1895.] PEOVENTEIOULAB CETPTS OF PSEUJDOTANTALtlS IBIS. 



271 



5, On the Proveutricular Crypts of Pseudotantalus ibis. 

 By P. Chalmers Mitchell, M.A., F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived March 19, 1895.] 

 (Plate XVn.) 



While dissecting a specimen of Pseudotantalus ibis, the African 

 Tantalus, kindly placed at my disposal by the Society's Prosector, 

 I found a set of peculiar structures in the proventriculus which 

 were new to me and of which I could find no description. The 

 general shape of the stomach is similar to that of Leptoptilus 

 crumeniferus and L. argala and of Carphihk s/micollis. The 

 gizzard is capacious and thin-walled, although tendinous iu certain 

 areas. The proventriculus is narrower than the gizzard. Upon 

 opening it one sees that the horny lining of the gizzard ends 

 abruptly in the proventriculus, the internal surface of the latter 

 being smooth. In the four birds mentioned, the proveutricular 

 glands are not scattered all over the surface of the proventriculus, 

 but are arranged over two very well-defined and nearly circular 

 areas. The mner surface of these areas is studded with the large 



t - 



_ %. V. i' j 



■w V '« • .. * u *':. 



Proventricular Crypts of Pseudotantalus ibis. 

 The upper figure represents the proventriculus and a small portion of the 

 gizzard laid open, a is placed opposite the row of crypts, 6 opposite 

 the glandular areas, c opposite the beginning of the gizzard, lined by the 

 corrugated secreted membrane, d is an enlarged view of a single crypt. 



