îi;
i
No. o f cervical vertebræ, wanting,
dorsal d itto, wanting.
sacral d i t t o ..............................
caudal d itto , wanting.
Length of p e lv is ........................................................... 14
Breadth posteriorly .................................................................... 8i
a n te r io r ly ......................................................................... 4
Length o f s tem u n i....................................................................... 9^
Breadth of d i t t o ........................................................................... 7
in th e narrowest p a r t ................................................ 5^
Depth o f k e e l ................................................................................ 2^
L ength of coracoids .................................................................. 7J
Breadth of scapula in the w idest p a r t .................................. 1
Remarks :—Both this and the foregoing bird are most curious ; it is difficult to say in what
order they ought to be placed, the external form being equally ambiguous with the internal
structure.
The digestive organs nearly agree with that of many insessorial birds ; the pelvis also approaches
nearly in form to that of the thrush; the sternum, however, differs altogether from any form found
in that order, and is precisely that of a Picus. The coracoids are lengthened ; the os furcatum is
furnished with only a slight process where it approaches the sternum, in which particulars, also in
the form of the ribs, it agrees with the Picidoe.
Having found the internal structure so curious, and so contrary to what I expected, I was led
to examine the external more minutely than I had before done. The same form of claw is found
in several species among the cuckoos, in the genus for instance; the two outer toes
are zygodactyle, being united together as far as the first joint; the bill, at first sight, might be
taken for that of a gallinaceous bird ; but in searching among the order Scansores, for some resemblance,
I find the same structure in several of the cuckoo family, with the exception of the nostrils
being nearer to the apex of the bill in Pterotochos. The Australian genus Menura is, probably,
allied to this, but differs in the structure of the nostrils.*
SYNALLAXIS MALUROIDES. D'Orh. (Female.)
Tongue pointed, furnished at the base with two strong spines, the sides of which are armed with
smaller ones ; trachea, cesophagus, and proventriculus as in Furnarius and Uppucerthia ; gizzard
rounded, not very muscular, lined with a slightly hardened smooth coat, and filled with the
remains of insects ; intestinal canal of moderate size and length, furnished with two rudimentary
cæca.
inches inches
Length o f oe sophagus an d pro Length o f in te stin al canal from gizzard to cloaca .
from gizzard ....................................................................... | coeca to c lo a c a ...........................................
Breadth of d itto ........................................................................... ^
The parts of the skeleton of this bird which I was able to preserve, were more closely allied
to the corresponding ones of Troglodytes than to those of any other genus in my possession, but
differ in the following particulars: the lateral processes of the sternum bounding the posterior
fissures are not so much expanded, consequently the fissures themselves are smaller; the keel is
rather deeper; the portion to which the ribs are attached does not project so far forwards, but the
• Since th e above was in ty p e , I have h a d , th ro u g h th e kindness of Mr. Gould, an opportunity o f examining M en u ra ly ra ,
and find my former supposition to be c o rre c t; b u t ne ith er o f these genera can be placed among th e gallinaceous b irds where the
la tte r b ird has been arranged by some authors.
BIRDS. 1 53
process between the coracoids is rather louger; the interocular portion of the cranium is also rather
broader than in the above-mentioned genus; the pelvis, coracoids, and scapula agree both in
shape and size with Troglodytes.
lines
Lenth o f sternum ....................................................................... 6}
B readth a n te r io r ly ....................................................................... 4
posteriorly .................................................................. 4^
Greatest w id th o f f is su re s ......................................................... ^
Dep th of d itto ........................................................................... 2^
Length of occiput to p o in t of b ill ........................................... 14J
Breadth o f c ranium ..................................................................
Length o f p e lv is .......................................................... 9
B re ad th o f d itto p o s te rio rly ....................................................... 5
anteriorly ....................................................... I j
No. of cervical vertebræ ................................................ 12
PHYTOTOMA RARA. Molina.
This bird being injured about the sexual organs, I could not ascertain the sex. Tongue pointed,
armed at the base on each side with a flattened tricuspid spine ; trachea small, of uniform
diameter throughout its whole length, acted upon by one pair of sterno-tracheal muscles ;
oesophagus funnel-shaped at the upper extremity, when distended capable of containing a
common pencil, at its junction with the proventriculus much smaller; proventriculus scarcely
perceptible; gizzard small, consisting of little more than a thick skin, inner coat hardened;
the entrance of the cesophagus, and the exit of the intestine placed very near together at the
upper extremity of it; intestinal canal very short, and of large diameter, entirely devoid of
cæca; the whole length with the gizzard and oesophagus distended with a stringy substance,
resembling coarse spun cotton cut into short lengths.
iDche<
I, including proventriculus Length o f gizzard ,
Bre ad th of d itto i
Sternum of nearly equal breadth, both posteriorly and anteriorly, much narrowed near the middle ;
posterior margin nearly straight, indented with two large fissures, narrowed at their exit
between the junctions of the coracoids furnished with a bifid process ; the portion of the
sternum to which the ribs are attached, continued anteriorly beyond the junction of the
coracoids; keel of moderate size; coracoids long, not very strong; os furcatum long,
slightly arched, furnished with a flattened process, turned inwards at the point it approaches
the sternum.
Pelvis broad, and short, narrowest anteriorly, the os pubis and ischium continued far backwards,
beyond the junction of the caudal vertebræ; ribs strong, and flattened; posterior process
large ; scapula long, broadest near the extremity ; legs of moderate strength, the internal
processes of the tibia large, and flattened ; bones of the cranium strong.
Length of Bternum..
Breadth anteriorly ..
posteriorly
W id th of fissures ..
...................
...................
.............................. Oi
............................... H
Deptli of d itto ........................................................................... 4
k e e l................................................................................ 4J
Length of p e lv i s .. .................................................................... 13J
Wid th anteriorly ....................................................................... 5
posteriorly ....................................................................... n
Length from occiput to p oint of bill .................................. 10
B re ad th o f h e a d ........................................................................... g
Length of coracoids .................................................................. 9
No. o f cervical v e rtebræ ......................................................... n
dorsal d i t t o ....................................................................... 7
sa cral d i t t o ....................................................................... 10
caudal d i t t o ....................................................................... 7
T o ta l.. . 35
No. o f tru e ribs .
false ribs .