66 
ZOOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 
of the. air in those cavities, as. the lessening of weight from that 
cause is almost inappreciable ; nor are these organs supplemen- 
tary lungs, as is proved by the paucity of the capillaries on their 
walls. The lungs of birds being comparatively small in size, 
and possessing little elasticity, the cells act, in the author^s 
opinion, the part of air-reservoirs, and by the alternate contrac- 
tion and expansion of their walls a current of air is kept playing 
continually over the pulmonary capillaries, so that the act of 
respiration is principally performed by these cells, while the 
lungs only take the passive function of arterialization. The 
common inspiratory muscles are regarded as free to act whether 
the pectorals are in action or not — a fact thought by Hunter 
to be impossible. This was explained by a model, and also 
treated of mathematically. Air is passed through the bones of 
birds to prevent the moisture secreted by the endosteum from 
collecting and causing increase. of weight. 
Gervais, P., et CoQUEREL, C. Memoire sur le Droute, a propos 
d^os de cet oiseau reccmment decouverts h Pile Maurice. 
(Soe special part, imclor DimniE.) 
Giebel, C. Zur Anatomic der Spechte. Zeitschr, gesammt. Na- 
tiirwiss. xxvii. pp.'477-485. 
The manuscript observations of Nitzsch on Ficus major, F. medius, P. minor, 
P. martius, and jP. widis. 
“7—^, .Die Wirbelzahlen am Vogelskelet. Op, cit. xxviii. 
pp. 20-29. 
This paper contains a list showing the number of vertebrai in 461 species, 
and noticing when this is inconstant, as occasionally is the case so far as 
observed. 
. Ueber einige Nebenknochen am Vogelskelet. Tom, 
cit. pp. 29-39. 
-r . Zur Anatomic des Lammergeiers. Tom. cit. pp. 149-158. 
From a manuscript of Nitzsch’s, descriptive of the wing-muscles. 
Gould, J, Exhibition of Specimens of the trachea oiMam- 
CQclia gouldi, which is of very remarkable form and struc- 
ture. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1866, p. 201, 
Jackel, A. J. DelierSclmabel-Missbildungcn. Zoolog. Garten, 
1866, pp. 335-339. 
The bearings which the form of the bill in Loxia has upon the question are 
considered. 
Koster,W. Pemarque sur la signification du jaiine de Poeuf des 
oiseaux compare avec Povule des mammiferes. Archives 
Neerlandaises, 1866, pp. 472-474. 
Meyer, E. Ein Haushuhnmit Hahnengefieder. Zoolog. Gar- 
ten, 1866, pp, 167-170. 
A woodcut of this not uncommon abnormalitj'' is given. 
