ORDER GALLINyE. 127 



Platalea Leucorodia ; but in the first of these species, the 

 tube presents extraordinary dilatations ; in the second, the 

 circumvolutions take place over the muscles of the neck ; and 

 in the third, these foldings or turnings, are concentrated in 

 the cavity itself of the thorax. 



As the curve which the trachea forms in the Marail, takes 

 place on the inclined plane of the muscles whicli cover the 

 bones of the furca, it was necessary for nature to provide 

 that it should not sink down over this sloping part. In the 

 Craw Pauxi, in the Penelope, Yacou, and in the Parraqua, 

 the tube, in passing over the surface of the great pectoral 

 muscles, is there, as we have seen, attached by the cellular 

 tissue, of which we have spoken ; but in the present instance, 

 a particular bond of connexion was requisite : at the upper 

 extremity of the curve is attached a very powerful muscle, 

 which embraces by its fibres many rings of the trachea ; it 

 reascends towards the crest of the sternum : and, arrived at 

 the prominent part of this bone, it is divided into two cords, 

 which, descending, proceed one on each side of this crest, re- 

 maining united only by a cellular tissue. These two cords, 

 in their descent, confound many of their fibres with the pec- 

 toral muscles : and when they have attained the extremity of 

 the sternum, they unite again into one muscle, which attaches 

 itself to the tunic, containing the excrements, within a little 

 of the place where the xiphoid cartilage is formed. 



These birds generally hatch twice a year ; that is to say, 

 at the commencement of the rainy season, towards the month 

 of December or January, and at the end of this season, about 

 the month of May or June. They are used to lay three or 

 four eggs, and often six. These birds construct their nests, 

 in the midst of very tufted trees, and as near the trunk as 

 they can, so that there is considerable difficulty in discovering 

 them. When the young are disclosed, the mother nurses 

 them in the nest, until they grow a little large, and the 



