Scientific Tntelligence. — Zoology. 371 



remarkable in the distribution of the arteries : their size is, how- 

 ever, somewhat diminutive. The whole venous system presents 

 a most striking exhibition. The vena cava abdominalis is of a 

 very inordinate size : the venae hepaticae, which joins the former 

 near the right auricle of the heart, are dilated into vast reser- 

 voirs for the blood : the veins in the spinal canal, extending its 

 whole length, and two in number, were of such a size when in- 

 jected, that, in order for the exhibition of one, the other was 

 obliged to be removed: on the back part of the neck there is a 

 mass of huge vessels coiled and twisted together in a very unique 

 manner. J. H."" — " B. c. 381. The bloodvessels, gall-bladder, 

 and ducts of the liver of a seal injected and dried. In this pre- 

 paration, the great disproportion between the ven^ hepatic^e and 

 the other vessels of the liver is well shewn. The hepatic artery, 

 filled with red wax, is very small, and divides into two at the 

 place of its junction with the liver: the vena porta, injected 

 green, bears the usual proportion in size to the artery ; the ve- 

 nas hepaticae, to be known by the yellow wax, appears as a great 

 bag, with three projections from it, representing the offsets from 

 the bag which passed into the lobes of the organ. The gall- 

 bladder and its ducts are small."" — " B. c. 383. The heart and 

 principal bloodvessels of an otter (Lutra vulgaris), injected 

 and removed from the body. The preparation shews a dilata- 

 tion in the hepatic veins like that in the same vessels of the seal, 

 though not to such an amount. The venae cavae and innomi- 

 natae exhibit a like tendency to enlargement. These great di- 

 latations in the venous system leading to the pulmonary cavities 

 of the hearts in these animals, serve, no doubt, the purpose of 

 temporary reservoirs for the blood, when prevented passing on 

 freely through the lungs during the long-continued periods of 

 submersion to which the animals are accustomed. — J. H."' But 

 the same provision, as might be expected, is found in the diving 

 birds, a fact first noticed by our author : " B. c. 407. An in- 

 jected preparation, shewing the circulation in the great northern 

 diver {Culymbus glacialis). The vena cava abdominalis is vastly 

 dilated, and near its entrance into the right auricle forms a distinct 

 bag, larger than that of the auricle itself. The venaj hepaticas 

 arc much wider than they are ever found in birds not accus- 

 tomed to diving. — J. H."" — " B. c. 408. A dried preparation 



