308 LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 
more variety in the structure of the digestive organs of birds, that live 
principally upon animal food, which has come under my observation ; 
and with an account of which I shall conclude the present lecture. 
This bird is the Alcea Alle of Linnzus, the Little Auk. The termina- 
tion of the cesophagus is only known by the ending of the cuticular 
lining, and the beginning of the gastric glands ; for the cardiac cavity 
is one continued tube, extending considerably lower down in the cavity 
of the abdomen, and gradually enlarging at the lower part: it then 
turns up to the right side, about half-way to the origin of the cavity, 
and is there connected to a small gizzard, the digastric muscle of which 
is strong, and a small portion of the internal surface on each side has 
a hard cuticular covering. The gastric glands at the upper part are 
placed in four distinct longitudinal rows, becoming more and more nu- 
merous towards the lower part of the cavity, and extend to the bottom, 
where it turns up. ‘The extent of the cavity in which the gastric 
glands are placed, exceeds any thing met with in the other birds that 
live upon fish ; and the turn which the cavity takes almost directly up- 
wards, and the gizzard being at the highest part instead of the lowest, 
are peculiarities, as far as I am acquainted, not met with in any other 
birds of prey. ‘This mechanism, which will be better understood by 
examining the engraving, makes the obstacles to the food in its passage 
to the intestines unusually great ; and enables the bird to digest both 
fishes and sea-worms with crustaceous shells. It appears to be given 
for the purpose of economizing the food in two different ways,—one 
vetaining it longer in the cardiac cavity, the other supplying that ca- 
vity with a greater quantity of gastric liquor than in other birds. This 
opinion is further confirmed by the habits of life of this particular spe- 
cies of bird, which spends a portion of the year in the frozen regions 
of Nova Zembla, where the supplies of nourishment must be both 
scanty and precarious.” 
With respect to this statement and the reasonings founded upon it, 
it will be seen from the description and accompanying figures above, 
taken directly from nature, and without the least reference to the dis- 
sections or theories of any person, that the cesophagus and stomach of the 
Little Auk or Guillemot, Alca Alle of Linneus, are very similar to those 
of other Auks, Guillemots, Divers, and fish-eating birds in general. 
‘Yhe cardiac or proventricular cayity forms no curve ; and the gizzard 
«ith which it is connected, is not small, nor has it merely a small por- 
