BLOOD-VASCULAR SYSTEM OF THE LORICATI III 



veins. Usually, there are 2 suprarenal veins (fig. 10, Sr.V^.), 

 which pass inward and join the right cardinal. 



{il) The left cardinal vein (figs, i and 5 ; L.Car.V.) is a very 

 short and unimportant vessel ; having its source entirely from 

 the anterior end of the left fork of the kidney. The blood from 

 the posterior part of this fork reaches the heart through the 

 right cardinal. The left cardinal unites with the left jugular in 

 forming the left precava, which passes around the left side of 

 the oesophagus and terminates in the sinus venosus. 



{e) Renal Portal System in Scorpcenicht/iys, Hexagraninws 

 and Sebastodes. — In each of these genera the renal portal sys- 

 tem is in the main substantially the same. Some minor varia- 

 tions are noted in the 3 following paragraphs. 



The renal portal system in Scorpienichikys is essentially the 

 same as in Ophiodon. The caudal vein after passing through 

 the haemal canal of the first caudal vertebra penetrates the 

 dorsal surface of the kidney, and breaks up into two renal por- 

 tal veins. As in Ophiodon di posterior mesenteric vein (fig. 29, 

 P.Mes.V.) is also present, which arises from a gastric and an 

 intestinal branch, and after passing over the urinar}' bladder 

 from which it receives a branch, penetrates the posterior apex of 

 the kidney, terminating in the renal portal ; but the distance 

 it has to go cephalad in the kidney is much greater than in 

 Ophiodon, and numerous branches are given off, which reach 

 the cardinal through the efferent renal veins ; so that the pos- 

 terior mesentric vein is much reduced in caliber upon joining 

 the renal portal. It is of interest to note in this connection that 

 in Enophrys and Calycilepidotus, 2 genera of the family Cot- 

 tidae, no such vessel as the posterior mesenteric was noticed. 

 As regards the spermatic veins, they are also of especial in- 

 terest, coming in midway between Ophiodon and the peculiar 

 arrangement found in Sebastodes. In the female there is a 

 right and ?i left sperynatic vein (fig. 29, R. and L.Sper.V), each 

 of which receives numerous branches coming from the lateral 

 surfaces of their respective ovaries. From each of these longi- 

 tudinal veins there arise a cephalic and a caudal vessel ; both 

 of which unite with corresponding vessels from the opposite side 

 to form the spermatic veins proper (fig. 29; Sper.V.j ^^j,)' ^"^ 



