-548 8C0 L 0PAGE0US COl.'HLAX.
including tho..el„aeM »,, whic.h-is.globular, U inch in diameter: the:
cceca,.» n, of moderate size, I f inch long; for rfearly half their length'
2 twelfths in diameter, in the r.-stbSf tHoir extent from 4 to ti twelfths,
©ttuseji their distance. from tin: cloaca 10 twelfths.
The trachea, o ^ ^ L O inches long, narrow,iof nearly uniform diameter,
heintr narrowest in the upper third of its length, unless for throefourthsjfffan
inch at the commencement. I t 8 , rm^ l 8 6 m number, ajei
ossified, and a little flattened The. contractor muscles 'are slender,
a s t h ( ! BternO'tracheal; .and there i? a gttglfepair of interior laryngeal.
The bronchi,^ q; are wide, tapering,,of aBbut.15 narrow cartilaginous
half rings. The heart is of moderate s^e, inch long, 1
inch in breadth. ,The lfeser is small, i t s - w h i c h tee equal, hekig
X inch in length.;-:. ,.
The other individual, aidpFe, has the oesophagus 12 inched long;
the distance from thiyprojaatnculus,to the s t f lmaol^i^ inch, the
stomach 1,% i n c h i n g , and the^saineJA breadth, the cteca, 2 inches,
long, the greatest diameter -5 twelfths; the intestine 32J inches, in
length, their greatest diameter twelfth».
J&w, i n all this there is nothing indicative of,any affinity to the
Herons; the structure of the inhKtinal canal being essentially like
that of the-Coots, G#linules, and Bails. Even the external parts '
ficiently indicate i&'fetation, the bill; the plumage, and the&lour ing
being more like those of the Rallimr than of anyisther family.
The I'rincft-of Mr«i<;>iAso, who first described this bin! as a Hail,
, tt'dlusgimnUm, afUmaxih adopted for it Vikli.ot's genus vl r « » « « , and
considered at ,asi belonging to the Ardeidce, forming a i e^i e c t ing link
with them and the KulWlu., and " aberrating,somewhat. towards thfe
Scohpcmdce, as well as, tending a little towards the EssopUdce, sub-fa-'
mily- Crwmi," and claiming again a well-founded resemblancei'to the -
most typical form of the germ* llallw? Finally, he reverts to his original
idea, -and plnco? it at the hcad'of the Italtidm. Mr Swaixsox refers
it to the TuntaRd's.y associating it with Anasfomus, Tantalum, and
Ibis, to which ft certainly has very little aflinity. in any point ,,f view.
The efficiency of thc.digeM.ivc organs as a means of determining affinities
in cases of doubt, .¡¿¡happily illustrated' in this instance : and any
perjo» who will make himself acquainted witii them will'.easilv discover
numerous false; associations in all- sy#ems founded on the external
aspect alone..