94 MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE ANATOMY [Jan. 3, 



5. Note on the Gall-bladder^ and some other Points in the 

 Anatomy of the Toucans and Barbets {Capitonidce) . 

 By W. A. Forbes^ B.A., Prosector to the Society. 



[Received December 30, 1881.] 



The statement has been made, and copied \ that a gall-bladder is 

 absent iu the Toucans. The latest writer on the visceral anatomy of 

 birds, Dr. Hans Gadow ^ describing the gall-bladder of the " Coccy- 

 gomorpbse," says : — "Hhamphastus compeusirt das Fehlen der Blase 

 durch einen sebr langen (9 cm.) luid weiten Ductus Choledochus " 

 (/. c. p. 70). 



On dissecting, therefore, some months ago a fresh specimen of 

 Pteroglossus wiedi, I was considerably surprised to find a peculiarly 

 long and tubular gall-bladder, which lay superficially, covering the 

 other abdominal viscera and extending far down in the abdominal 

 cavity, its fundus nearly reaching the cloacal region of the intestine. 



My attention having been thus called to the point, I have since, 

 whenever opportunity has offered, always looked for this viscus, and 

 have now ascertained its presence in specimens oiRhamphastos cari- 

 natus, viteiliiius, and dicolorus, Pteroglossus wiedi (3), Selenidera 

 maculirostris, and Aulacorhamphus prasinus. The annexed drawing 

 (fig., p. 95) will show its general form and relations, as seen iu a fresh 

 specimen of Rhamphastos dicolorus. In the specimen figured the 

 total length of the gall-bladder was not less than 4"15 inches. The 

 cystic duct originated "85 inch from the liver, and was 1'7 inch long. 

 In other cases the duct arises much nearer the portal fissure. Its 

 presence, therefore, in all Toucans is nearly certain ^. 



It is also present, of exactly the same general form, and with the 

 same relations, in all the Capitoninee I have examined as regards this 

 point, namely Megalcema virens (a fresh specimen), M.fratMini, and 

 Xantholcema rosea. Its presence iu Indicator iu a similar form is 

 almost certain, from the intimate relationship of that genus to the 

 Barbets and Toucans. Unfortunately I can give no exact information 

 on this point, the only specimen I have of an Indicator having been 

 eviscerated. 



The only other family of birds in which, so far as I am aware, 

 the gall-bladder assumes this peculiar vermiform shape, and lies 



^ Owen. Anat. Vert. ii. p. 177 ; Macalister, Morph. Vert. p. 194 ; Crisp, P. Z. S. 

 1862, p. 137. 



2 " Versuch ein. vergleich. Anatomie dea Verdauungssystemes d. Vogel," Jen. 

 Zeitsohr. xiii. n. F. vi. 



' It is but due to the late Prof. Garrod to say that he also had noted this 

 peculiar gall-bladder, aptly characterized by him as " iutestiniform," in several 

 Toucans dissected by him, including B. Cuvieri and carinatus and P. wiedi. 

 It is also, I find, correctly described by Meckel ('Traite general,' &c., Paris, 1838, 

 t. viii. p. 289), as follows : — "La conformation de la vesicide est eslremement 

 curieuse chez le toucan {Barnpkastos). Elle y est d'une longueur si enorme, 

 qu'elle occupe la cavite ubdominale toute entiere : elle est tres retrecie, et res- 

 semble plutot a un cseoum qu'a une vdsicule." I made my first observatione 

 unaware of either of the above facts. 



