ALIMENTARY TKACT OF CERTAIN' BIRDS. 



75 



birds, parallel with the daodeual loop and is attached to it l»y an 

 ileo-duodenal ligament, which extends nearly to the end of the 

 duodenal loop. It is, as I think, possible to interpret this intes- 

 tinal tiact in only one way, and that is as follows. 



It has been compared with that of a Gallinaceous 1)ird, and this 

 is really tantamount to saying that in the coils of the intestinal 

 tract Fluvianits presents us with archaic characters. After the 

 duodenal loop there is no mai-ked differentiation of the gut 



Text-fig. 24. 



Intestinal tract of Plicviaitus agi/piius. 

 Lettering as before. 



into special loops at all. There is, however, as it appears to me, 

 an indication of an advance upon the condition of the gut which 

 characterises the Gallinaceous birds and in the direction of some 

 other Limicolous birds. In the Gallinaceous birds the distal 

 extremity of the small intestine is straightened out, but it is 

 relatively only a small part of the jejuno- ileum which is thus 



