LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. 153 



the posterior extremities of the gills, and having now got as far 

 back as the orbit, it next receives lymphatic vessels from that 

 cavity ; but these vessels do not belong merely to the orbit ; 

 for one of them comes from .the nose, and another from the 

 upper part of the mouth. A little below the orbit another 

 network appears, consisting, in part, of. the vessels above de- 

 scribed and of the thoracic duct. This network is very com- 

 plex ; some of its vessels lie on each side of the muscles be- 

 longing to the gills, and from its internal part a vessel goes 

 into the jugular vein, by which vessel the whole system is ter- 

 minated. The large lymphatic above mentioned, which lies 

 upon the bone of the thorax, has likewise a process running 

 towards the upper part of the kidney, and receives some of 

 the lymphatics of that organ. 



The lacteals run on each side of the mesenteric arteries, anas- 

 tomosing frequently *across those vessels. The receptaculum, into 

 which they enter, is very large in proportion to them, and con- 

 sists, at its lower part, of two branches, of which one lies be- 

 tween the duodenum and stomach, and runs a little way upon 

 the pancreas, receiving the lymphatics of the liver, pancreas, 

 those of the lower part of the stomach, and the lacteals from 

 the greatest part of the small intestines. The other branch of 

 the receptaculum receives the lymphatics from the rectum, and 

 the lacteals from the greatest part of the small intestines. The 

 receptaculum formed by these two branches lies on the right 

 side of the upper part of the stomach (or the lower part of the 

 oesophagus), and is joined by some lymphatics from that part, 

 and also by some small vessels from the sound and from the 

 gall-bladder, which in this fish adheres to the receptaculum. 

 The thoracic duct takes its rise from the receptaculum, and lies 

 on the right side of the oesophagus, receiving lymphatics from 

 that part ; and running up a little way (viz. about half an inch 

 in this fish) it divides into two branches or ducts, one of which 

 passes under the oesophagus to the left side, and the other goes 

 straight up on the right side, passes by the upper part of the 

 kidney, from which it receives some small branches, and soon 

 after is joined by a branch from the large lymphatic that lies 

 above the bone of the thorax, as formerly mentioned. It like- 

 wise, near this part, sends a branch to join the duct of the op- 

 posite side, and then a little higher is joined by those large 



