DISTRIBUTION OF SUBCUTANEOUS VESSELS IN GANOIDS 85 



branches uniting again in the form of a rhomboid, the Literal 

 angles of which are connected with the lateral veins." Pos- 

 teriorly it bifurcates and both branches after following along 

 the border of the pubic cartilage pass inward to unite with the 

 iliac veins. The so-called posterior ventral cutaneous vein 

 starts from the tail, and forming a loop around the anals, again 

 unite in front of the fin to bifurcate in the cloaca region and 

 empty into the cloaca veins. Parker notes a direct communi- 

 cation of the cloaca veins with the iliac, so that the anterior and 

 posterior veins might be represented as a single trunk forming a 

 loop around the anal fin and the cloaca. Finally the two 

 lateral cutaneous veins are described and figured as running 

 along the side of the trunk at the junction of the dorsal and 

 ventral muscles. Posteriorly they unite with the caudal and 

 dorsal cutaneous veins, and anteriorly they terminate in sub- 

 scapular sinuses, which are discharged into corresponding 

 cardinal sinuses. 



Sappey (25) undoubtedly has done the most work of anyone 

 on these subcutaneous vessels, and unquestionably pronounces 

 them as lymphatics in the ray, dogfish {Squalus), and in several 

 Teleosts. In these different groups he also takes up in detail 

 the distribution of the blood vessels and the lateral line system. 

 His monograph is illustrated by 12 large lithographic plates. 

 In a ray he finds these subcutaneous vessels arising from the 

 dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body, from the mucous 

 canals, muscles, electrical apparatus, viscera and heart. Most 

 of the lymphatics on the dorsal surface of the body are described 

 and figured (PI. 5, Fig. i) as being in communication with the 

 grand sinus curviligne (Fig. i, 5) which lies above the gills, 

 and near its posterior extremity communicates with the ductus 

 of Cuvier from above. Three trunks haVe their origin from 

 the anterior part of the pectoral fin and empty into this reservoir, 

 which are designated from cephalad to caudad as le ironc longi- 

 tudinal (Fig. I, 2), le tronc lateral anterieur^ and le tronc lateral 

 moyen. Coming in from the rear or virtually continuous with 

 the sinus curviligne is le grand sinus longitudinal (F\g. i, 18). 

 It extends caudad to the tail, and at the point of opening into 

 the sinus curviligne it receives le tronc lateral ^ostcricur (Fig. 



