1878.] OF TANTALUS AND VANELLUS. 627 



similarly situated processus vocales of the passerine tracheophone 

 syrinx, which resemblance is increased by the thinness of the neigh- 

 bouring rings and their being flattened from before backwards. 



In Tantalus loeulator there is no trace of these triangular processes. 

 Its last tracheal ring, or three-way piece, is not enlarged, as it is in 

 so many birds ; and the rings of the bronchi for some considerable 

 distance are complete as in the Ciconiidae generally, which is so very 

 seldom found to be the case in the Class. In this last feature the 

 Storks agree with the Cathartidse, and the general arrangement of 

 the bifurcation of the Stork's windpipe would require but little change 

 to pass into a Cathartine type. 



The uppermost bronchial rings are thinner on the outer side of 

 each bronchus than they are internally, which consequently leaves 

 greater gaps between them along the outer margin of the tubes. 

 Ring four on one side and ring three on the other are partly redupli- 

 cated, the extra processes ending freely in the bronchial membrane. 



From this description it is evident that these two Tantali differ 

 greatly in the arrangement of their windpipes, whilst a recent com- 

 parison of specimens makes it evident to me that what I thought on 

 seeing T. loeulator might have been an error in my account of T. 

 ibis, namely the posterior carination of the windpipe, is correct, in 

 which, as well as in the relative lengths of trachea, the two species 

 differ so much. 



In other anatomical characters Tantalus loeulator agrees with T. 

 ibis, and is perfectly ciconiiform. In both the great pectoralis 

 muscle is formed of two layers, as in the Steganopodes, Procellariidse, 

 and Cathartidse only. The ambiens muscle is slender ; the femoro- 

 caudal is minute, without any accessorius ; and the semitendinosus, as 

 well as its accessorius, are not large. There is no great gluteus muscle, 

 nor any muscular slip from the biceps of the wing running to the 

 patagium. 



The small intestine measures six and a half feet, the caeca half an 

 inch, and the large intestine nearly three inches. The stomach is 

 capacious, with but a small muscular development. The tongue is 

 an inch long and arrow-head shaped. The sub-equilobed liver has 

 a gall-bladder. 



In Vanellus cayennensis there is an exaggerated development of 

 the intrinsic muscles of the trachea a short way above its bifurcation 

 in both sexes that is quite worthy of special note, because the amount 

 of muscular fibre there present is proportionately as much as in any 

 bird with which I am acquainted. 



There is nothing peculiar about the windpipe itself or the bronchi, 

 which are represented in the accompanying figure (p. 628). The 

 uppermost two bronchial semirings are not like those which succeed 

 them, but are like halves of tracheal rings. The third and fourth 

 semirings are closely united, whilst those which follow are not 

 modified in any way. 



The sterno-tracheal muscles are powerful, and besides springing 

 directly from the side walls of the windpipe opposite the spot where 



