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r
-V^.y :
^ibrarg of i^t P^ttssam
OF
COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY,
AT HiBVARD GOllEGK, CAUBINK, MASS.
A
The gift of cxX/C/rvCi-^m.
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o
BULLETIN
OF THE ^ /
' : \^
SCIENTIFIC LABORATORIES
OF
DENISON UNIVERSITY,
EDITED BY
C. L. HERRICK, M. S.,
PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY.
VOL. I.
GRANVILLE, OHIO, DEC, 18S5,
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PKINTKKS,
• traiivillc Ohio.
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Bulletin of the Scientific Laboratories of Denison Univer-
sity, Granville, Ohio.
EDITORIAL STATEMENT.
Every well conducted institution of learning should form a recog-
nized centre of scientific activity ; and legitimately concerns itself, not
only with the instruction of those who directly entrust themselves to
its charge, but with the dissemination and conservation of information
relating to the subjects taught. Moreover, in connection with the
laboratory drill, it often happens that facts of general scientific interest
are brought to light which the student may be ill prepared to appreciate
in all their bearings. Such facts, if preserved, may, at another time,
become very valuable, while, if not thus preserved, they would be lost.
Still again, instructors will, as a rule, be unable to instill enthusiasm if
they themselves do not come in contact with nature at first hands,
while the fragments of time, which are often frittered away, can be
made most useful to themselves and others by being applied to studies
in advance of the work required by the curriculum.
The present publication, which we are able to present through the
generous co-operation of numerous friends, is a step toward filling a
need hinted at in the above paragraph. The bulletin is intended to
represent the life of the college in its scientific departments and may
incidentally serve to illustrate to distant friends the facilities for work
afforded, as well as needs still unsupplied. To the scientific students of
the country we confidently appeal for support and indulgence, since it
is hoped to devote an increasingly large portion of space in each number
to technical papers which have more interest to the student than to the
general public. To the teacher, with still greater confidence, we look
for encouragement, as it is entirely in the interest of better school work
that this bulletin is prepared. While limited means has, in this* first
number, prevented the use of costly illustrations, it is hoped that the
generous patronage of this volume will enable us to extend to the con-
tributors to the following one more elegant, if not more perspicuous
graphic aids.
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A considerable number of papers prepared for this number have
been necessarily delayed, on account of the limited space allotted, and
yet our limits have been extended. The lithographs were executed by
the editor and printed by a process making them cheaper than any other
available, and any failure to realize the ideal of such work will, no
doubt, be pardoned on this account.
For information relating to the departments here represented, the
reader is referred to the advertisement appearing elsewhere. The fact
that the chemical laboratory has afforded us no material for this num-
ber, may be attributed to the change in administration in that depart-
ment, occasioned by the death of the lamented Prof. Osbun.
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I.
THE EVENING CjKO^B¥.AYi—Hesperiphona vespertina, Bonap.
[Plate I and Frontispiece.]
Among the rarities in the cabinet of most ornithological collectors
is the Evening Grosbeak, which excites interest as much by its com-
parative rarity and exceeding capriciousness in distribution as on ac-
count of its odd note and eccentric behavior. First found by Mr.
Schoolcraft, in 1823, near Sault St. Marie, in Michigan, it was de-
scribed by Cooper. The indefatigable naturalist. Sir John Richard-
son, encountered it upon the Saskatchewan, where seems to be its nat-
ural home, and from whence it issues forth, guided by any whim, and
wanders far to the East and South, though seeming to avoid the coast.
The genus is Asiatic and our two species are obviously derived from
the Old World, via Alaska. In Europe there is a closely allied genus
Coccothraustes, which differs in the shape of the secondary wing feath-
ers. The genus is distinguished from all other finches of the United
States by the very large beak and the following points :
♦* Feet short ; tarsus less than the middle toe ; lateral toes nearly equal, and
reaching to the base of the middle claw. Claws much curved, stout, compressed.
Wings very long and pointed, reaching beyond the middle of the tail. Primaries
much longer than the nearly equal secondaries and tertials ; outer two quills long-
est ; the others rapidly graduated. Tail slightly forked ; scarcely more than two
thirds the length of the wings, its coverts covering nearly three-fourths of its
extent." — 'fiami.
[In America we have the two species, H. vespcrtina (with its two
varieties), and H. abeillii, Scl., which lives in the mountainous por-
tions of Mexico, southward. ]
In very few places in the United States does this bird appear with
sufficient constancy to be set down as more than an accidental visitor.
In this respect Minneapolis, Minn., is particularly favored for, during
a number of years, these grosbeaks have rarely failed to make a longer
or shorter winter visit, sometimes coming early in the Autumn and re-
maining until the trees are in full leaf, when, in a few cases, their much
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6 BULLETIN OF THE LABORATORIES
mooted song has been heard. The most eastern point yet reached by
these birds seems to be Cleveland, Ohio, and isolated cases of their oc-
currence in Wisconsin and Illinois are also known. The species is
highly gregarious and individuals are rarely or never met with singly.
Even the destructive inroads of the collector, before whom they are
absolutely defenseless, do not scatter or break up the flock. Unsus-
pecting and without fear, they continue to feed until the last individual
falls a victim. The migrating colony seems well satisfied with itself
and its temporary home and, while feeding, a constant chorus of an-
swering cries is kept up. The note is not loud but is remarkably
piercing, and yet not unmelodious. The early belief that these birds
are silent except at evening is entirely erroneous. In spring, upon the
approach of the breeding season, the males cultivate the muses in an
odd but not displeasing little song. This song consists of several suc-
cessive repetitions of a short warble, followed by a similar strain clos-
ing with a shrill cry, like the finale of a black-bird's song. The phrase
which makes up the body of the song is musical, but is so abruptly ter-
minated (as though from lack of breath or of ability, ) that it is annoy-
ing when heard singly, for one is subjected to much the same nervous
expectancy felt in listening to a hen's cackle when quite leisurely
*' working up the agony" sufficiently to sound the final note. A
flock of a dozen or more singing together produce a very musical ef-
fect. The food almost entirely consists of the seeds of various trees,
among which the box elder, the maple, poplar, and pine are pre-emi-
nent. Buds of cherry and other trees are also eaten, and this regime
is varied by occasional insect larvae, etc.
O. B. Johnson, who mentions this grosbeak from the Williamette
valley, speaks of it as plentiful during migrations, and states that " the
only note heard was a loud ' yeeip^ strikingly Hke the call of a lost
chicken." Of the nest and eggs we as yet know nothing, and so of
the many interesting traits which make up the sum of its true home-
life we must be content to remain ignorant. From its inaccessable
summer home it continues to descend during the severe winter weather
and, almost under the very roofs of the factories of a busy city, con-
tentedly passes the short days, heedless of the noise and regardful only
of the oily kernels of the keys of the box elder, which it displays
a very awkward skill in plucking as it swings (head downwards or oth-
erwise) from the pendulous branches.
These brief remarks are designed simply as introductory to the
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OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. 7
notes on the osteology appended. Before preceding to these the fol-
lowing description will suffice to make the bird recognizable.
Sp. char. Bill, yellowish green, dusky at base ; anterior half of body dusky
yellowish olive, shading into yellow to the rump above, and the under tail coverts
below. Outer scapulars, a broad frontal band continued on each side over the
eye, axillaries, and middle of under wing coverts, yellow. Feathers along the ex-
treme base of bill, the crown, tibiae, wings, upper tail coverts, and tail, black ; in-
ner greater wing-coverts and teriiaries, white. Length, 7.30, wing. 4.30, tail, 2.7v
In the female the head and back is dull olivaceous brown. Below, the body is
pale yellowish ash. There is an obscure black line on either side the chin. There
is more white upon the wings and tail. (See plate, which is intended to give
simply the tout cnsenibk without strict accuracy as to color.)
Osteology of Ilcsperiphona vcspertina.
The anatomy of the Evening Grosbeak is of more than usual inter-
est, not only on account of the rarity of the bird and the air of mystery
which has associated itself with it, but because it stands at the head of
American FriHjriUidae, by virtue of possessing the extreme develoj)-
ment of the fmch type of structure. Our observations are based on
the study of three more or less perfect skeleta, which, so far as we
know, are the first which have been studied.
The skull. The most striking peculiarities of the skull are those
which are corelated with the extraordinary development of the beak.
The angle, for instance, formed by the quadratojugal-jugal bony pillar
with the lower margin of the maxilla is greater than usual, chiefly on
account of the great size of the (juadrate bone. In this way a firm
support is afforded to the upper jaw. But we pass to a detailed de-
scription. As seen/r(7/// abot^e, the skull is, in outline, a perfect trian-
gle, with a narrow rounded l)a.se. The apex of the triangle is formed
by the remarkably large and strong (though correspondingly very light)
beak. The bones entering the beak are cancellated within, forming a
firm but light organ. These bones are, first, the premaxilla, which
makes up the bulk of the bony frame-work of the beak and is early
anchylosed with the maxillaries in the family under consideration.
Although we can not separate the parts, we may distinguish in the max-
illary bone a superior or nasal process which separates the opening of
the nares and unites with the na.sal bones, two lateral or maxillary pro-
cesses, and two palatine processes which are within the mouth-opening-
The distance from the apex of the beak to the subcircular nares is .6
inches, the distance between them, .10. The nasals are inseparably
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8 BULLETIN OF THE LABORATORIES
united and form a quadrate bone making an angle of 25° with the cul-
men or upper line of the beak, their combined width is .45, and they
form the posterior borders of the nares, being united laterally with the
maxillaries, anteriorally with the intermaxillary, below with the lachry-
mals, and posteriorly with the frontals. The distance from the angle
of the mandible to the top of the nasals is .40. Occupying the top
of the skull, and apparently restricted to the space between the orbits,
are the concdiWQ frontals. The distance between the orbits is about
.35. The remainder of the roof of the skull is formed by the con-
fluent parietals which occupy a larger area than usual on the top and
back of the skull. From above can be seen a small prominence be-
hind, which covers the cerebellum, and hence is called the cerebellar
prominence. The sides of the triangle are continued backward from
the ends of the maxillaries by a slender rod consisting of the quadra-
tojugal and thtjugal which can be studied to advantage when the skull
is wxtyftd/rom the side. In this position the skull is seen to present
the outline of two triangles, the smaller of which, forming the beak, is
set at an angle of 45° with the other. The cutting edges of the jaw
(tomia), supported chiefly by the maxillary bones, are slightly curved.
The tomia are .80 long. The slender rod passing backward and
downward and forming the lower outline of the second triangle is, in
the young, composed of two bones, the jugal and quadratojugal.
Their combined length is . 54, the posterior articulation being upon the
outermost process of the peculiar quadrate bone. This bone is con-
sidered the homologue of the little ear bone of mammals, known as
the malleus, but in birds has a very important function — that of giving
the necessary movability and yet stability to the beak. It is the point
of attachment of the two important supports of the facial part of the
skull. The form of the quadrate is very irregular, consisting of a
body and six processes. The styloid process is the largest and is that
which connects the bone with the base of the skull ; it is a flattened
vertical pillar with a large articular surface; jutting out anteriorly is the
orbital process, about .30 long, which extends into the orbit. Just
below the orbital is the pterygoid process of rather small size. The
mandiblar end bears two curved processes so situated that the glenoid
surfaces oppose the rami from within and behind, while the jaw is com-
pletely locked by the large articular process of the mandible. A more
complete articulation could scarcely be conceived. The malar pro-
cess extends out horizonully and offers an oblique surface to the head
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OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. 9
of the quadrato-jiigal. The lachrymal bone is very large and hoe-
shaped, occupying the whole anterior aspect of the orbit. A very
slender curved process extends backward from its lower angle. The
lachrymo-nasal space between this and the maxillary permits the free
movement of the beak on the skull. The lachrymo-nasal foramen is
quadrate. The optic foramen occupies its usual position on the mar-
gin of the alt-sphenoidy which is inseparably united with the septum
intraorbitale and this with the ethmoid still farther forward. There
is a large irregular foramen above the optic. The greater part of the
side of the skull behind the orbit is formed by the squamosal, which is
strongly ridged and forms, first, a strong flange-like process behind the
orbit and, second, a very long process projecting forward toward the
corresponding process of the lachrymal. The orbito-sphenoid was not
detected as a distinct bone, but irregular processes on the ali-sphenoid
may represent it. The sclerotals are membranous bones, which unite
to form a ring about the globe of the eye. As seen from below, sev-
eral new bones appear. At the back of the skull is the large foramen
magnum, subcordate and quadrate in form and about . 20 in width.
Above, it is bounded by the supraoccipital, laterally by the exoccipitals,
and below by the basioccipital. These bones are intimately united
and the sutures quite obliterated. There is an impressed line on
either side the foramen. The single occipital condyle is a small knob-
like process. The basioccipital is quadrate and near its lateral mar-
gins are the foramina of the carotid and the seventh, ninth, tenth and
eleventh nerves. The squamosal expands into a large shield-like cov-
ering over the auditory meatus. Just inside of the quadrate bone can
be seen a bony sheath which indicates the former point of union of the
Meckel's cartilage. Within the meatus the minute auditory ossicles
can be seen with a glass. The sphenoid is a pyramidal bone, soon be-
coming a vertical plate fusing with the ethmoid and inter-orbital sep-
tum. Here also the obliteration of sutures is complete. The vomer
is present but inconspicuous. The maxillaries form the sides of the
beak and, in connection with the premaxillary, form a continuous bony
ceiling to the roof of the mouth, which is covered with a thick horny
sheath, so thickened on the edges as to make the knife-like cutting
tomia, ThQ palatals are movably articulated to the edges of the max-
illaries by broad bases so that they nearly me6t on the median line and
reach nearly to the jugal, externally. Posteriorly, the palatals extend
into forked processes, making the whole length .40 of an inch. From
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ro BULLETIN OF THE LABORATORIES
this process, which descends below the level of the jugal, a nearly ver-
tical plate extends upward to form a sliding sheath which clasps the
presphenoid and plays back and forward upon it. The flattened ends
of the long {.^o) pterygoids are fused with these vertical plates by ex-
panded, overlapping plates. • There are two curved flanges springing
from the point where the pterygoids unite with the palatals. The eth-
nw-turbinal plates are more or less ossified and are seen on either side
of the rudiment of the vomer. The pterygoids are stout but very
unusually long and, on account of the size and position of the quad-
rate bones, are quite distant from the basis cranii. Near the point of
union of the pterygoid with the quadrate bone, a small hooked process,
about .12 long, extends upward from the former bone. What the use
or the homologies of these processes may be, we do not know, although
they occur in finches and in other birds.
At the posterior of the two mandiblar processes of the quadrate
bone is a bone as large as the head of a large pin, but of irregular
shape, which may be regarded as either a sesamoid contributing to lock
the jaw or an independent portion of the quadrate. There is also a
very minute sesamoid at the union of the quadrato-jugal and the quad-
rate. The lower jaw shows no evidence of its composite character.
The whole anterior half is enlarged and forms a simple trough of can-
cellous bone which may be assumed to consist of the dentary elements
of both rami. The surangular, angular and splenial elements of the
rami are not distinguishable. The articular portion consists of a huge
flange, extending inward and upward and is perforated at the middle of
its inner surface for the entrance of Meckel's cartilage.
What corresponds to the surangular portion is a broad triangular
plate extending upward inside the jugal bones and serving to further
lock the jaw. Thus, as we have seen, the whole skull is modified in
harmony with the enormous rhinencephalic development.
The hyoid arch is well developed and consists of seven bones,
whose homologies, in the present state of our knowledge, cannot be
made out. The anterior pair are pointed before and behind and at-
tached at the middle to each other and the end of the azygos bone
which ne^t follows. The first mentioned bones are called entoglossal^
by Gegenbaur, by some American authors, ceratohyals^ with no real
evidence that they are homologous with the bones so called in other ani-
mals. The following element may be called basihyal {copula of
Gegenbauer,) and is flattened to form a vertical plate and bears on
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OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. II
either side, posteriorly, the cornua, which each consists of one straight
shaft, . 50 long, and a shorter fusiform segment. Between these the
urohyal extends backward as a support to the trachea. The atlas
and axis are fused together more or less fully. There is no neural
spine on the atlas, but its dorsal surface is perfectly plane. The axis^
or second cervical vertebra, has a well developed spine and posterior
zygapophyses and also a very large haemal spine, which curves back-
ward. The third cervical has a smaller neural spine and its poste-
rior zygapophyses project upward. Its haemal spine (hypapophysis)
curves forward. There is a slight inferior lamella of its transverse
process. The fourth cervical introduces a new type, having a low
spine, nearly horizontal posterior zygapophyses, and elongated styloid
inferior lamellae. It has a smaller haemal spine. The following cer-
vicals have no neural or haemal spines, the posterior zygapophyses de-
cline, and the styloid appendages are very long. The thirteenth and
fourteenth (last) cervicals have fleur apophyses (ribs), those of the
former being mere rudiments, while those of the latter are large but
have no connection with the sternum. These vertebrae, in common
with the first of the dorsals, have strong haemal spines. They also
have the capitula process well developed to receive the head of the
rib. The transverse process has its normal tubercular facet to sus-
tain the tubercle of the rib. There are six dorsal vertebrce^ which
are more or less firmly co-ossified. The transverse processes are
large and the spines of uniform size. The last dorsal is firmly united
with the following nine vertebrae, which form the vertebral framework
of the sacrum. Seven free vertebrae follow, forming the free caudal
series. Each of these has a strong transverse process and a more or
less perfect neural spine. Upon the last two there are also haemal
spines. The last bone or pygostyle is remarkable for the great devel-
opment of its neural spine.
The sternum is normal for the group and is 1.20 inches long. The
keel is well -developed, being .50 high. The mid-xiphoid process is
.40 wide at the end. The lateral xiphoids are separated by an excis-
ion one half as wide and rather more than .40 deep. The transverse