124 ALLEN 
into the renal portal veins. With Sedastodes these veins extend 
much further cephalad than in the other genera, and in Opfhzo- 
don and Scorpenichthys the caudal vein receives the posterior 
mesenteric vein immediately after entering the kidney. It is of 
interest to note in connection with the posterior mesenteric vein, 
that in 2 other genera of the Cottoids, namely, Calyczlepidotus 
and Enofhrys, this vessel was absent. The right cardinal 
always arises in the caudal end of the kidney and drains the 
entire kidney, while the left cardinal drains only a portion of 
the left lobe of the kidney. The intercostal and the anterior 
neural veins break up in the kidney. ‘The spermatic veins vary 
greatly in size, number, and position; with the female they 
arise from numerous branches, passing along the lateral surfaces 
of the ovaries; while in the male these branches come from the 
inside of the testes, and the spermatic veins terminate in the 
right cardinal or the renal portal veins. The cardinals and 
jugulars always unite on the ventral surface of their respective 
lobe of the kidney to form the precava, which pass around the 
cesophagus and terminate in the sinus venosus. There is always 
a distinctive hepatic portal system, which takes its origin from 
a right and a left portal vein. Usually the left portal vein has 
its source from 2 pyloric ceca veins, an intestinal, and a few 
ventral gastric veins. In Scorpenichthys it receives the entire 
intestinal supply. The right portal ordinarily arises from a 
right gastric, an intestinal, and a splenic vein; in Scorpe- 
nichthys no intestinal vein is received; while in Sebastodes the 
right gastric branch receives the additional anterior air-bladder 
vein. In Ophiodon, always, and in Scorpenichthys, usually, 
the 2 portals have no connection within the liver; while with 
flexagrammos a branch of the left portal anastomoses with the 
right portal; and in Sebastodes and Anoplopoma the 2 portals 
and several minor vessels empty into and form a common portal. 
As in other vertebrates the portals break up into venous capil- 
laries within the liver, and become collected by 2 hepatic 
veins, which unite in a hepatic sinus before emptying into the 
sinus venosus. An interesting vein in Ophdodon and Scorpe- 
nichthys is the left gastric vein, which arises from the left side 
of the stomach and empties directly into the precava. With the 
