WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



" Dr. Murie's report was as follows : — 



" ' On examination of the specimen, I found, as was at first 

 suggested in joke, that the bag did absolutely consist of nothing 

 else than the thickened semichondrified lining membrane of the 

 gizzard. All the puckerings and indentations were more or 

 less exactly represented, though less sharp in outline than is 

 ordinarily the case. The mucous surface of the inner wall of 

 the bag was slimy, otherwise perfectly identical with the same 

 structure in a healthy bird. The surface outside, on that which 

 might be said to be the sub-mucous tissue, was moist, com- 

 paratively uninjured, and free from any effusion or disease. 

 The rim of the mouth of the bag was irregular and shreddy, 

 and thinned away at its free edge. 



" ' The soft egg-like bodies contained within this (so to speak) 

 cast-up sac proved to be seven or eight discoloured grapes ; oi' 

 they might be, so far as appearance went, raisins. None of 

 these had undergone the process of digestion, but from their 

 sodden aspect, I believe had been slightly acted on by the 

 gastric juice. 



"'Positive of the nature of this queer rejected pellet, there 

 follows the still more extraordinary circumstance that the 

 hornbill should live and feed afterwards, seemingly not much 

 affected by tlie loss of the inner coat of its stomach. Had I not 

 myself seen and examined the objects, I would scarcely have 

 credited the facts.' 



"Having placed the specimen in what I believed to be safe 

 custody, I kept a strict watch over my suspected hornbill, and 

 a day or two afterwards was rewarded by a second and very 

 perfect specimen of this extraordinary package of fruit. This 

 I at once, after carefully examining the outside only, placed 

 in spirits, and am now able to bring before the meeting. Since 

 I obtained tliese two specimens I have seen others, all from tHe 

 game individual bird ; but, as the lyre-bird and others were in 

 the same aviary, these were mutilated and destroyed before I 

 could save them. 



"Now, notwithstanding all that has been advanced by my 

 friend Dr. Murie, I beg leave to differ from him entirely : and 

 instead of this most wonderful body being the result of indi- 

 gestion, disease, or derangement of any kind, I have no doubt 

 it is the natural secretion that is provided for this bird during 

 the breeding-season, and that it is the means by which the male 

 hornbill supplies the female bird with food during the time she 



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