328 



THE PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK. 



having a black spot beyond the middle. Iris brown. Feet greyish-black. 

 Upper part of the head and the throat black; neck and sides of the head 

 light greyish-brown, the stiff edges of the feathers on the lower part and 

 sides of the neck greyish-yellow; back brownish-black, as are the inner 

 secondaries; the outer light brown, with a reddish-white spot on the end of 

 the inner web; primaries light brown, dusky at the end. The breast is 

 silvery-white, the abdomen brownish-grey, and the sides mottled with the 

 same. 



Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of wings 12, to end of claws 18; 

 extent of wings 23; wing from flexure 4-}§; bill along the ridge |f ; along 

 the edge of lower mandible 1 T %; tarsus l-^; middle toe 2, its claw T \. 

 Weight 15 oz. 



Adult Female. 



The female wants the black band on the bill; but is in other respects 

 nearly similar to the male. Weight 13 oz. 



Male. Mouth 7 twelfths wide; the palate flat, with two longitudinal 

 ridges on each side; the anterior part with three. The tongue is 10 twelfths 

 long, slender, slightly concave above, 

 trigonal, tapering to a thin horny 

 point. (Esophagus S inches long, ^ 

 inch in width along the neck. The 

 proventriculus, b c, forms a very 

 large sac, as in the other species, 10 

 twelfths in width; but the stomach, 

 c d e f, although still very large, is 

 more muscular in structure, and ap- 

 proaches in character to a true giz- 

 zard. It is of an irregularly elliptical 

 form, If inches long, \% inches broad; 

 there are distinct lateral muscles 5 

 twelfths thick, a very prominent in- 

 ferior muscle, e, and large oblong 

 tendons. The epithelium is very 

 thick, dense, tough, with remarkably 

 strong longitudinal rugae, transversely 

 fissured, and also lining the large 

 pyloric cavity,/, which is S twelfths 

 in extent. The pro ventricular glands are exceedingly large, those in the 

 middle being 3 twelfths long, and i twelfth broad; they form a belt H 

 inches in breadth. The intestine forms 8 folds, and measures 31 inches in 

 length; its width at the upper part is 3i twelfths, at the lower 3 twelfths. 



