The walls of the proventriculus are extremely thick, the glands cylindrical, 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 œsophagus 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 cœca becomes enlarged. The cœca 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 bifurcation 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 satisfactorily 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 2/12, 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 1/2 inches long, arched, with loose barbs, downy at their extremities.
THE LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN.
Mormon glacialis, Leach.
PLATE CCXCIII. Male.
Although my learned friend Prince Charles Bonaparte says in his Synopsis of the Birds of the United States, that this species is not uncommon in winter on our coast, I have only once met with it, and even then I rather supposed than was actually certain that the birds observed were Large-billed Puffins. They occurred on the outer side of the Island of Grand Manan, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. None were seen by myself or my companions on our way to Labrador, or in that country, so that I am unable to say any thing respecting the habits of this remarkable bird. The specimens from which my figures were taken were kindly lent to me by Mr Gould of London, whose name must be familiar to you as a successful cultivator of Ornithology.
Mormon glacialis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 430.
Large-billed Puffin, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 541.
Adult Male. Plate CCXCIII. Fig. 1.