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- 



