140 



codile; and of these, one has the additional peculiarity of being 

 continuous with the common integunient. 



« The only part of the intestinal canal that presented anything 

 worthy of notice, in addition to previous descriptions, was the sto- 

 mach. This viscus, from its shining lateral teiidons and muscuiar 

 structure, has generally been considered as a gizzard ; but the pro- 

 priety of this denomination has been questioned by M. Geoffroy- 

 Saint-Hilaire, on the ground of its wanting a cuticular hnmg. In 

 this individual,however, the interior of the stomach presented tno 

 smooth round patches about the size of a crown-piece, situated on 

 opposite sides of the cavity ; they were not, indeed, detachable asa 

 membrane distinct from the villous coat, and appeared to differ only 

 in having a smoother surface : this appearance, hovvever, adds to 

 the analogv that this riiCMs bears to the gizzards of birds. Another 

 circurastance in favour of this analogy is the fact of pebbles 

 being commonlv found in the stomach. M. GeofiFroy-Saint- 

 Hilaire met with them in the Egypiian Crocorfi/e, and observedthat 

 they were rendered smooth by the action of tnturating the ah- 

 mentary substances. In the present instance, there were five small 

 pebbles in the stomach, the largest of which was about 8 Įmes m 

 the longest diaraeter. 



« The valve at the orifice by which the small pyloric cavity 

 communicates with the duodcnum appears rather to oppose the 

 passatre of matter into that intestine ; andbothonficesareremark- 

 ably small as compared with the size of the stomach, and especi- 

 ally with the size of ihe cardiac aperture : the diameter of each did 

 not 6XC66(1 3 lin6S» 



" The duodenum formed the šame double fold as described by 

 M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire in the Egyptian species. As he makes 

 no mention of apancreas, but describes the outer spaces of this 

 part as occupied only by fat, I was induced to examme it minutely, 

 and discovered the gland betvveen the fir&t and lašt portiorjs of the 

 gut ; and having iaid open the duct, an eye-probe passed readily 

 through it into the upper end of the lašt portion of the duodenum, 

 a quarter of an inch beyond the orifice of the biliary duct. 



" The ręst of the small intestines varied only in diameter vi^here 

 Jlatus had accumulated, and at these parts the zigzag rugts vvere 

 almost obliteiated. Mr. Hunter has remarked in his Anatomy ot 

 Whales (Phil. Trans. lxxvii. p. 410), thathe has ' never found any 

 air in the intestines of this tribe : nor indeed in any of the aquatic 

 aniraals.' But this remark does not appear to apply to those ani- 

 mals whose habits are only partially aąuatic. 



« The rectum opens directly into the genito-unnary cavity, and 

 does not pass beyond it, as in Tortoises, to terminale in the outer 

 cavity or vestib\i]e (vestibulum commune, Geoft.) The termination 

 in this instance was denoted by a valve not circular, but rather 

 spirally disposed ; and the character of the linmg membrane of the 

 genito-urinary cavity vvas verv distinct from that of the rectum, 

 being more coarsely villous. and of a redder colour: this cavity 

 wasaninch in lengthį the urctcrs opened at the lower part, just 



