Others have reported the occasional presence of more than one coracoid
artery on each side in some columbids, these arteries being described as
arising from various sites and being variously named. Bhaduri and Biswas
(1954) described the arterial situation in seven species of the family
Columbidae (_Columba livia_, _Streptopelia tranquebarica_, _S.
chinensis_, _S. senegalensis_, _Chalcophaps indica_, _Treron bicincta_,
and _T. phoenicoptera_) and stated (_op. cit._: 348) that "The
sternoclavicular [= coracoid] artery is similar in all the species, but
the domestic pigeon seems to be unique in that it has, in addition, a
small vessel, the accessory sternoclavicular." This artery was described
later, in the domestic pigeon, as follows (Bhaduri, Biswas, and Das,
1957:5): "A minute and insignificant vessel which has been termed the
_accessory sternoclavicular_ artery... is given off close to the origin
of the sternoclavicular. It passes anteroventrally to supply the
adjacent muscles." Glenny (1955:577) described the arterial pattern
characteristic of members of the family Columbidae (more than 30 species
studied by him) and stated that "three pairs of coracoid arteries are
found in _Otidiphaps nobilis_, normally one or two pairs may be found."
As suggested by Bhaduri and Biswas (1954:348), the "accessory" vessel
probably corresponds to a vessel previously described by Glenny (1940)
in _Streptopelia chinensis_ and referred to as the "coracoid minor."
Bhaduri and Biswas (1954:348) have suggested that "the accessory
sternoclavicular artery occurring sporadically as it does in some
species of diverse groups may not have any phylogenetic value."
In no case did I find more than one coracoid artery on a side. When one
of the highly variable arteries feeding _Mm. coracobrachialis posterior_
and _sternocoracoideus_ (arteries 4 and 4a, Fig. 7) arises from the
subclavian or axillary artery instead of from the coracoid artery, that
vessel may have been interpreted by others as a second (accessory or
minor) coracoid artery. If so, this artery probably does not "occur
sporadically." Rather, its origin from the subclavian, axillary, or
thoracic artery may be sporadic, subject to individual variation, and it
may have been overlooked when it arose from the coracoid artery.
Of the vessels described here, the only one that differed distinctly in
one species was the sternal artery. In _Scardafella inca_ the right
sternal vessel was long, extending down the mid-line of the inner
surface of the sternum, whereas in other columbids the right and left
arteries ramified on the anterior part of the inner surface of the
sternum, or were altogether lacking. I am unable to account for the
differential development of this artery in _S. inca_.
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