RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 
Ill 
recurved, tooth-like lamellae on each side ; the lower with about sixty. The 
aperture of the mouth is dilatable to ll inches, but in its ordinary state 
measures only 9 twelfths across. The tongue is narrow, tapering, 1 inch 
8 twelfths long, with numerous papillae at the base, and lateral series of re- 
curved bristles. The aperture of the ear, as in all the diving piscivorous 
birds, is extremely small, being only i twelfth in 
diameter, and in this respect resembling that of 
the Seals among the Mammalia. This kind of 
ear forms the extreme contrast to that of the 
nocturnal rapacious land birds. In the Ducks and 
Geese it is also small, but much superior in ■ size = 
to that*of the Mergansers. The oesophagus, a b 
c d, is 12 inches long, its diameter at the upper 
part inches, farther down 1 inch and 7 twelfths, 
within the thorax 1 inch 4 twelfths, at the proven- 
triculus li inches. It is thus extremely wide, 
like that of other diving piscivorous birds. The 
stomach, d e, is roundish, of moderate size, 1 
inch 8 twelfths in length, 1 inch 11 twelfths in 
breadth. Its lateral muscles are of moderate 
thickness, its epithelium tough, with two grind- 
ing surfaces of a roundish form, and thus resem- 
bling that of Ducks. The contents of ihe- sto- 
mach are remains of fishes and a great quantity 
Fig. 2. 
Fig. 1. 
