Kendall. — Anatomical Facts 45 



canal extends backward a certain distance as the cardiac limb of 

 the stomach, makes a rather abrupt bend forward and ex- 

 tends as the pyloric limb forward to the liver, which is sit- 

 uated immediately behind the diaphragm. At its anterior 

 end this pyloric limb makes a sharp bend and extends back- 

 ward to the vent as the intestine. At the anterior end 

 of the pyloric limb and on the anterior end of the in- 

 testine is a mass of ccecal appendages or pyloric ccecae. Immed- 

 iately behind the posterior curve of the stomach the spleen is 

 situated, and the pancreas lies along the upper surface of the 

 cardiac limb. The so-called "blood"along the dorsal surface 

 of the cavity composes the kidney mass. Below this is the air- 

 bladder extending for the entire length of the abdominal cavity. 

 The whole abdominal cavity is lined by a serous membrane called 

 the peritoneum, which sends out folds forming covering, attach- 

 ments, and supporting membranes to the visceral organs. 



It is with two sets of folds of this membrane that this paper 

 is particularly concerned. First, may be mentioned the mesen- 

 teries which are connected with the alimentary tract. All fishes 

 possess a dorsal mesentery which in salmonoids is described as 

 originating on the middle longitudinal line of the peritoneum 

 covering the lower surface of the air bladder and extending to 

 and supporting the intestine for nearly its entire length. How- 

 ever, in the salmon, at least, is another mesenteric fold which 

 originates with the intestinal mesentery forward and connects 

 with the cardiac limb of the stomach. This, to my knowledge, 

 has not previously been described. The salmons, trouts and 

 chars also possess an hitherto undescribed ventral mesentery 

 which forms a longitudinal partition between the intestine and 

 and ventral surface of the abdominal cavity, extending from 

 just behind the pelvic region to the posterior end of the cavity. 

 The dorsal intestinal membrane terminates a short but varying 

 distance from the anal end of the intestine in the female but 

 is complete in the male. So far as I have observed, the 

 grayling, whitefishes, ciscoes, and smelts have no ventral 



