Prof. Reid on the Voe-marus Islandicus. 4-61 



'& 



iilary bone, the lower jaw, the vomer, the superior pharyngeal 

 bones, and the processes of the branchial arches*. 



Abdomen. — On opening the abdomen the digestive tube pre- 

 sented the appearance of being nearly straight throughout its 

 whole length, but on proceeding with the dissection it was found 

 that a loop of intestine about 20 inches in length was overlapped 

 by a mass of cseca (pyloric caeca), which extended between 9 and 

 10 inches along the lower edge of the stomach and oesophagus, 

 and was tied closely to these by folds of peritoneum, except at its 

 antei'ior portion. This mass of c?eca measured about y%ths of an 

 inch in height and ygths of an inch in breadth at its thickest 

 part. On tracing the digestive tube onwards from the back part 

 of the mouth in a straight course for about 13 inches we arrived at 

 the pyloric portion of the stomach (PL XVI. fig. 1 a) projecting 

 from its lower edge, forming a process or diverticulum about y'g ths 

 of an inch in height and the same in length ; and was overlapped 

 and hid from view by the posterior extremity of the mass of 

 caeca. The stomach was prolonged backwards beyond the pyloric 

 portion for 2^ inches, gradually becoming narrower, terminating 

 in a point, and forming a cul de sac (fig. 1 h). The breadth of 

 this first portion of the digestive tube, measured before it was 

 opened, was about [f ths of an inch at the anterior part and y^g ^^^ 

 of an inch immediately above the pyloric portion of the stomach. 

 At its commencement at the back part of the mouth it was nar- 

 row and only admitted the passage of the little finger, but imme- 

 diately below this it became wider and measured 2 inches across 

 when slit open. It very gradually became narrower as it pro- 

 ceeded backwards, and immediately above the pyloric portion of 

 the stomach it measured \~ inch across. There was however no 

 distinctly defined dilated portion at the anterior part to which 

 the name of pharynx could be given, and there was no distinct 

 line of demarcation between the oesophagus and stomach. The 

 walls of the stomach and oesophagus were of the same thickness, 

 with the exception of a slight thickening of the pyloric portion, 

 and there was no marked difference in the appearance of the 

 mucous membrane, to the unaided eye, in these parts. The 

 mucous membrane was thrown into nine longitudinal folds, part 

 of which were continued into the pyloric, and the rest into the 

 cul de sac of the stomach. These longitudinal folds were very 

 prominent in the narrow commencement of the digestive tube, 



* I think it right to state, that after I had examined the external cha- 

 racters of this animal, circumstances prevented me from proceeding with its 

 dissection for several months, and it was preserved during that time in a 

 solution of bay-salt, alum, and corrosive sublimate (Goadby's solution). 

 Several representations of it were taken by the caleotype process, soon after 

 it came into my possession, by Dr. John Adamson. 



