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but likewife that they were provided with as great a number of Vesfels as the Fibres of other Fish.

Upon thus obferving that the Mufcular Fibres of Fishes were much larger than thofe of Beafts, I fet my felf to confider, for what Reafons the great Creator of the Universe had made this Difproportion between them. All the Satisfaction I could meet with, in my Thoughts upon this Subject, was, that as the Fish swim in the Water, their mufcular Fibres need exert very little force, to fupport their Bodies in the Water, because they are very nearly of the fame fpecific Gravity with the Element, in which they fwim. All the force they exert is in their progreffive Motion, in purfuit of their Food. Whereas, the Mufcular Fibres of Land-Animals exercise a great force, not only in fupporting and moving their own Bodies, but in carrying Burthens and other Labour they are put to. And we must allow, that the smaller and finer the Fibres are, to make a Body of any determinate thickness, the ftronger will be the Compofition, and therefore the Mufcles in the Flesh must be stronger than thofe of Fifh. But this I leave to better Judg

ments.

Surgeon, F.R.S.

No. 386. p.

XIII. 1. Having feparated the Mufcles of the Abdomen, which in An Oltrich dif this Subject were only two oblique Pair, we obferved, between their fected by Mr Tendons, which were very strong, and the Peritoneum, which was ex- John Ranby ceeding thin, a thick Layer of fevous Fat, whofe Office, confidering the Smallness of the Epiploon, and the few adipose Veficles of the Mesentery, with the Thinnefs of the Peritoneum, might probably be to supply the Part both of Epiploon and Mesentery in other Animals, as to lubricate the Inteftines.

There were, in our Subject, two diftinct Ventricles, contrary to the Obfervation of the Royal Academy at Paris. The first, and in it's natural Situation, the lower, which the Members of the faid Academy, call the Craw, and fuppofe to be only a Dilatation of the Oefophagus, was confiderably larger than the fecond, and uppermoft Mufcular One; befides, that it had ftrong Muscular Fibres, both circular and longitudinal: The Duodenum comes immediately out of the fecond Ventricle.

Both Ventricles were diftended beyond their ufual Form, and filled up with fo large a Quantity of Food of different kinds, as Stones, Bones, Sticks, Grain, and other Food, that it was almoft impoffible for them to perform their Office of Digeftion, which very likely was one of the chief Caufes of the Animal's Sicknefs and Death; and, really, the Contents of both feemed to have undergone but very little or no Alteration. The Epiploon partly covered the firft Ventricle, but was no Ways proportionable to the fize of the Animal.

The Spleen was faftened, by a Membrane, to the right Side of the fecond Ventricle, and was very fmall, confidering the Size of the Animal. The Glands of the Mefentery were hardly visible, but the Veins and Arteries very confpicuous.

VOL. VII. Part iii.

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223.

The Cacums, in our Subject, were near three Foot in Length, the Diameter one Inch eight Lines; they were faftened to the Ileum, and not to the Colon, as the Gentlemen of the Royal Academy affert.

To their Description of the Kidnies, I have nothing to add, except that the two Ureters lay upon their Surface, as they do in other Birds, and by their different Branches, coming from all the Parts of the Kidney, of which the fuperior was very confpicuous, entered the Kidney about it's Middle, and formed there a very large Pelvis."

The Liver was in one Cavity with the Heart, of which it covered near one half; it had no Gall Bladder, and but one Duftus Bilarius inferted into the Duodenum, about two Inches below the Pylorus, which feemed to have an immediate Communication with the Vena Porta, becaufe by blowing into it, this latter was alfo diftended. The Heart and Liver were separated from the Intestines, by a membranous Diaphragm.

Both Heart and Liver were fufpended by one common Mediaftinum, by the Help of it's feveral Membranes, and eight ftrong Mufcles on each Side, arifing from the upper Part of the Ribs, going from thence over the Lungs, and ending in a very strong tendinous Membrane, which is inferted into the Spina Dorfi.

The Liquor contained in the Pericardium, was fmall in Quantity, and perfectly transparent.

The Lungs lay under the Diaphragm and it's Muscles, in a deep Cavity, formed by the five true Ribs. They were pretty thick about the middle, and exceeding thin and fharp towards the Extremities

In viewing the Eye external, it fomewhat refembled the Human Eye, except that it was lefs convex, with a free and moveable upper Eye-lid, with Eye-lashes, as moft Terrestial Animals have, befides a Tunica Nilitans, as in other Birds. Befides the feven Mufcles of the Eye, as they are in Brutes, it had two more, one arifing from the fore-part of the Sclerotica, which foon formed a fmall Tendon, obliquely furrounding the Optic Nerve, and then joined to another Muscle, which arifes oppofite to the former, from which the Tendon continues it's Way, and is inferted in the Tunica Niclitans. The Aqueous Humour we found in greater Quantity, than is common. The Crystalline was of an uniform Subftance, but lefs convex on the infide, than without. The Vitreous was fmall in Quantity, confidering the Largenefs of the Eye; the Choroides was intirely black, without that Variety of Colours at it's Bottom, which is common to moft Brutes. The fore part of the Sclerotica, where it is annexed to the Cornea, was bony, confifting of 15 bony Scales joined one to another, fo as to make one circular Bone round the Cornea.

Fig. 19. fhews the upper Part of the Thorax, the Sternum being removed, with the Heart and Liver and neighbouring Parts, in their natural Situation. A A the membranous Diaphragm, in which are obferved

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ferved feveral diftinct Cavities. aaa. The Ligament that fufpends Fig. 19. the Diaphragm. bb. The Ribs. B. The Heart. CC. The two Lobes of the Liver immediately above the Heart. cc. The Brachial Artery. d. The Vein. e e. Vena Cava. f. A Gland, on the Brachial Artery. gg. Part of the Afpera Arteria. bb. Part of the Oefophagus. ii. Two Muscles arifing from the Sternum, and inferted into the Afpera Arteria. Fig. 20. The inferior Part of the Thorax, the Heart and Liver Fig. 20. being removed. AAA. The lower Part of the Diaphragm, immediately covering the Lungs. BB, &c. Eight ftrong fleshy Mufcles arifing from the Ribs, and inferted into the Diaphragm, forming a Cavity for the Heart and Liver. cc &c. the Ribs D. the defcending Trunk of the Aorta. EE. The left Lobe of the Lungs freed from the Diaphragm. F. Part of the Afpera Arteria.

Fig. 21. Part of the Globe of the Eye. a. The Cornea. bb. The Fig. 21. Ciliary Ligament. ccc. The fore-part of the Sclerotica, compofed of 15 bony Scales.

Fig. 22. The back Part of the Globe. aaa. The back Part of Fig. 22. the Sclerotica. bbb, &c. The feven Muscles. ccc. The eighth and ninth; the Tendon of which (dd) goes round the Optic Nerve, ƒ, and is inferted into the Tunica Nititans. ee. Membrana Nititans.

Fig. 23. The Kidnies with their Veffels. AA. The Kidnies. B B. Fig. 23, Aorta defcendens. CC. Vena Cava. D D. The Emulgent Arteries. EE The Emulgent Vein with it's Ramifications. FF. The Ureters. G. The Union of the fuperior and inferior Ureter.

No.413.

2. To the preceding Account I beg Leave to add two or three Ob- Material Obfervations which efcaped my Notice in my former Diffection. And fervations upon diffecting an First, the Eye, the Figure of which, when taken out of the Orbit, I Oftrich, by the think particular, being almoft triangular, with fome little Variation in fame. No. 413. the bony Scales. The Contents of the Stomach were of fuch a Kind, p. 275. that they were hardly capable (without very great Alteration) of paffing the lower Orifice, which is very small.

The Diameter of the Duodenum much fmaller than any of the Intestines, and free from Valves, as are the Jejunum and Ileum, except the latter, which has a few Valves, as it approaches near the Colon. The Colon was uneven, with very regular Cells: Thefe Cells were formed by Valves, which were on the Infide, and tranfverfly fituated each making more than half a Circle.

The Parts in other Refpects anfwer the Defcription given by the feveral curious Gentlemen that have diffected this Animal.

3. Dr Brown has fo well defcribed the Parts of the Ostrich which he Obfervations diffected [Philof. Colle&t. No. 5.] that I think, there is not much to be upon the Dif added. But he affirms it has no Epiglottis; whereas in this Subject that Male Oltrich, Cartilage was plainly vifible; and indeed, the Rimula appeared too by Mr Geo. open not to require one. The Os Hyoïdes is three Inches long from the Warren, SurBafis; the Mufculi Directores Afpera Arteria were very plain, large geon in Cambridge. No. and strong; the Ring compofed of three Cartilages at the Divarica- 394. P. 113.

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tion of the Aspera Arteria very bold; the two Glands on the Carotid Arteries, of the Size of fmall Eggs. There was nothing in the Lungs or Heart, but what it has in common with other Birds. The two Stomachs, viz. the Crop and the Gizzard, were filled with half-digested Grafs, in which were fome Nails, fome Stones of the bignefs of Walnuts, and about fourteen or fifteen Pieces of Silver and Copper Money. The first Stomach or Crop was exceeding tender, and contained, crammed as it was, between three and four Quarts. The Glands on the top of the Crop were very large and numerous, in the Order defcribed by Dr Brown, and of the Bignefs of little Oculi Cancrorum, and of a watery-brown Colour; which being fo different from the Colour of the Stomach, that added to the pretty Order they are placed in makes them very remarkable. The Crop lay within the Thorax, but fo that the Gizzard lay higher. The Looseness and Likeness to Flannel, of the inner Coat of the Gizzard mentioned by Dr Brown, was very remarkable in this Bird; but the Texture in the Mufcular Part of it did not feem proportionably strong to that in other Birds, being broader, thinner, and more flaccid. The Guts, as near as I could measure them, were about twenty fix Yards long. The two Cacums, which are about thirty four Inches long each, and have beautiful spiral Valves, were Appendages of the very beginning of the Colon. The Tefticles lay as in other Fowls, very high, and lefs than Pidgeons Eggs, but longer. I found the Liver to have four Lobes, and thought I had met with a Gall-bladder, but it appeared at last to be only the Membrane of the Liver raised by fome Accident from it's inner Subftance. The Gland under the Stomach, which Dr Brown fuppofes to be the Spleen, and the Pancreas and Kidnies anfwer his Defcription; and the Ureters were, as he fays, firm, ftrong, white, long, and opening into the Rectum. The Eye is faid to be exactly like the Human Eye; but is indeed, a perfect Goose-Eye for it's Colour, and, I believe, for the reft of it's Parts, as they are well defcribed by Mr Ranby: It was flatter than the Human Eye, as it is, I believe, in all Birds; and it had that fimple Look fo peculiar to the Goofe. The bony Circle defcribed by Mr Ranby, this Bird has in common with other Fowls both of the Water and Land, with this difference only, that the Ring in Water Fowls confifts of fifteen, and in Land Fowls but of fourteen Bones. They are fo difpofed, that one Bone lies over the Ends of two others, then three or four lie over one another, like the Scales of Fish; then one Bone lies under the Ends of two others; and then two or three more follow again like the Scales of Fifh: but unless there be a Lufus Nature, I think Mr Ranby's Icon does not express it fo very juftly, as I believe it might be done. There was no Mufculus fufpenforius Oculi in this Animal, nor do I believe it is to be found among Birds, and indeed there feems to be no Reason for it.

The Crop was fo ftuffed with Grafs, or rather Greens (proper Food for a Goofe, or one of that Kind) that I do not think the Bird could have