203 



chomhia * ; below or sacrad of the liver appearetl the great curvature 

 of the stomach, e.\ten(ling quite across the abdomen ; froni this part 

 the omenium extended half-way down the ręst of the abdomen : on 

 lifling up the omentum there appeared what Palias justly calls, 

 *' insignis crassorum intestinorum apparatus", consisting of an enor- 

 moaa ceecum, and colon ; belovv which, extending upwards from the 

 iliac regions, \vere the extremities of the two accessory c^eca. These 

 latter parts vvere overlapped by what may be termed the spermatic 

 omenta, two diiplicatures of peritoneum, including fat, continued from 

 the spermatic vessels, testes and vasa deferentia, aiid extending from 

 the lumbar and iliac regions tovvards the middle line of the abdomen. 

 These, in the foetal Hyrax are remarkably large and loaded with fat. 

 On turningaside the ceeca, (which can easily be done, as they have an 

 entire investroent of peritoneum, and are not closely attached to the 

 abdominal ^Mrie/es,) the convolutions of the small intestines, and of 

 the ręst of the colon, vvere brought into vievv. 



" The duodenum is not so loosely connected with the back part of 

 the abdomen as in most of the Rodentia ; but it has ihroughout its 

 course one entire investment of peritoneum. It descends in front of 

 the right kidney for^4 inches, and then suddenly returns upon itself, 

 passingbehind the ascending colon, and runs along the middle of the 

 spine as high as the stomach, \vhere it becomes a loose intestine, or 

 jejunum. At its commencement it is not dilated as in many Ro- 

 dentia. 



" The small intestines \vere about 8 lines in diameter, and were 

 convoluted upon a mesentery about 1 inch and |ths in breadth, in the 

 curve of vvhich ran a chain of dark-coloured lacteal glands. Palias 

 countedeleven. On laying opcn the small intestines they presented a 

 peculiarity I have not met with iu any other quadruped, viz. a series 

 of about t\velve small pouches, distant from 3 to 5 inches from each 

 other, about 3 lines in diameter and the šame in depth, their orifices 

 pointing dijtad, or tovvards the ccecum. These pouches make no 

 projection externally, being situated vvholly beneath the muscular 

 coat. They consist of duplicatures of the mucous membrane, and 

 are surrounded by the glandulcc aggregatce vvhich open into them by 

 numerous orifices. Their use vvouid appear to be to prevent the 

 sccretion of these glands being mixed as soon as formed vvith the 

 chyme, but, by retaining it, to alter its qualities in some degree. 

 The vvhole inncr surface of the small intestines is beset vvith fine 

 vdli, giving them considerable resemblance to the intestines of a 

 bird. For Ihe extent of about a foot from the commencement of the 

 small intestines many of these villi terminated in a black point, a 

 circumstance vvhich Palias alsoobserved," intus punctis contiguis atris 

 villosum." The length of the small intestines vvas 4 feet 6 inches. 



" The cacum seemed at first sight to have a great analogy to that 



* Palias observes that the vvhole of the liver \vas in his speciinen situated 

 in the right hijpochomlrhtm, and dld not extend beyondthe mesiai line of the 

 diaphragm. In a viscus 30 loosely attached as this is in the Hyrar, variety 

 in respect to posltion is to be espected. 



