on the histological structure and process 
of atrophy of the bursa I will return after having briefly described 
the ordinary form and relations of this organ in the birds I have 
examined. These are 90 in number; and of many of them I have 
examined more than one specimen. 
PAassERES. Dacelo gigantea. 
Oriolus galbula. Colius castanonotus, 
Garrulax chinensis. Momotus lessonit. 
Citta thalassina. Merops, sp. 
Fregilus graculus. Megalema, sp. 
Amblyrhamphus holosericeus. Rhamphastos ariel. 
Cissopis leveriana. Pteroglossus wiedi. 
Trogon puella. 
CoccyGomorPHa. Cuculus canorus. 
Podargus cuvieri. Cacomantis, sp. 
' Acad. Cres.-Leop. Nova Acta, 1828, xiv. pp. 903-918. 
* De Bursz Fabricii origine. Jenx, 1838. 
* Mem, prés Ac. Se. Frane, par savants divers, 1856, pp. 1-282. 
