LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 
143 
thin, its inner or mucous coat thrown into longitudinal plates ; its diameter 
at the middle of the neck 5 eighths, diminishing to 4 twelfths as it enters 
the thorax. It then enlarges and forms the proventriculus, e e, which has a 
diameter of 8 twelfths ; the glandules are cylindrical, very numerous, and 
arranged in a complete belt, half an inch in breadth, in the usual manner, as 
seen in Fig. 2, b c. The stomach, properly so called, Fig. 1, d g, is oblong, 
11 twelfths in length, 8 twelfths in breadth ; its muscular coat moderately 
thick, and disposed into two lateral muscles with large tendons ; its epithe- 
lium, Fig. 2, c d e, thick, hard, with numerous longitudinal and transverse 
rugae, and of a dark reddish-colour. The duodenum, fg h, curves in the 
usual manner at the distance of 14 inches, ascends towards the upper surface 
of the right lobe of the liver for 1 inch and 10 twelfths, then forms 4 loops, 
and from above the proventriculus passes directly backwards. The length 
of the intestine, f g h i, is 16^ inches, its diameter 2i twelfths, and nearly 
uniform as far as the rectum, which is li inches long, at first 3 twelfths in 
diameter, enlarged into an ovate cloaca of great size, Fig. 8, b; the cceca 
a a, 4i twelfths long, cylindrical, \ twelfth in diameter, obtuse. 
The trachea, Fig. 1, k l, is very wide, flattened, its rings unossified, its 
length 2 t 9 2 inches, its breadth 3 twelfths, nearly uniform", but at the lower 
part contracted to 2 twelfths. There are 75 rings, with 5 inferior blended 
rings, which are divided before and behind. The bronchi, Fig. 1, m m, are 
wide and rather elongated, with about 25 half rings. The contractor 
muscles are extremely thin, the stern o-tracheal slender ; there is a pair of 
inferior laryngeal attached to the first bronchial rings. 
The above account of the digestive organs of this bird will be seen to be 
very different from that given by Sir Everard Home, who has, in all 
probability, mistaken the species. “ There is still,” says he, “ one more 
.variety in the structure of the digestive organs of birds, that live principally 
upon animal food, which has come under my observation ; and with an 
account of which I shall conclude the present lecture. This bird is the Alca 
Alle of Linnaeus, the Little Auk. The termination of the oesophagus is 
only known by the ending of the cuticular lining, and the beginning of the 
gastric glands ; for the cardiaG cavity is one continued tube, extending 
considerably lower down in the cavity of the abdomen, and gradually 
enlarging at the lower part : it then turns up to the right side, about half- 
way to the origin of the cavity, and is there connected to a small gizzard, 
the digastric muscle of which is strong, and a small portion of the internal 
surface on each side has a hard cuticular covering. The gastric glands at the 
upper part are placed in four distinct longitudinal rows, becoming more and 
more numerous towards the lower part of the cavity, and extend to the 
bottom, where it turns up. The extent of the cavity in which the gastric 
