THE RABBIT. 



25 



.CAftOT/O A. 



from the dorsal walls of the thorax, runs for some way in 

 the middle line and then bends to the right to enter the 

 precaval of that side : this is the only noticeably asymmetric 

 feature in the an- 

 terior veins of the 

 body. Some rab- 

 bits, but not all, 

 possess a transverse 

 connecting vein 

 ventral to the 

 thorax, uniting the 

 two external 

 jugulars. This is 

 called the jugular 

 anastomosis, the 

 term " anastomosis " 

 being applied to a 

 junction of veins of 

 such a kind that an 

 alternative course 

 is thereby offered 

 to the blood: 

 obviously the 

 direction in which 

 blood flows in this 

 vein will depend 

 on which jugular 

 vein has the greater 

 blood -pressure. 



The postcaval Fig. 4. PRINCIPAL ARTERIES AND VEINS OF RABBIT 



vein is not a median 

 vein in the most 

 literal sense, since its anterior portion bends over to the 

 right side, but it is median in the sense that it does not 

 belong either to right or left side, but receives blood equally 

 from both. Posteriorly it is formed by the union of right 

 and left internal and external iliac veins from the hind- 

 limbs, ~&.Yid~l^d-luml}ars from the body- wall ; passing for- 

 wards its main factors are the genital* veins from the 

 * Called spermatic in male, and ovarian in female 



Heart and Portal System omitted ; Median Arterirs 

 turned to the left. 



