2(5 INTES TINE AND DIET OF REPTILES. 



tudinal irregular folds Lut is no doubt capable of a great 

 power of distention whereby these folds become abolished. 

 The intestinal canal is empty bnt there is no doubt tliat tlie 

 diet of this lizard is carnivorous (insectivorous). 



Fain. Anguidse. 

 Opliisaurus venlralis L. 



Distance from snout to vcnt 165 mm. 



The ventricle reaches to a distance of 50 mm, from the 

 A^ent. It is quite straight and opens through a very high 

 valve which like a spout projects into a very wide duodenal 

 portion of the small intestine. The pancreas opens into this 

 part and it nearly forms a kind of ciccal säck at the pylo- 

 rus. The length of the small intestine is about 85 mm. Its 

 mucosa has not longitudinal plicse as usual but broad, leaf- 

 like villi of rather large size.^ These are transversally ar- 

 ranged and densely set, some are pointed, some more blunt. 

 They are found at least to the middle of the small intestine, 

 the posterior 'half being in such a bad state that nothing 

 could be ascertained with regard to its mucosa. The large 

 intestine consists of a short, 20 mm., straight rectum without 

 any trace of a ca:'cum. Interiorly it shows some irregular 

 longitudinal folds. 



The conditions found in Änguis frar/ilis are similar to 

 those described above from Ophisaurus. 



Fam. Varanidse. 



Varaiius sahator Land. 



Distance from snout to vent 510 mm. 



The ventricle is large extending nearly to the groin and 

 contained a Calotes. About three centimetres from the py lo- 

 rus is a very strong muscular sphincter (Fig. 10 sj)h., Pl. II) 



^ Chirotes is also said by Meckel (1819) to have iZotten» on the mu- 

 cosa of the small intestine. 



