T4 Large Lite/lines. [Book IX. 



procefs is wanting, but its place is fupplied by aglandj, 

 which affords a flippery fluid. In fome birds we meet 

 with two vermiform proceffes, and in fome kinds of 

 fiih they are very numerous. Under the name of] colon 

 is comprehended almoft the whole of the great intef- 

 tines. The colon begins in the right iliac region, and 

 is attached to the kidney, thence it rifes as high as the 

 ftomach and the liver. It now runs tranfverfely before 

 the fiomach to the left fide, is connected to the fpleen 

 and kidney, defcends into the left iliac region, and 

 being there bent in the form of the letter S, it termi- 

 nates in the rectum. The ftructure of the colon is 

 fimilar to that of the fmall inteftines. It is more robuft, 

 however, and the longitudinal mufcular fibres, which 

 are mixed with ligamentous fubftance, are united into 

 three fafciculi, giving it in fome meafure a triangular 

 form. Thefe fafciculi are continued from the vermi- 

 form procefs of the caecum to the end of the colon, 

 where they gradually difappear. 



Along the whole courfe of the colon are a number 

 of cells formed by circular contractions of the inteftine, 

 which ferve to retard the progrefs of its contents. 



Along the whole courfe of the large inteftines we alfo 

 obferve fmall projections of a fat fubftance, contained 

 in elongations of their common coat. They feem 

 in their nature very analogous to the omentum, and 

 are confidered by Window as a kind of fmall omenta ; 

 tfy-y are accordingly named appendices epiploicse. 



The rectum, which is a continuation of the colon, 

 begins at the ioweft vertebra of the loins. It is bent 

 like the internal fwrface of the os facrum and os coccy- 

 gis, to which it is clofely applied, and terminates at the 

 anus. The blood-vefiels of the inteftines wil be men- 

 tioned in treating of the general diftribution of the ar- 

 teries and veins. 



