HABITS OF BIEDS. 
BIRDS EJECTING THE INNER LINING OF THEIR STOMACHS 
— HORNBILLS — DARTER, ETC. 
There is probably no organ in the living animal that 
performs so important an office as the stomach. It may 
therefore appear incredible that, until I called the atten- 
tion of the Zoological Society to the fact that certain 
birds had the power of ejecting, not only the contents of 
their stomachs, but the inner linings of their stomachs at 
the same time, no one investigated the subject. When 
these facts were first brought to notice they were looked 
upon as impossibilities by some of the most able anato- 
mists, but the proofs of the statements were of such a 
character that they were admitted by all who were 
acquainted with the subject, and I take this opportunity 
of calling attention to the following paper of mine read 
before the Zoological Society : — 
“ A few weeks after the wrinkled hornhill (Buceros corriujatus) 
was received in the Society’s Gardens, the keeper called my 
attention to a queer-looking fig-like substance lie had picked 
up in the aviary. Struck with its appearance, I took it home 
and endeavoured to examine it carefully, and opened its closely- 
folded mouth. I found this fig-like bag contained plums or 
grapes well packed together, the wrapper or envelope looking 
much like the inner lining of a gizzard, somewhat tough, 
elastic, and gelatinous. Almost alarmed for the safety of the 
bird that had thrown it up, and at the same time having some 
doubt as to its real nature, I at once sought the assistance of 
our prosector. Dr. Murie, handing him the specimen and telling 
him its liistory. 
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