SYNALLAXIS MALUROIDES. D’Orb. (Female.)
Tongue pointed, furnished at the base with two strong spines, the sides of which are armed with smaller ones; trachea, œsophagus, 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 | |
|---|---|
| Length of œsophagus and proventriculus | 1⅛ |
| gizzard | ⅜ |
| Breadth of ditto | ⁵⁄₁₆ |
| Length of intestinal canal from gizzard to cloaca | 4¾ |
| from cæca to cloaca | ¾ |
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 process between the coracoids is rather longer; 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 | |
|---|---|
| Length of sternum | 6¼ |
| Breadth anteriorly | 4 |
| posteriorly | 4½ |
| Greatest width of fissures | ¾ |
| Depth of ditto | 2½ |
| Length of occiput to point of bill | 14¾ |
| Breadth of cranium | 5¾ |
| Length of pelvis | 9 |
| Breadth of ditto posteriorly | 5 |
| anteriorly | 1¾ |
| 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; œsophagus 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 œsophagus, 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 œsophagus distended with a stringy substance, resembling coarse spun cotton cut into short lengths.
| Inches | |
|---|---|
| Length of œsophagus, including proventriculus | 3 |
| of intestinal canal | 7½ |
| Length of gizzard | ⅝ |
| Breadth of ditto | ½ |
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.