VOL. IX. 



The Oologist. 



ALBION, N. Y., MAR., 1892. 



NO. 3 



ZOOTOMY. 



THE DOMESTIC PIGEON. 



[Continued 'from February Number.'] 



Cut open the proventriculus, on 

 inner side, with the aid of lens 

 make out openings of gastric gland 

 bisect the gizzard as shown in cut VI, ;* 

 notice thick muscular walls; why so? 

 Its horney epithelial lining; use lens; 

 notice contents of gizzard; the tube 

 leading to, much larger then tube lead- 

 ing from: is this difference in size of 

 -any use to birds? Cut out small sect- 

 ion of duodenum, open out by a longi- 

 tudinal slit, and after very carefully 

 cleaning under water examine with 

 lens before removing from clean water; 

 notice villi; examine different parts of 

 intestine; now look for the spleen, an 

 oval body near the proventriculus; can 

 you find a duct leading from it? when 

 you have opportunity, examine the di- 

 gestive aparatus of worm and insect 

 eating birds; fish-eating birds and same 

 in small mammals; now turn your at- 

 tention to the heart; its surrounding 

 membrane, the pericardium; (should a 

 blood vessel be cut its ends must be 

 •at once ligatured to prevent escape of 

 blood, as blood tubes are more easily 

 traced when gorged with blood.) Dis- 

 tinguish between the arteries and veins 

 by the difference in their walls;trace the 

 arteries to head and the return veins; 

 the large veins from kidneys; the large 

 tubes to and from lungs; why so much 

 blood to lungs and kidneys? notice the 

 peculiar "joining" of jugular veins at 

 anterior parts (anastomosts); tie the 

 large tubes some distance from heart, 

 cut one (or more if necessary) of the 



*For cuts referred too, see plate in February 

 'Oologist. 



large veins insert blow-pipe and inflate 

 the heart; the lower pointed part con- 

 tains the ventricles; the upper part the 

 auricles remove the heart not cut- 

 ting the vessels too close to it, care- 

 fully dissect away any fat that may ad- 

 here to heart; bisect the heart; washout 

 the blood the left ventricle constituting 

 the greater part of heart and extending 

 into the apex ; the right ventricle much 

 smaller; the right auricle; left auriclo; 

 which division of the heart has the 

 heaviest walls; why? Your note book 

 and drawing-paper; notice the auricule- 

 ventricular valves between auricles and 

 ventricles; any difference between 

 right and left? The left is the mitral 

 valve; find valves in tubes proceeding 

 from ventricles, the semi-lunar valves; 

 see cut IV, and explanations of same; 

 make out hqw these valves act; the 

 lungs; inflate; let air out again; note 

 the branching of trachea before entering 

 lungs: are the rings of this part like 

 those before examined! (Cut VIII,)* 

 Trace the bronchial tubes as far into 

 lungs as possible; of what use are the 

 cartilage rings? Look for vocal cords 

 (membranes) at upper end of trachea. 



Carefully remove an eye by cutting 

 off the muscles and optic nerve. f 



■ *Cart you findany connections between lungs 

 and airsacs? 



tThe head should be removed and put into 

 strong alcohol soon after death, to harden the 

 brain. This will require some time, perhaps 

 2 or 3 weeks. 



tMany dissections are best carried on under 

 water. This is done by means of a "dissecting 

 pan," which may be made in the following 

 manner. In the bottom of a tin pan (about 10 

 x 5 inches, and 2 or 3 inches deep,) pour y 2 inch 

 of hot bee's wax. This should be cooled slowly 

 by putting the pan in hot water and letting it 

 cool as the water does. It is a good idea to 

 have drops of solder on the bottom of the pan, 

 or to have the tinner make a "ring" around the 

 sides, near bottom, to hold the wax in place. The 

 specimen may be pinned out on the wax, and it 

 will be found that the parts will show 

 much more distinctly under clear water. 

 Whole animals, such as earth-worms, insects, 

 frogs, &c.,may be put in, while parts of the 

 larger ones can be studied in this way. 



