DISTRIBUTION OF LYMPHATICS IN SCORP/ENICHTHYS 79 



to Trois' statement that similar longitudinal trunks in Urano- 

 scofins are doubtless of only secondary importance. Before 

 passing under the shoulder-girdle the lateral trunk receives a 

 large pectoral sinus that collects the lymph from the pectoral 

 fin region, and from here on its course and connections are very 

 different from what has been described for any other fish. 

 Following the first rib inward it receives a communication from 

 the pericardial sinus, and opposite the atlas unites with a fork 

 of the myelonal trunk in what is designated as the occipital 

 sinus, from which the cranial trunk has its source. 



2. A large and very important myelonal or superior longi- 

 tudinal spinal lymphatic trunk is found traversing the spinal 

 canal above the cord, from which it is separated by a septum. 

 The neural or interspinal branches noted by previous workers 

 are very conspicuous in Scorfcenichlhys ; all of which anasto- 

 mose above with the dorsal lymphatic trunks, and many of 

 them are prolonged ventrally to connect with the abdominal 

 sinus or the longitudinal haemal lymphatic trunk. Evidently 

 this trunk is absent in many species or else it has been over- 

 looked. So far as could be ascertained Sappey is the only 

 one to give it a cephalic ending ; he represents it with the pike 

 and carp as curving outward at the first cervical vertebra and 

 emptying directly into the jugular. In Scorpcenichthys the 

 myelonal trunk bifurcates directly behind the skull ; each fork 

 passing outward between the skull and atlas unites with the 

 lateral lymphatic trunk in forming the cranial lymphatic trunk, 

 and as stated above the occipital sinus marks the point of union. 



3. The cranial lymphatic trunk follows along the ventro- 

 lateral wall of the skull above the jugular, and shortly before 

 the prootic process is reached dilates into sinus (s), which opens 

 laterally into the cephalic sinus and anteriorly into the abdomi- 

 nal sinus. 



4. Trois' description of the dorsal lymphatic trunk in Lophius 

 and Uranoscopus will answer equally well for Scor^pcEiiichthys. 

 In the fin region it splits up into 3 parallel vessels, 2 of which 

 run along at the side and base of the rays and the third is a 

 median trunk that traverses the basal canal of the rays ; the 

 latter trunk receives branches from the fin membrane, there 



