598 CRESTED GREBE. 



Length to end of tail I9h, to end of claws 24^ ; extent of wings 30 ; 

 bill along the back 2|, along the edge of lower mandible 2| ; tarsus 2| ; 

 third toe 2J, its claw I. Weight 1 lb. 61 oz. 



The following account of the digestive organs of this species was taken 

 from an adult male. 



The oesophagus is nine and a half inches long ; at its commencement, 

 and for an inch and a half, it has a diameter of half an inch, for the next 

 two inches only two-twelfths, towards the lower extremity four-twelfths ; 

 this, however, in the contracted state, the specimen having been kept in 

 spirits. The mucous coat is raised into numerous longitudinal folds. 



The walls of the proventriculus are extremely thick, the glands cylin- 

 drical, generally about a qviarter of an inch long, and one-twelfth in dia- 

 meter. The stomach is roundish, compressed, the muscular coat very 

 thick, being that of a true gizzard, the tendons nearly half an inch in diame- 

 ter ; the inner coat thick, the cuticular lining very thick and rugous. 



Between the orifice of the oesophagus and the pylorus is a rounded 

 lobe, from the lower part of which the intestine comes off. The pylorus 

 has no valve, but a thick marginal rim. The intestine, immediately after 

 its commencement, dilates to the diameter of half an inch, and continues 

 of that size for twelve inches, then gradually contracts for about six inches, 

 when its diameter is four-twelfths, and again within six inches of the coeca 

 becomes enlarged. The coeca come off at the distance of two inches from 

 th^anus, and are an inch and a half in length, a little enlarged towards 

 their "extremity, and rounded. The rectum is half an inch in diameter, 

 the cloaca one inch. The entire length of the intestine is forty-two inches. 

 The heart is conical, rather pointed, and slightly curved. The trachea 

 is flattened, of uniform diameter, the rings complete, 167 in number, its 

 transverse diameter two inches and half a twelfth, contracted at the bifur- 

 cation to two-twelfths. 



The tail of the Grebes is usually described as a small tuft of feathers ; 

 but on carefully removing the coverts and downy parts, the tail may be 

 satisfactorily traced. In this species there are 14 feathers, on each side 

 T arranged in a semicircular manner. The two middle feathers are sepa- 

 rated to the distance of about j%, and the two outer or lateral approach 

 each other below, leaving an interval of about the same space. When the 

 feathers are broken across near their bases, which they frequently are, 

 there is thus produced the appearance of a small circular tuft. When 

 perfect, they are about 1| inches long, arched, with loose barbs, downy 

 at their extremities. 



