RED-WINGED STARLING. 



489 



'§ 



the intermediate places to the Northern States. The young birds in 

 autumn that I have procured from the young guinea-corn and rice- 

 fields were fat, and in taste fully equal to the 

 Robin, I am not aware, that you have men- 

 tioned that, when a year old, though not full- 

 plumaged, they breed like those that are older. 

 Indeed, nearly all our birds breed when a year 

 old, however imperfect their plumage ; I can- 

 not recollect any species that does not." 



In a male preserved in spirits, the pa- 

 late ascends rapidly, and is in the middle 

 concave, with two very prominent papil- 

 late ridges, which, in meeting, form a large 

 soft prominence, anteriorly of which the 

 roof of the mouth is nearly flat, with a 

 median and two lateral ridges. The pos- 

 terior aperture of the nares is oblongo-linear, 

 with its margins papillate. The lower man- 

 dible is deeply concave. The tongue is 9 

 twelfths long, higher than broad, sagittate 

 and papillate at the base, grooved above, 

 tapering to a horny flattened, slightly emargi- 

 nate tip. The oesophagus, aicde, is 3| inches 

 long, forming a sac, be, the width of which at 

 the commencement is 7| twelfths, soon after 

 4^ twelfths, toward the lower part of the 

 neck 5^ twelfths, but on entering the thorax 

 contracting to 3^ twelfths; the proventriculus, 

 de, 4i twelfths in width. The stomach, efg, is 

 broadly elliptical, 9 twelfths long, 7^ twelfths 

 wide, its lateral muscles well developed ; the ' 

 epithelium thin, but dense, and of a reddish-brown colom*. The con- 

 tents of the stomach are remains of coleopterous insects and seeds. 

 The duodenum, gh i, curves in the usual manner at the distance of 1^ inch ; 

 the entire length of the intestine is 10 inches, its width from 2 twelfths 

 to li twelfth ; the coeca 2 twelfths long, ^ twelfth wide, 1 inch distant 

 from the extremity ; the rectum gradually dilates into an oblong cloaca, 

 5 twelfths in width. 



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