THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM 85 



reinforced by a vessel — the coccygeo-mesenteric 

 vein — which communicates with the caudal 

 mesenteric vein. After this union, the caudal 

 vein divides into the two hypogastric veins, 

 each of which is joined by an internal iliac 

 vein from the wall of the pelvis. The hypo- 

 gastric vein enters the kidney and traverses 

 its posterior and middle lobes to join the 

 femoral vein in the groove between the middle 

 and anterior lobes. The femoral vein returns 

 the blood from the leg, and, after uniting with 

 the hypogastric, is joined by the renal vein, 

 thus becoming the common iliac vein. 



As in mammals the blood is carried from 

 the stomach and intestines to the liver by the 

 'portal vein, which is formed by the union of 

 gastro- duodenal, cranial 7nesenteric, and caudal 

 mesenteric veins ; the last named being con- 

 nected with the vessels about the kidneys by 

 means of the coccygeo-mesenteric vein. 



Lymph^vessels. — The body of the fowl is 

 richly furnished with lymph-vessels, the largest 

 of which are the right and left thoracic ducts. 

 These run towards the neck on each side of the 

 vertebral column and open into the jugular 

 veins. Though lymph-vessels are numerous, 

 lymph-glands are few and small. 



