16 INTESTINE AND DIET OF REPTILES. 



belong to the coocnm. The large intestine was constricted at 

 the middle so that the remains of the food was divided in 

 two portions both consisting of the chitinous remains of in- 

 sects, chiefly ants as it wonld seem, bnt no vegetable matter 

 as I at first expected on seeing the considerable size of the 

 large intestine. There are no valves in the large intestine, 

 hut the opening of the small intestine protrudes a little 

 into its lumen. 



Lioliemus uitidus Wiegmanx. 



Distance from snout to vent 80 mm. 



The ventricle is sausage-shaped and forms a short cur- 

 Tature the posterior outline of which lies at three fifths of 

 ihe distance between the före- and hindlegs. There is a short 

 thin-walled pyloric tract of the ventricle. The length of the 

 small intestine is about 95 mm. and that of the large one 

 abont 40 mm. The latter forms a short nearly globular colic 

 säck and a narrow rectiim. The latter is in some specimens 

 also filled, and then wide. There is no coecum, but the small 

 intestine opens somewhat excentricallJ^ Valvula ileoccecalis 

 is not much developed and there are no colic valves, the colic 

 expansion being only by a simple constriction limited from 

 the rectnra it seems even iincertain if this division is not of 

 a passing nature depending npon the quantity of the contents. 



This lizard seems to be omnivorous. The ventricle con- 

 tained remains of some beetles and also some small tender leaves 

 of a plant and a blade of grass. The contents of the colic 

 säck were almost exclnsively of vegetable origin and the same 

 components as in the ventricle may be distinguished. In the 

 rectum some parts of the plants with their coarse cellulose 

 still remain, almost intact as it seems. But on the other 

 hand it is evident that the more tender tissues of other plants 

 have been subjected to decomposition. The digestion is of 

 oourse as far as the vegetable matter is concerned very in- 

 complete which is not apt to create any wonder if it is con- 

 sidered how very little the intestine has been adapted or 

 transformed for this kind of diet. 



