16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
birds, as any man who had sailed so far in
tropical waters must be, and he had skinned
quite a number, distinguishing three or perhaps
four closely-allied species and making
careful descriptions of their plumage; but he
had never thoroughly dissected one. This he
now settled himself to do, meaning first to examine
the flight muscles, for in their lofty soaring
the frigate-birds were perhaps even more
remarkable than the albatrosses: and he had
scarcely laid bare the breast before he had a
premonition that he might be on the verge of
the finest anatomical study of his career.
The bird, naturally enough, possessed a
wishbone: yet from the very first it had seemed
extraordinarily, unnaturally, firm under his
touch. As his scalpel worked delicately down
towards the keel of the breastbone, a spatula
easing the muscles aside, he was perfectly
deaf to the ring of coins and the powerful