AMERICAN FLAMINGO. 
177 
of the neck however it enlarges into a crop, c d e, 3^ inches long and 2£ 
inches in its greatest width. On entering the thorax, the oesophagus has a 
diameter of 9 twelfths ; the proventriculus, Fig. 2 , ab c, enlarges to an ovate 
sac, lx inches in its greatest breadth. The stomach, d e f is a very muscu- 
lar gizzard, of an elliptical form, placed obliquely, and exactly resembling 
that of a Duck or Goose ; its length 1 inch 7 twelfths, its breadth 2 inches 8 
twelfths. Its lateral muscles are extremely developed, the left being 1 inch 
1 twelfth thick, the other 1 inch ; the epithelium thick, tough, brownish-red, 
marked with longitudinal coarse grooves, but not flattened on the two sur- 
faces, opposite the muscles, as is the case in Ducks and Geese. The pro- 
ventricular glands are very large, and occupy a belt If inches in breadth. 
The contents of the stomach are numerous very small univalve shells of a 
great variety of species and fragments of larger shells, which, however, have 
probably been used in place of gravel ; for the structure of the oesophagus 
and stomach would indicate that the bird is graminivorous. The intestine, 
f k, which is very long, and of considerable width, its diameter being greater 
than that of the upper part of the oesophagus, is very regularly and beauti- 
fully convoluted, presenting, when the bird is opened in front, 10 parallel 
convolutions, f g h ij Jc, inclining from right to left at an angle of about 30°. 
The duodenum, fg h, passes round the edge of the stomach, curves upwards 
as far as the fore part of the proventriculus, is then doubled on itself, 
reaches the right lobe of the liver, which has a large elliptical gall-bladder, 
and forms 32 half curves in all, ending above the stomach in the rectum. 
The intestine is 11 feet 4 inches long, its average diameter twelfths. 
The rectum, Fig. 3, a b, is 5£ inches long, its diameter £ inch. The cceca, 
c d, are 4 inches long ; for £ inch at the base their diameter is 1 twelfth, 
immediately after 4 twelfths ; they then taper to the extremity, which is 
obtuse. The cloaca is very large and globular. 
$ 
24 
Vol. VI. 
