OBSERVATIONS ON THE GANNET. 



leaving all other parts free for inspired air. 

 The liver and intestines are firmly attached to the 

 surrounding integument ; the heart is enveloped 

 by a similar covering, which is only partially con- 

 nected to the common one. 



In the trachea nothing very remarkable occurs, 

 Except two small glands about the size of a pea, 

 at the lower extremity # . The tongue is so ex~ 



* It may not be improper to remark, that much im- 

 portant matter in the science of ornithology, may yet be 

 expected, from a strict attention to the trachea of diffe- 

 rent birds. Dr Latham has paved the way to this discri- 

 mination of species, by his excellent paper on the subject, 

 given in vol. iv. of the transactions of the Linnean So- 

 ciety ; but as much remains to be done, much may be 

 expected, through the medium of the Wernerian Socie- 

 ty ? towards discriminating some of the northern birds, 

 which as yet are much in obscurity. In the Berlin 

 Trans, vols. iii. and iv., figures are given of the trachea 

 of Mergus Merganser, and Mergus Castor, that are so 

 essentially different, as to leave no doubt that the birds 

 from which they were extracted, are actually distinct ; 

 for in these, not only a difference is observable in the 

 labyrinth, but the trachea of the former has two en* 

 large meuts, whereas the latter has only one. 



How this is to be reconciled with the account related 

 by Mr Simmonds, in vol. viii. of the Linnean Transac- 

 tions, is left to the developement of the naturalists of 

 North Britain, where these birds are frequently ob- 

 tained. 



( 



