194 
THE CRESTED GREBE. 
along the hack 21, along the edge of lower mandible 2-f ; tarsus 21 ; third 
toe 2h, its claw 1. Weight 1 lb. 6i oz. 
The following account of the digestive organs of this species was £aken 
from an adult male. 
The oesophagus is nine and a half inches long; at its commencement, and 
for an inch and a half, it has a diameter of half an inch, for the next two 
inches only two twelfths, towards the lower extremity four twelfths ; this, 
however, in the contracted state, the specimen having been kept in spirits. 
The mucous coat is raised into numerous longitudinal folds. 
The walls of the proventriculus are extremely thick, the glands cylin- 
drical, generally about a quarter of an inch long, and one-twelfth in diameter. 
The stomach is roundish, compressed, the muscular coat very thick, being 
that of a true gizzard, the tendons nearly half an inch in diameter ; the 
inner coat thick, the cuticular lining very thick and* rugous. 
Between the orifice of the oesophagus and the pylorus is a rounded lobe, 
from the lower part of which the intestine comes off. The pylorus has no 
valve, but a thick marginal rim. The intestine, immediately after its 
commencement, dilates to the diameter of half an inch, and continues of that 
size for twelve inches, then gradually contracts for about six inches, when 
its diameter is four-twelfths, and again within six inches of the coeca becomes 
enlarged. The coeca come off at the distance of two inches from the anus, 
and are an inch and a half in length, a little enlarged towards their extremity, 
and rounded. The rectum is half an inch in diameter, the cloaca one inch. 
The entire length of the intestine is forty -two inches. 
The heart is conical, rather pointed, and slightly curved. The trachea is 
flattened, of uniform diameter, the rings complete, 167 in number, its 
transverse diameter two inches and half a twelfth, contracted at the bifur- 
cation to two-twelfths. 
The tail of the Grebes is usually described as a small tuft of feathers ; but 
on carefully removing the coverts and downy parts, the tail may be satis- 
factorily traced. In this species there are 14 feathers, on each side 7 
arranged in a semicircular manner. The two middle feathers are separated 
to the distance of about ^ , and the two outer or lateral approach each other 
below, leaving an interval of about the same space. When the feathers are 
broken across near their bases, which they frequently are, there is thus 
produced the appearance of a small circular tuft. When perfect, they are 
about 1£ inches long, arched, with loose barbs, downy at their extremities. 
