8 INTESTINE AND DIET OF REPTILES. 



tfae pyloric tract of tlie ventricle. The length of the small 

 intestine is 106 mm. There is a well developed pyloric valve. 

 The large intestine is abruptly widened, but there is in this 

 specimen bardly any trace of a ca>cum as the small intestine 

 opens almost into the centre of its anterior end. At the said 

 opening is a well developed valve. The length of the large 

 intestine which has no interiör valves is about 32 mm. The 

 ventricle as well as the large intestine contained remains of 

 beetles. In another specimen of the same species the large 

 intestine was more strongly distended and then it was ap- 

 j)arent that the dilatation of the anterior end had taken 

 place more in the direction of the insertion of the mesentery, 

 that is in a dorsi-sinistral direction more than in others. In 

 consequence hereof a sinnos portion of the large intestine 

 jirotrndes to the left, A similar arrangement I have also 

 stated in the related species Tarentola mauretanica in which 

 the left sinnous säck is still more pronounced (Fig. 1, Pl. 1) 

 and the opening of the small intestine into the large one is 

 situated more to the right. It is probably this fact which has 

 caused Meckel (1. c. 1819) to ascribe a coocum to his iGecko 

 fasciciilaris». It is rather a question of personal opinion if 

 this left sinuous dilatation shall be termed coecum or not. 



In addition to these Cleckonids already mentioned Meckel 

 enumerates a few names (the synonyms of which partly are 

 uncertain) and says that one of these has a coecnm^) two 

 others only a »protuberance» on the left side. Snch a »pro- 

 tuberance» or rather sinuons dilation to the left of the large 

 intestine and a corresponding displacement of the opening of 

 the small intestine to the right seems to be a comnion occnr- 

 rence in the Geckonids. I have, for instance, found such an 

 arrangement in Crossohamon eversmanni and Sphceroclactylus 

 argiis in addition to the species mentioned above. If the 

 displacement of the opening of the small intestine has taken 

 place in a high degree and apparently been moved backwards 

 and to the right a comparatively large coccal säck can be 

 formed on the left side of the terminal portion of the small 

 intestine as is, for instance, the case in Phyllodactylus eiiro- 

 pceus in which Wiedersheim also has observed a ccccnm. 



1 iGecko fi)nhrkitnsi>. Vnhnys tliis is a synonym otVyoiilatus fimbri- 

 atus and then a member of the aberrant family Uroplatidce of Madagascar. 



