340 TURKEY BUZZARD. 



The neck in its whole length is sheathed in a very strong subcu- 

 taneous muscle, of which the external fibres are transverse, the inter- 

 nal longitudinal. These latter collect at the lower part, on each side, into 

 a thin expansion inserted into the anterior edge of the pectoralis major, 

 lying over another larger collection proceeding from the lower part of 

 the crop in front, and inserted into the furcula, so as to support the 

 enormous crop, and serve ,to assist in contracting it. This layer of 

 muscle is firmly connected with the whole surface of the crop on the 

 right side ; but on the left is quite free, leaving an empty space of 

 great width, and eight inches in length, in which the trachea lies. 

 The cells on the back of the neck are also extremely large. 



The roof of the mouth presents much the same appearance as that 

 of the Falconine birds, having anteriorly a prominent ridge, and on the 

 palate two parallel ridges, the space between which is anteriorly covered 

 with minute papillae. The posterior aperture of the nares is oblong 

 behind, linear before, 9 twelfths in length. The tongue is 1 inch 

 long in a direct line, fleshy, decurved, very deeply and widely con- 

 cave above, its edges serrated in their whole length with small hard 

 pointed papilla directed backwards and inwards, its tip obtuse, but not 

 emarginate. The ridges on the roof of the mouth are also papillate. 



The oesophagus, Fig. 1, a e, which is 11 inches long, begins im- 

 mediately to enlarge, forming an enormous crop, 6c, 3 inches in width at 

 its lower part, and then contracting to 1 inch as it enters the thorax. 

 Its walls are thin, and shew the usual arrangement of fasciculi of mus- 

 cular fibres, the external being transverse. The proventricular glands 

 are very numerous, and occupy a belt 1 inch in breadth, d e; sX the 

 upper edge of which are numerous longitudinal plicae, having between 

 them small cellular cavities. The stomach, ef, is comparatively small, 

 2 inches in length, 1^ in breadth ; its tendon 1 inch long and 10 twelfths 

 broad, its muscular coat moderately thick, its inner coat a thick strongly 

 rugous, rather soft, deep-red epithelium. There is a pyloric lobe, g, 

 about half an inch in diameter, which is lined with bristly Jiairs, as is 

 seen in Fig. 3. They are all inserted at right angles to the surface, 

 penetrate to the base of the epithelium, and are of various lengths, 

 some of them not protruded beyond the surface, others upwards of half 

 an inch, of various colours, some black, generally tipped with whitish, 

 others light greyish-yellow, all thick at the base, and tapering to a fine 

 point. Being disposed in this regular manner, they might seem to 



