s beyond the mouth,
in its appearance resembles that of the duck; but is in its structure
more like that of the spoonbill, the middle part being composed of bone,
as in that bird: it has a very strong cuticular covering.

The nostrils are two orifices, very close to each other, near the end of
the bill; the upper lip projecting three quarters of an inch beyond them.

The eyes are very small; they are situated more upon the upper part of
the head than is usual, and are directly behind the loose edge of the
cuticular flap belonging to the bill. The eyelids are circular orifices
concealed in the hair, and, in the male, are with difficulty discovered;
but in the female there is a tuft of lighter hair, which marks their
situation.

The external ears are two large slits, directly behind the eyes, and
much larger than the orifices of the eyelids.

The teeth, if they can be so called, are all grinders; they are four in
number, situated in the posterior part of the mouth, one on each side of
the upper and under jaw, and have broad flat crowns. They differ from
common teeth very materially, having neither enamel nor bone, but being
composed of a horny substance only, embedded in the gum, to which they
are connected by an irregular surface in the place of fangs. When cut
through, which is readily done by a knife, the internal structure is
fibrous like the human nail: the direction of the fibres is from the
crown downwards.

Between the cheek and the jaw, on each side of the mouth, there is a
pouch, as in the monkey tribe, lined with a cuticle. When laid open, it
is 11/2 inches long, and the same in breadth. In the female it contained
a concreted substance, the size of a very small nut, one in each pouch:
this, when examined through the microscope, was found to be made up of
very small portions of broken crystals.

Besides these grinding teeth, there are two small pointed horny teeth
upon the projecting part of the posterior portion of the tongue, the
points of which are directed forwards, seemingly to prevent the food from
being pushed into the fauces during the process of mastication; which
circumstance Mr. Home thinks peculiar to this animal: in the tongue of
the flamingo there is a row of short teeth on each side, but not in any
other bird that he has seen.

The fore legs are short, and the feet webbed. On each foot there are five
toes, united by the web, which is very broad, and is continued beyond the
points of the to