322 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHICK 
tribution of the cephalic duct to the left, and the caudal duct to 
the right lobe. 
The liver is primarily an unpaired median organ. Its division 
into right and left lobes is therefore secondary and has no funda- 
mental embryological significance. The factors that determine 
its definitive external form are the following: (a) the relative 
power of growth of its various parts; (b) limitation of its exten- 
sion to the septum transversum and its connections; (¢) the limi- 
tations of space in the eccelome. 
Bearing these principles in mind, the growth of the liver 
may be described as follows: three primary divisions succeed- 
ing one another in a cranio-caudal direction, may be distinguished 
at an early stage, viz., an antero-dorsal division, abutting on the 
postero-dorsal part of the sinus venosus, formed by the anterior 
end of the cephalic hepatic diverticulum; an intermediate division, 
surrounding the meatus venosus in which both cephalic and 
caudal hepatic diverticula are concerned; and a postero-ventral 
division, beneath the posterior end of the meatus venosus and the 
right omphalomesenteric vein, formed exclusively by the caudal 
diverticulum. 
The growth of the liver causes expansion of the median mass 
of the septum transversum in all directions, excepting anteriorly, 
and the substance of the liver extends more or less into all the 
connections of the latter, viz., the lateral mesocardia, the lateral 
closing plates associated with the umbilical veins, the primary 
ventral ligament, the mesentery of the vena cava, the gastro- 
hepatic ligament, and that part of the hepatic portal vein formed 
by the right omphalomesenteri¢ vein. 
At the stage of 96 hours the anterior division spreads 
out in the lateral mesocardia behind the Cuvierian ducts nearly 
to the lateral body-wall on each side. The intermediate division, 
on the other hand, lies largely on the right side of the middle 
line, owing to the displacement of the stomach to the left and the 
meatus venosus to the right. A small lobe is, however, pushing 
itself to the left beneath the gastro-hepatic ligament. The pos- 
terior division lies entirely on the right ventral side of the hinder 
end of the meatus venosus and right omphalomesenteric vein, 
as far back as the dorsal anastomosis. There are, of course, 
no sharp lines of demarcation between the divisions, so that in 
general it may be said that the liver substance tends more and 
