1877.] AN ANATOMICAL PECULIARITY IN CERTAIN STORKS. 711 



however, are they otherwise than flattened, broad, and blunt-tipped, 

 none anywhere being circular and slender like those in the ileum of 

 R. unicorrm', the existence of which I have had the opportunity of 

 verifying. They never exceed -3 of an inch in length. Numerous 

 Peyer's patches exist in the ileum, as may be inferred from fig. 2 

 (p. 709) which is a representation of a portion of the inner surface of 

 the small intestine quite close to the ileo-csecal valve. 



Such being the case, R. sondaicus differs from R. indicus in that 

 the papillae of the ileum are short, flat, and broad, instead of long, 

 cyhndrical and narrow, "like tags of worsted " (Owen). 



The caecum coli is a short blunt cone, with the diameter of its base 

 as great as its length (1 foot 3 inches) ; and comparing the dispo- 

 sition of the colic flexures and proportionate diameter, I found them 

 identical with those of the Sumatrau species as I have figured thenr. 



The liver wants the gall-bladder, and difi'ers but little from that of 

 the Suraatran species. Fig. 3 (p. 710) is an outhne-sketch of its 

 abdominal surface, wliich, when compared with that of Geratorhinus 

 sumatrensis (P. Z. S. 1873, p. 102), shows that the right central lobe 

 is larger than the right lateral, instead of smaller. The spigelian lobe 

 is equally long and slender. 



The pancreas is of good size and fairly concentrated. 



The uterus is bicorn, each cornu measuring 8 inches, at the same 

 time that the corpus uteri is 3 inches long. Each ovary is situated 

 in a pocket of the peritoneum. 



5. Note on an Anatomical Peculiarity in certain Storks. 

 By A. H. Garrod, M.A., F.R.S., Prosector to the 



Society. 



[Received October 1, 1877.] 



The Ciconiidae, whilst presenting great uniformity in their myology, 

 differ among themselves in one feature which seems to me to be of 

 sufficient interest to deserve special record, as it may aid those who 

 study their external characters to arrive at a more satisfactory deter- 

 mination of their affinities among themselves. 



The following are the species I have had the opportunity of dis- 

 secting : — 



Ciconia nujra. Xenorhynchus mistralis. 



a/6a. senegalensis. 



boijciana. Leptoptilus crumeniferus. 



maguari. argala. 



Abdhnia sphenorhyncha. Tantalus ibis. 



In all these birds, with the exception of Abdimia sphenorhyncha 

 and Xenorhynchus senegalensis, I have found the ambiens muscle, 

 which courses obliquely through the front of the capsule of the knee' 



Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. pi. sii. fig. 3. 

 P. Z. S. 1873, pp. 99, 100. 



