30 
AMERICAN AYOSET. 
when the neck is bent becomes posterior at the middle, as in the Herons and 
other long-necked birds ; its diameter 5 twelfths at the upper part, dilated to 
8 twelfths previous to its entrance into the thorax. The proventriculus is 1 
inch long and 7 twelfths in diameter ; its glandules cylindrical, 1 twelfth 
long. The stomach is a gizzard of moderate strength, oblong, 1J inches in 
length, 10 twelfths in breadth, its right lateral muscle 4 twelfths thick. Its 
contents were remains of small shells. Its inner membrane of moderate 
thickness, hard, longitudinally rugous, and deeply tinged with red. The 
intestine is 3 feet long, and 4 twelfths in diameter ; the rectum 2 inches long, 
of the cceca one is 2f inches long, the other 2J-, their diameter 2 twelfths. 
In another individual the intestine is 3 feet 9 inches long ; one of the 
coeca 2f inches, the other 8 ; the stomach 1J by l x ' ? . Its contents small 
shell-fish and fragments of quartz. 
The trachea is 6J inches long ; its rings extremely thin and unossified, 
140 in number, its diameter 3^ twelfths, nearly uniform throughout, but 
rather narrower in the middle. The lateral muscles are very thin. The 
bronchi are short, of about 10 rings. 
Genus IX.— HIM ANT OPUS, Briss. STILT. 
Bill about twice as long as the head, very slender, roundish, tapering, 
slightly recurved ; upper mandible with its outline slightly curved upwards, 
the ridge rather flattened, the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip nar- 
row and rather acute ; nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill ; lower 
mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the sides grooved as far as 
the angle. Nostrils linear, direct, sub-basal. Head small, ovate, rounded 
above ; neck very long and slender ; body rather compact. Legs extremely 
elongated, slender ; tibia bare for more than half its length, covered ante- 
riorly with large curved scutella ; tarsus very long, moderately compressed, 
scutellate before, reticulate on the sides ; toes of moderate length, slender ; 
first toe wanting ; outer a little longer than inner, anterior toes webbed at 
the base. Claws small, nearly straight, moderately compressed. Plumage 
ordinary. Wings very long, of moderate breadth, acute, the first quill 
longest. Tail short, even, of twelve feathers. 
