Ornithological biography, Vol. 4 (of 5) : $b An account of the habits of the birds of the United States of AmericaAudubon, John James
Science
Ornithological biography, Vol. 4 (of 5) : $b An account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America
Audubon, John James
Birds -- North America
Of another male, length to end of tail 19-1/2, to end of claws 21-1/2,
to end of wings 17; extent of wings 31.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLII. Fig. 2.
The female is much smaller. Bill dusky, a portion at the end, not
however including the unguis, dull yellowish-orange. Eyes and feet as
in the male. Head and upper part of neck dull reddish-brown. Lower part
of neck and the sides of the body brownish-grey, the feathers margined
with pale grey. Upper parts greyish-brown, much darker behind; tail
brownish-grey; wings brownish-black, seven of their coverts, excepting
at the bases, white, the smaller coverts lighter and tipped with
greyish-white; the legs and sides of the rump greyish-brown.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 15, to end of claws
17-1/4; extent of wings 28; wing from flexure 8-1/2; tail 3-1/4; bill
along the ridge 1-3/8, from the angles 1-3/4, along the lower mandible
1-(5-1/2)/8; tarsus 1-(3-1/2)/8; hind toe 5/8, its claw (1-1/2)/8;
middle toe 2-(2-1/2)/8, its claw 3/8; outer toe 1/8 longer; inner toe
and claw 2. Weight 1-3/4 lb.
An adult male examined. The tongue is 2 inches long, fleshy, papillate
at the base, with two series of lateral filaments, a deep median
groove, and a thin semicircular tip, as in many other ducks. The
œsophagus is 10 inches long, of moderate diameter, dilated towards
the lower part of the neck to 1/2 inch; its walls very thick; the
proventriculus with numerous oblong glandules. The stomach is a large
and powerful gizzard, of a roundish form, 2 inches long, and of equal
diameter, its lateral muscles very large, and upwards of half an inch
thick; its epithelium rugous. The intestine is 6 feet 1 inch long, its
diameter varying from 5 twelfths to 4 twelfths; the rectum 4 inches
long; the cœca 3-1/4 inches in length, their greatest diameter 2-1/2
twelfths. The contents of the stomach a soft mass of a reddish colour,
in which are distinguished small mussels and remains of fishes, with
some vegetable fibres.
The trachea is 9 inches long, for 4 inches narrow, its diameter
being about 4-1/2 twelfths, and its rings, which are 60 in number,
cartilaginous; it then forms an ovato-oblong expansion, which, when
drawn out, is 2-1/2 inches long, and 1 inch in breadth, and is formed
of ossified and flattened rings, narrower behind, placed obliquely,
and about 30 in number; it then contracts to a diameter of 5 twelfths,
and has 16 free rings, but below this the rings, 25 in number, become
united or blended, and gradually expand into a vast irregular cavity,
having a broad bony frame in front, membranous behind, and separating
to the distance of 1 inch, the bronchi, which are large, the right one
much larger and longer than the left, and composed of 20 rings, all of
which are almost complete and cartilaginous, excepting the two upper.
The rings of the left bronchus, also about 20, are more incomplete.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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