S80 OBSERVATIONS ON THE GANNETT 



" Transactions of the Royal Society," proves, that 

 the air-cells, in the parts already mentioned, have 

 a free communication with the lungs by means of 

 openings on their surface, through which the air 

 passes readily into them ; and it clearly appears,, 

 there is no diaphragm that confines the air to the 

 regions or cavity of the breast, but that the whole 

 of the abdomen is equally inflated by inspiration 

 through the lungs. 



Thus far has the scientific researches of that ana- 

 tomist contributed to our knowledge on this sub- 

 ject ; but we may presume, much remains to be done. 

 No one appears to have noticed the phenomena at- 

 tendant on the construction of the gannet, or 

 to what further extent this circulation of aerial 

 fluid is carried in some particular species of birds ; 

 a circumstance which demands our highest ad- 

 miration, when we contemplate the advantages 

 which such a structure may be of, in conducing 

 to the comforts, and perhaps to the very existence 

 of such animals. 



Several gannets having, been subjected to arti- 

 ficial inflation, I shall state the result, and re- 

 late the manner in which the experiments were 

 pursued. A pipe was first introduced into the 

 trachea, and when air was propelled through it, 

 the whole internal cavity of the body was inflated, 

 but no air passed into the external cells between 

 the skin and the body. An incision was then 

 made in the lower part of the abdomen into 

 the body, very near the vent ; air was forced 



