1890.] ANATOMY OF PODICA SENEGALENSIS. 431 



the m3-ology, however, is a very short one, and occupies hardly one 

 page of Giebel's paper. 



§ 3. Alimentary Viscera. 



The remarks that I am able to make under this head arc not 

 many, as the organs were not iu a very first-rate condition, being 

 much softened and compacted together. 



The right lobe of the liver is larger than the left, and there appears 

 to be no c/all-bladder ; the intestines measure twenty-one inches. 



Ccecu are present and arise from the gut at a distance of about 

 two inches from the cloaca ; each caecum measures as nearly as 

 possible one and a half inches in length. 



These facts do not point in any particular direction ; the absence 

 of a gall-bladder is certainly peculiar, but I should not like to be 

 very positive upon this point, considering the somewhat softened 

 condition of the viscera '. 



One of the most important aspects of the alimcntarj' tract, viz. 

 the disposition of the convolutions of the intestine, has been already 

 investigated by Gadow, and a description appears in the most recent 

 fasciculus of his work on the Anatomy of Birds [5, p. 709 et stq.]. 



Dr. Gadow makes the following remarks : — " The birds of the 

 first circle group themselves round the Grallse as the middle point. 

 Limicolae and llallidae can readily be derived from each other ; they 

 have, however, sufficient differences in the general alimentary system 

 to allow them to be regarded as equivalent divisions of the Grallse. 

 To the RaUidaj belong the Alectoridcs or Crane-like forms, such as 

 Grus, Psophia, Bicholophus, Otis. Rhinoohetus unites in its ali- 

 mentary system, particularly in the disposition of the intestine, 

 characters of the Eail, Limicoliue and Ibis-like birds ; the relation- 

 ship with these is, however, remote, and only the Ethiopian genus 

 Poclica shows striking resemblances to the New-Caledonian Rhino- 

 chetus. It is not improbable that both, with the American genera 

 Heliornis and Eurypytja, diverged eai'ly from the common Rail-like 

 stock, and are now isolated forms." The Pygopodes (incl. Podici- 

 pedidse and Colymbidaj) appear to be altogether different as regards 

 their intestinal convolutions. 



§ 4. Syrinx. 

 This organ is illustrated in the accompanying drawing (p. 432, 

 fig. 1) ; there is nothing particularly remarkable about it. The 

 intrinsic muscles are attached to the first bronchial semirings ; these 

 are very different from the tracheal rings in appearance ; they are 

 much bent (into a bow-shape, the convexity being anterior), thin, 

 and not ossified ; the last tracheal rings on the contrary are stout 

 and stiff, though apparently not ossified, and closely api^lied to each 

 other. There are 17 (16 on one side) bronchial semirings, between 

 which are membranous intervals decreasing posteriorly. The bron- 

 chidesmus is complete. The syrinx of Poclica is in fact in every 

 way thoroughly typical. 



• Moreover Giebel distinotly states that a gall-bladder is present in Podoa. 



