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V.—Observations on the Body Temperature of some Diving and Swimming Birds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2014

Sutherland Simpson
Affiliation:
Physiological Laboratory, Medical College, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.,U.S.A.
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Summary

Observations were made on the body temperature of a large number of diving and swimming birds of eighteen different species in the Orkney Islands and Firth of Forth, Scotland, and on and around Cayuga Lake, N.Y., U.S.A., immediately after they were killed by shooting.

1. In all the species examined, where the sex was determined, it was found that the rectal temperature of the male was slightly below that of the female.

2. Of the orders examined the highest temperatures were found in the Longipennes and the lowest in the Tubinares. When arranged according to body temperature the series does not run parallel with the zoological series.

In conclusion, I wish to express my indebtedness to Dr H. D. Reed and Dr A. H. Wright for help in identifying the specimens obtained from Cayuga Lake and the surrounding district.

Type
Proceedings
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1913

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References

page no 20 note * Davy, John, Researches, Physiological and Anatomical, Philadelphia, 1840, p. 303.Google Scholar

page no 20 note † Eydoux, and Souleyet, , Comptes rendus de l' Acad. des scien. de Paris, t. vi., 1838, p. 458.Google Scholar

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page no 22 note * Chossat, , Annales des sciences naturelles, 2nd series, t. xx., 1843, pp. 181Google Scholar and 294.

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page no 23 note * According to the British Museum Catalogue of Birds, 1896, this is the common skua (Megalestris skua).

page no 29 note * This bird had been flying for a considerable time, hence the high temperature. For this reason, in calculating the mean temperature of the cormorant, this figure is excluded.

page no 29 note † On November 23, a pair (male and female) of velvet scoter ducks (Œdemia fusca) were shot, but the notes of the body temperature have been lost.

page no 30 note * The temperature of the air and sea was about 70° F.

page no 32 note * Davy, John, Med. Times and Gaz., London, vol. ii., 1864, p. 337.Google Scholar

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page no 33 note ‖ Simpson, and Galbraith, , Jour. of Physiol., vol. xxxiii., 1905, p. 225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

page no 33 note ¶ Sutherland, , Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 1896, p. 57.Google Scholar

page no 34 note * Eydoux and. Souleyet, loc. cit.

page no 34 note † Martins, loc. cit.