260 LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 



thin, its inner or mucous coat thrown into longitudinal plates; its diameter 

 at the middle of the neck 5 eighths, diminishing to 4 twelfths as it enters 

 the thorax. It then enlarges and forms the proventriculus, c e, which has a 

 diameter of 8 twelfths; the glandules are cylindrical, very numerous, and 

 arranged in a complete belt, half an inch in breadth, in the usual manner, as 

 seen in Fig. 2, b c. The stomach, properly so called, Fig. 1, d g, is oblong, 

 11 twelfths in length, 8 twelfths in breadth; its muscular coat moderately 

 thick, and disposed into two lateral muscles with large tendons; its epithe- 

 lium, Fig. 2, c d e, thick, hard, with numerous longitudinal and transverse 

 rugae, and of a dark reddish colour. The duodenum, f g h, curves in the 

 usual manner at the distance of H inches, ascends toward the upper surface 

 of the right lobe of the liver for 1 inch and 10 twelfths, then forms 4 loops, 

 and from above the proventriculus passes directly backward. The length 

 of the intestine,/"^ h i, is 16^ inches, its diameter 2% twelfths, and nearly 

 uniform as far as the rectum, which is 1-? inches long, at first 3 twelfths in 

 diameter, enlarged into an ovate cloaca of great size, Fig. 3, b; the cceca a, a, 

 4ijr twelfths long, cylindrical, \ twelfth in diameter, obtuse. 



The trachea, Fig. 1, k, I, is very wide, flattened, its rings unossified, its 

 length 2 T 9 2 inches, its breadth 3 twelfths, nearly uniform, but at the lower 

 part contracted to 2 twelfths. There are 75 rings, with 5 inferior blended 

 rings, which are divided before and behind. The bronchi, Fig. 1, m, m, are 

 wide and rather elongated, with about 25 half rings. The contractor 

 muscles are extremely thin, the sterno-tracheal slender; there is a pair of 

 inferior laryngeal attached to the first bronchial rings. 



The above account of the digestive organs of this bird will be seen to be 

 very different from that given by Sir Everard Home, who has, in all 

 probability, mistaken the species. "There is still," says he, "one more 

 variety in the structure of the digestive organs of birds, that live principally 

 upon animal food, which has come under my observation; and with an 

 account of which I shall conclude the present lecture. This bird is the Alca 

 Alle of Linnaeus, the Little Auk. The termination of the oesophagus is 

 only known by the ending of the cuticular lining, and the beginning of the 

 gastric glands; for the cardiac cavity is one continued tube, extending 

 considerably lower down in the cavity of the abdomen, and gradually 

 enlarging at the lower part: it then turns up to the right side, about half- 

 way to the origin of the cavity, and is there connected to a small gizzard, 

 the digastric muscle of which is strong, and a small portion of the internal 

 surface on each side has a hard cuticular covering. The gastric glands at the 

 upper part are placed in four distinct longitudinal rows, becoming more and 

 more numerous towards the lower part of the cavity, and extend to the 

 bottom, where it turns up. The extent of the cavity in which the gastric 



