THE PIGEON. 113 



colored, irregular kidneys. Tear them away, observ- 

 ing how they are composed of several lobes, which fit 

 into the hollows of the pelvis. After removing the 

 kidneys, observe the white nerves extending outward 

 from the sides of the spinal column to pass to the 

 thighs. 



20. In front of the kidneys are the reproductive organs; 

 the two white oval testes, in the male ; in the female, 

 the ovary, often showing many eggs in different 

 stages of development. The kidneys and reproduc- 

 tive organs send tubes to the cloaca ; the tube which 

 conveys the eggs from the ■ ovary to the cloaca is the 

 oviduct. 



21. Remove the heart, cut off the auricles, and look down 

 into the ventricles ; cut across the middle of the ven- 

 tricles, and make a drawing of this cross-section. 



22. Cut down into the muscle of the breast, close along- 

 side the ridge (keel) of the breastbone, and around 

 the outer border of the breastbone ; thus loosen and 

 raise a great flap of muscle, the pectoralis major. 

 Note the nerve and blood-vessels entering its inner 

 surface ; separate it from a smaller muscle lying under 

 it, which will be known by the glistening appearance 

 of the muscle-sheath; sever the attachment of the 

 pectoralis major to the breastbone, and all other 

 organs except at the extreme front end; here the 

 muscle narrows into a tough, white cord, or tendon ; 

 trace this tendon to its attachment to the bone of the 

 arm ; now lay the pigeon on its back in one hand, and 

 pull this muscle backward, noting the effect on the 

 wing. In like manner loosen all the posterior attach- 

 ments of the muscle which was covered by the pec- 



