230 THE SALAMANDER 



anterior to that in which the embryos develop), draining the whole 

 of the blood therefrom and delivering it, by means of the anterior 

 oviducal veins above mentioned, into the post-cardinal veins. The 

 anterior oviducal veins are somewhat variable in number and position 

 and should be distinguished from the anterior oviducal arteries (see 

 p. 209). 



Hochstetter (1888) figures the tight post-cardinal passing dorsal, 

 and the left ventral to the corresponding subclavian artery. While 

 this arrangement is not infrequent it would appear normal for both 

 veins to pass dorsal to the artery. 



Just before the veins cross the arteries they receive an anastomosis 

 from the post-axial vein of the arm. This vessel, usually quite small, 

 runs parallel with, and posterior to, the subclavian artery. It would 

 appear to be an enlarged parietal vessel (see also p. 234). 



Immediately anterior to the subclavian arteries the post-cardinal 

 veins turn off laterally at right angles to loop around the oesophagus. 

 At this point a number of fine vessels enter, including one of variable 

 size which continues the direction of the post-cardinals along the 

 remainder of the vertebral column as far as the occiput, where it 

 usually anastomoses with the vessels of the pharyngeal plexus. It is 

 also in communication dorsalwards with a factor of the internal jugular 

 within the substance of the muscles (see p. 222). Osawa (1902) 

 calls this vessel the anterior cardinal vein, but since the internal 

 jugular must be regarded as the derivative of that sinus, the anterior 

 prolongation of the post-cardinal vein is here called the vertebral vein. 



The origin and development of the post-cardinal veins, their rela- 

 tion to the kidneys and to Jacobson's veins, were first described by 

 Hochstetter (i 8 8 8) for Salamandra atra. The substance of his work 

 is quite well known and there is therefore no need to repeat it here. 



C. V. suhclavia (v.scl.) or V. cutanea magna (partim) (Bethge). 

 In addition to the blood from the fore-limb the subclavian vein also 

 receives two important factors from the muscles and skin of the 

 trunk, viz. the V. lateralis and the V. epigastrica anterior. The 

 description of the subclavian vein thus falls naturally into three 

 heads. 



{a) V. epigastrica anterior (v.e.a.). The anterior epigastric veins lie 

 in the ventral body-wall alongside the arteries of the same name, at 

 the lateral edges of the MM. recti abdominales superficiales. Each 

 arises a little posterior to the caudal edges of the liver by factors from 

 the neighbouring muscles, as well as by transverse tributaries from 

 the median epigastric vein (see p. 237), and passes forwards to the 

 posterior border of the coracoid, where it divides into two branches. 



