Page:The birds of America, volume 7.djvu/218

158 other respects, wanted that mark. This bird, although in many respects precisely similar to that which is usually named Larus canus in Europe, differs greatly in the size of the bill, which even in young birds is much deeper than in the oldest individuals of that species. . Female, from Dr. T. M. Brewer. Mouth 1 inch 1 twelfth in width; palate with two very prominent papillate ridges, the space between which is covered with reversed papilla;, its anterior part with five prominent lines, and moderately concave; the posterior aperture of the nares oblong-linear, 11 twelfths in length. Tongue 1 inch 5 twelfths long, emarginate and finely papillate at the base; its sides nearly parallel as far as the middle, its breadth being 3 twelfths, then tapering to a narrow emarginate point, and trigonal. (Esophagus 7 inches long, extremely wide, its breadth being inches; that of the proventriculus 1 inch 9 twelfths. The stomach is rather small, ellip- tical, 1 inch 5 twelfths long, 1 inch 2 twelfths broad; its lateral muscles dis- tinct and of moderate size, the lower prominent, the tendons large, the epithelium dense, with veiy prominent large ruga?; the inner coat of the oesophagus is longitudinally plicate; the proventricular belt 1 inch in breadth, with six broad plates. Intestine 30 inches long, its width at the upper part 5 twelfths, diminishing to 2 twelfths, cceca 3 twelfths long, 1 twelfth broad, 3 inches distant from the extremity, rectum 5 twelfths broad, with a globular cloaca 9 twelfths in diameter. The duodenum curves at the distance of 2 inches, advances toward the liver in the usual manner, and is afterwards very regularly coiled in an elliptical form, with 10 bends. Trachea 5 inches long, from 3 twelfths to 2 twelfths in breadth, not flattened, its rings slightly osseous, 130. Bronchi wide, of 20 half rings. The lateral and sterno-tra- cheal muscles are slender, and a slip on each side extends to the last half-ring of the trachea.