44 
MEMOIll OF CAMiMOK. 
“ When,” says he, “ I examine the internal struc- 
ture of animaVtj I am forced to admire an observa- 
tion of the great Galileo — that we are ever meet- 
ing with new wonders ! Thus was I ravished, and, 
as I tliiidf, not without reason, at the beautiful dis- 
covery in birds I made in February 1771, and com- 
municated immediately to my friends. The hones 
of the wing, the clavicles, the bones of the chest, 
the ribs, the vertebra! of the back, and in many also 
those of the skull, and of the legs, are quite hollow, 
without marrow, and receive into their cavities, along 
with the respiration, common air, which renders the 
birds lighter, and more capable of raising themselves 
in the air. This is a discovery which is entirely 
new, and which I made whilst busied about the me- 
chanism of their respiration. I was aware, accord- 
ing to the statement of Galileo and Borelli, that the 
bones of birds are thin and hollow, so aiding them 
in their flight : the general function of respiration 
was also so well known, as to require no explana- 
tion ; but the respiration in the bones of the trunk, 
wings, and legs, merits a more partietdar detail. 
“ I call it a discovery, because I <Io not know an 
author who gives the least hint of it. Count Mar- 
sigli knew tliat the bones in the pelican were hollow 
ami very light ; but be never dreamt of their con- 
taining air, nor of the manner in which it obtained 
entrance into them. Button was well acquainted 
with all that was known on this point previous to 
his time, and he made good use of that knowledge 
