File:PSM V09 D158 Crane throat structure.jpg
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English: The very remarkable trachea, or windpipe, of the crane [Grus grus], from the throat to the bronchial extremity:
NATURAL TRUMPET OF THE CRANE. By Frank Buckland. ...a number of dead birds. Among them was the body of a very large crane. Mr Kamrach allowed me to take this home, and I made several preparations of it. We now figure the very remarkable trachea, or windpipe, of this bird. In an ordinary bird, such as a chicken, when cutting open the skin of the throat, it will be found that the trachea forms a continuous tube, going in a direct line from the mouth to the lungs, where it bifurcates. In the crane this is not the case. Instead of passing between the two bones ordinarily known as the merry-thought, it becomes convoluted in a very remarkable manner. If this convolution had been placed immediately under the skin, first of all it would have been cumbersome to the bird; and, secondly, there would have been a great likelihood of its becoming injured. The breastbone, therefore, has been hollowed out in the middle in such a manner as to keep the trachea packed up in a beautiful box of bone. Inside this box of bone there are about thirteen inches of the trachea. The trachea enters this bony box at its lowest margin; it then runs along the bottom and ascends to the top; then takes a very sharp turn, and again descending to the bottom of the box joins the lungs in the usual way. In life this trachea is not fixed in the box, but is capable of extension and prolongation; in fact, is almost as elastic as India-rubber. The diagram will explain this. The curious cartilaginous-like material –reminding us of mosaic work– of which the trachea is composed, differs much in pattern in its various portions, the rings being single near the mouth, while a few inches farther they appear to be double. A model of them at this part of the tube can be obtained by locking the fingers of both hands one into the other. Just as the trachea leaves the bony box it is considerably enlarged. Of course, the use of this curious structure is to produce those wonderful sounds which are peculiar to the crane. In fact, it is a portion of a cornet-à-piston or trombone, and is, no doubt, worked by some very delicate muscles. I have never had the pleasure of seeing cranes fly in the air, but I am told that the noise they make is very wonderful. We read: “Cranes range, according to the season, from the north of Europe to the south of Asia, and north of Africa, and in the latter country they are said to extend their migrations as far as the Cape of Good Hope. On these excursions they fly high in the air, though they experience some difficulty in getting on the wing from the ground. Before taking their spring they run some paces, raise themselves a little at first, and then unfold a powerful and rapid wing. In the air they form very nearly an isosceles triangle, possibly for the purpose of cutting the element with greater facility. When attacked by an eagle, or the wind is likely to break their order, they close in circles. Their passage frequently takes place during the night, which is known by their sonorous voice, which announces it; and the head of the troop often utters, to indicate the route he is taking, a cry of appeal to which all his followers answer. Their voices, even on these nocturnal voyages, are exceedingly loud–probably owing to the length of the windpipe and the convolution near its bronchial extremity. When they cry during the day they are generally understood to forebode rain, as is the case with the cries of many other birds which feed partially on those worms which the approaching humidity brings to the surface–not only when the rain actually falls, but when, from the changed state of the air, the evaporation is much diminished. When they are peculiarly noisy and tumultuous, and fly near the ground, occasionally alighting, it is considered as a pretty certain indication of a tempest. On the other hand, when they rise high, and fly onward in regular order, it is regarded as a sign of fine weather.” That great observer, Virgil, has used the simile of cranes in flight in a grand passage in the tenth “Æneid,” to give an idea of the Greeks and Trojans charging each other in the battle-field: “....
I consider the marvelous natural trumpet of the crane to be a most beautiful provision given by the Creator to these wild birds to enable them to keep their ranks, and not lose each other when migrating. In fact, we men have adopted the idea by using trumpets. It often happens that the dust at a field-day is so great that very little can be seen, while it would be impossible for the human voice to be heard; trumpets, therefor, come in here of the greatest service, especially to direct movements of cavalry. In the same way, the cranes might possibly lose each other when flying in the wilderness of space of the vast firmament of ether, and, were it not for their being able to signal to each other, they would be unable to travel with facility either at night, or when passing through clouds and fogs. A few days since a valued correspondent in Ireland sent us the breastbone of a Hooper swan. I have dissected this, and find the trachea convoluted in a manner very similar to that of the crane. There is a legend that when a swan is dying it becomes musical. The origin of this legend probably is the trumpeting of the wild-swan. This our friends can hear in the Zoölogical Gardens; it is a melancholy sound, and may be thus written–“hwoo hwoo.” The tame swan has not this structure of the windpipe, showing, therefor, that it is a distinct species. As the trumpet is useful to the crane, so also is it to the swan. They fly very high, in order that the “hawks should not gain the sky” of them; they always fly with the wind, and when going with a stiff breeze are said to go at a pace of a hundred miles an hour. Many of our friends have probably heard that amusing bird, the trumpeter (Cariama cristata). Mr. Cholmondeley, of Condover, has a very tame specimen, that wanders all over his house, and goes out walking in the garden with him. In the trumpeter-bird there is a musical apparatus of another kind. The note of the trumpeter is very agreeable to the ear. I have lately dissected a Merganzer. I find that his trachea is also peculiar: it swells out considerably about the third of its way down, and at the end it bulges out into a box as large as a walnut. The common duck has a curious larynx. At the bottom of the windpipe will be found a bony dilatation. Our readers should examine this for themselves. The female has not this peculiarity, and, strange to say, although the drake has the very peculiar organism, he is not able to quack–the females only quack; the males give a short hiss. My friend Mr. Bartlett informs me that on one occasion a gentlemen sent him this bony box, which the cook had taken out, and said that it was the ossified heart of a duck.—Land and Water.Afrikaans: Die merkwaardige tragea, of lugpyp, van die kraanvoël [Grus grus], van die keel tot die brongiale ekstremiteit:
NATUURLIKE TROMPET VAN DIE KRAANVOËL. Deur Frank Buckland. ... 'n aantal dooie voëls. Daaronder was die liggaam van 'n baie groot kraanvoël. Mnr Kamrach het my vergun om dit huis toe te neem, en daaruit kon ek etlike preparasies voorberei. Ons beskou nou die sonderlinge tragea, of lugpyp, van hierdie voël. By 'n gewone voël, soos 'n hoender, sal gevind word dat wanneer wanneer die vel van die keel oopgesny word, die tragea 'n aaneenlopende buis vorm, wat in 'n direkte lyn van die mond na die longe strek, waar dit oplaas vertak. By die kraanvoël is dit egter nie die geval nie. In stede daarvan om tussen die twee bene van die wensbeen deur te strek, ondergaan dit 'n opeenvolging van kontorsies. As hierdie kronkeling direk onder die vel geplaas sou wees, sou dit eerstens 'n beslommernis vir die voël veroorsaak het; en sou daar tweedens 'n goeie kans op besering van die orgaan wees. Die borsbeen is daarom in die middel op sodanige wyse uitgehol dat die tragea deur 'n pragtige beenskede geryg word. Binne hierdie beenskede lê sowat dertien duim van die tragea. Die tragea gaan hierdie benige skede teen sy onderste rand binne; dit loop dan langs die borsbeenkiel voordat dit boontoe swenk; neem dan weer 'n baie skerp draai afwaarts, om weer by die onderkant van die skede opwaarts te krul en op die gewone manier by die longe aan te sluit. In lewe is hierdie tragea nie aan die skede vasgeklem nie, maar is in staat tot ryging en strekking; dit is trouens byna so elasties soos Indiese rubber. Die diagram dien om dit te verduidelik. Die eienaardige kraakbeenagtige materiaal – wat mens aan mosaïekwerk herinner – waaruit die tragea saamgestel is, verskil baie in patroon by sy onderskeie gedeeltes, die ringe is enkel naby die mond, terwyl hulle 'n paar duim verder dubbeld voorkom. 'n Konsep van hierdie deel van die buis kan verkry word deur die vingers van albei hande een in die ander te sluit. Net daar waar die tragea die benige skede verlaat, is dit aansienlik vergroot. Hierdie eienaardige struktuur is natuurlik daarop gemik om die bekoorlike klanke te uiter wat eie aan die kraanvoël is. Dit is trouens ook by 'n cornet-à-piston of tromboon aanwesig, en word ongetwyfeld deur 'n paar baie delikate spiere bewerk. Ek het nog nooit die voorreg ervaar om kraanvoëls in hul vlug deur die lugruim te aanskou nie, maar ek word vertel dat hul kwettergeskal baie wonderlik is. Ons lees: “Krane trek, na gelang van die seisoen, uit die noorde van Europa na die suide van Asië en noorde van Afrika, en in laasgenoemde land word gesê dat hulle hul migrasies tot aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop voortsit. Op hierdie retoervlugte vlieg hulle hoog in die lug, hoewel hulle dit aanvanklik moeilik vind om van die grond af op die vlerk te kom. Voordat hulle spring, draf hulle eers 'n paar treë, wip hulself dan eers 'n effe op om dan 'n kragtige en snelle vlerkslag te ontplooi. In hul vlugformasie vorm hulle 'n bykans gelykbenige driehoek, moontlik met die doel om met groter gemak deur die element te klief. Wanneer hulle deur 'n arend aangeval word, of die wind dreig om hul orde op te breek, draai hulle in sirkels. Hul deurtogte vind dikwels oornag plaas, wat herkenbaar is aan hul sonore stemme wat dit aankondig; en die leier van die swerm uiter dikwels, ten einde sy roete aan te dui, 'n lokroep waarop al sy volgelinge antwoord. Hul stemme, selfs op hierdie nagtelike reise, is buitengewoon luid – waarskynlik weens die lengte van die lugpyp en die kronkeling naby die brongiale uiteinde daarvan. Wanneer hulle bedags krys, word dit algemeen as 'n voorbode van reën verstaan, soos die geval met die roepe van baie ander voëls is wat deels voed op daardie wurms wat deur naderende humiditeit na die oppervlak gebring word – nie net wanneer reën werklik val nie, maar ook wanneer verdamping, as gevolg van die veranderde lugkondisie, baie verminder word. Wanneer hulle besonder raserig en onrustig is, en digby die grond vlieg om af en toe te land, word dit as 'n redelik betroubare aanduiding van 'n naderende storm beskou. Wanneer hulle hoog opstyg en ordelik voortvlieg, word dit daarenteen as 'n teken van mooiweer beskou.” Daardie fyn waarnemer, Virgilius, het krysende kraanvoëls in vlug as 'n grootse stylfiguur in die tiende “Æneid” benut om die wedersyds aanvallende Grieke en Trojane op die slagveld uit te beeld:
Ek beskou die wonderlike natuurlike trompet van die kraanvoël as 'n pragtige voorsiening deur die Skepper aan hierdie wilde voëls om hulle in staat te stel om hul gelid te handhaaf en met mekaar in verbinding te bly wanneer hulle migreer. Trouens het die mens ook die idee aangeneem om trompette te gebruik. Dit gebeur dikwels dat die stof van 'n veldslag sodanig is dat baie min uitgemaak kan word, terwyl dit onmoontlik sou wees vir die menslike stem om gehoor te word; trompette lewer dus hier 'n allerbelangrike funksie, veral om die bewegings van kavallerie te koördineer. Op dieselfde wyse kan die kraanvoëls mekaar moontlik kwytraak wanneer hulle deur die eter se uitgestrekte firmament vlieg, en as dit nie daaraan te danke was dat hulle mekaar kon sein nie, sou hulle nie met gemak snags of deur wolke en mistigheid hul reis kon voortsit nie. Enige dae gelede het 'n gewaardeerde korrespondent in Ierland vir ons die borsbeen van 'n singswaan aangestuur. Ek het dit gedissekteer en vind die tragea gekronkeld op 'n wyse baie soortgelyk aan dié van die kraanvoël. 'n Legende bestaan dat wanneer 'n swaan sterf, dit musikaal word. Die oorsprong van hierdie legende is waarskynlik aan die trompetgeskal van die wilde swaan te danke. Belangstellendes kan dit in die Dieretuin hoor; dit is 'n melancholiese geluid, en kan so geskryf word – "hwoe hwoe." Die mak- of witswaan het nie hierdie struktuur van die lugpyp nie, wat dus toon dat dit 'n aparte spesie is. Soos die trompet nuttig is vir die kraanvoël, so is dit ook nuttig vir die swaan. Hulle vlieg baie hoog, sodat "roofvoëls nie 'n oorhand in die lugruim kry" nie; hulle vlieg altyd windaf, en wanneer 'n stywe briesie hul voortdryf, word gesê dat hulle 'n gang van honderd myl per uur handhaaf. Baie van ons vriende het waarskynlik al van daardie amusante voël, die kuifseriema (Cariama cristata), gehoor. Mnr. Cholmondeley, van Condover, het 'n baie mak eksemplaar wat oral in sy huis rondloop en saam met hom in die tuin stap. By die kuifseriema is daar 'n musikale apparaat van 'n ander soort. Die toon van die seriema is baie aangenaam op die oor. Ek het onlangs 'n saagbekeend gedissekteer. Ek vind dat sy tragea ook eienaardig is: omtrent een derde afwaarts swel dit aansienlik uit, en aan die einde bult dit uit in 'n omhulsel so groot soos 'n okkerneut. Die mannetjie van die gewone of groenkopeend het 'n eienaardige larinks. Aan die onderkant van die lugpyp word 'n benige uitbreiding aangetref. Ons lesers moet dit self ondersoek. By die wyfie ontbreek hierdie eienaardigheid, en, vreemd genoeg, alhoewel die mannetjie hierdie baie eienaardige orgaan het, kan hy nie kwaak nie – slegs die wyfies kwaak; die mannetjies uiter 'n kort sisgeluid. My vriend, mnr. Bartlett, deel my mee dat 'n heer by een geleentheid hierdie benige omhulsel, wat deur die kok uitgehaal is, vir hom gestuur het en gesê het dat dit die versteende hart van 'n eend was.—Land and Water. |
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| Date | |||||
| Source | Popular Science Monthly Volume 9 | ||||
| Author | Unknown author | ||||
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