ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 195 
papille, the outer much larger. The gular membrane is very dilatable 
and of the same general nature as that of the Cormorants and Pelicans, 
haying a longitudinal series of muscular fibres along the centre, with 
two layers of fasciculi interposed between the external skin and the 
internal, the inner fasciculi running parallel to the lower mandible, the 
outer transversely. The bill is similar to that of the Pelican’s modi- 
fied, the middle part or ridge being flattened, and the unguis abbre- 
viated. he breadth of the mouth is within 14, inch. The external 
aperture of the ear isroundish, 4 twelfths in diameter, that of the mea- 
tus oblique, oblong, 3 twelfths across. The cesophagus, a b, is 17 inches 
long (including the proventriculus, as in all the other measurements) ; 
its diameter at the top 12 inch, at the distance of six inches, it contracts 
to 5 twelfths, then for four inches enlarges, having its greatest diameter 
1,4, inch; between the coracoid bones it again contracts to half an inch, 
and on entering the thorax enlarges to an inch. The proventriculus 
is bulbiform, 13 inch long, its glandules very large, cylindrical, the 
longest being } inch, and 1 twelfth in diameter. The stomach, cd, is a 
powerful gizzard of a roundish form, 1 inch 11 twelfths long, and 1 inch 
10 twelfths broad; the muscular fibres disposed in large fasciculi all 
around, but not forming distinct lateral muscles; the central tendons 
very large, being 10 twelfths in diameter ; the cuticular lining exces- 
sively thick, of a rather soft texture, divided by deep longitudinal ir- 
regular fissures, its greatest thickness’ being about half an inch. The 
intestine def is very long, measuring 8 feet 94 inches, of moderate 
diameter, varying from 4 to 34 twelfths. It is compactly and beautifully 
arranged in very numerous somewhat concentric folds, being coiled up 
like a rope, the duodenum de, curving backwards and upwards over the 
stomach for five inches, then returning, and enclosing the pancreas, until 
under the right lobe of the liver where it receives the biliary ducts. 
The cloaca is globular, 2 inches in diameter when distended ; the rec- 
tum, exclusive of the cloaca 34 inches, and having at its upper extre- 
mity two bulging knobs in place of cceca. Now, the cesophagus and 
proventriculus are those of a Numenius, the stomach that of a Heron 
in the arrangement of its fasciculi, and in the softness of its epithe- 
lium ; but otherwise it differs in being much larger and more muscu- 
lar. ‘The intestines are thicker and more muscular than those of 
Herons, and differ more especially in having two ccecal appendages, 
which however are extremely short, whereas the herons have merely 
a single coecal prominence. 
n 2 
