1228 | MR. ELE, BEDDARD ON.THE [Feb. 4, 
At the posterior margin of the sternum the two oblique septa bend 
inward, and join each other in the middle, becoming here, as 
already mentioned, fused also with the umbilical ligament; 
anteriorly this roof formed by the oblique septa becomes 
continuous with the pericardium. The horizontally disposed 
roofing membrane formed by the union across the middle line of 
the two umbilical ligaments is, however, attached to the sternum on 
both sides for a short space by a membrane, somewhat slight and 
fenestrated (fig. 2, a, p. 227), which arises from the oblique septum 
just where it is bent over to assume a horizontal direction. 
The floor of the hepatic cavity of the right side, whose roof and 
sides are formed of body-wall, oblique septum, and falciform 
ligament, is a transparent membrane, anteriorly closely attached 
to the liver ; posteriorly it covers over body-cavity, being attached 
to oblique septum and to ventral parietes ; on the left side of the 
body it is continuous with the floor of the left hepatic cavity, 
which has corresponding attachments to the oblique septum and 
parietes of its own side ; it splits so as to surround the gizzard. It 
is the “horizontal septum,” “ pseud-epiploon,” or “ so-called 
omentum.” It follows, therefore, that each liver-lobe in Corvus 
capellanus is contained in a separate cavity, the two being divided 
by the umbilical ligament ; each of these cavities is considerably 
larger than theliver-mass which it encloses, extending back nearlyas 
far as to the cloaca. It is, however, to the relationship between the 
oblique septa and the falciform ligament that I desire particularly 
to call attention in the above description. I find that this peculiar 
arrangement of the oblique septa and the falciform ligament is not 
only characteristic of Corvus capellanus, but also of other Crows 
and of other Passerines. The Raven and the Alpine Chough agree 
absolutely with Corvus capellanus; so too Urocissa magnirostris, 
Paradisea minor, Pastor roseus, Starling, Gracula intermedia, 
Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, Vidua paradisea, Spanish Blue Magpie, 
Hyphantornis texta, Leucodioptron canorum, Sturnella ludoviciana, 
Sialia wilsoni, Turdus merula, Pitangus sulphuratus, Furnarws sp., 
Tanagra striata, Cardinalis virginianus, Fringilla teydea, and a few 
others. Ina specimen of the Rook (see fig. 3, p. 229) there is a 
slight difference, the oblique septa being split into two layers, 
one having the normal attachment, the other the Passerine. 
In Struthidea cinerea, again, I observed a slight difference in 
the arrangement of these various septa coupled with a general 
agreement. he point of difference was that, in the specimen of 
this bird which I dissected there was on each side a thin 
transparent partition arising from the falciform ligament and 
attached to the oblique septum of its side. This membranous 
partition did not, as it perhaps might have been expected to do, 
shut off the liver from the posterior portion of the abdominal 
cavity ; it arched over the liver with a semicircular free edge, one 
half of the liver being in front of it, the other behind. 
Leaving aside the characteristics of Struthidea for a moment, I 
desire to direct attention to the general feature of such Passerines 
