THE VEINS. 447 



posterior and middle lobes of the kidney, and 

 joins the femoral vein, in the groove between 

 the middle and anterior lobes. It receives blood 

 from the dorsal and outer portions of these two 

 lobes. 



c. The femoral vein returns the blood from the leg. 



Entering the kidney at its outer side, between 

 the middle and anterior lobes, it is joined, as 

 just noticed, by the hypogastric vein : a little 

 further on it receives the renal vein, returning 

 blood from the inner and ventral portions of the 

 two hinder lobes of the kidney, and smaller 

 veins from the anterior lobe : and it finally 

 emerges from the kidney as the iliac vein. 



d. The iliac vein, formed in this way by the junction 



of the femoral, hypogastric, and renal veins, 

 leaves the kidney at its inner border, between its 

 anterior and middle lobes ; and then runs for- 

 wards, uniting opposite the anterior end of the 

 kidney with the iliac vein of the other side, to 

 form the posterior vena cava. 



3. The hepatic portal system. 



The portal vein lies in the omentum, between 

 the two bile-ducts, and on reaching the liver divides 

 into two branches, one supplying each lobe. It 

 conveys to the liver the blood from the greater part 

 of the length of the alimentary canal, and is formed 

 by the union of three chief veins." 



a. The gastro-duodenal vein returns the blood from 



the right side of the gizzard, from the duodenum, 

 and from the last loop of the small intestine. 



b. The anterior mesenteric vein returns blood from 



the greater part of the length of the small intestine 



c. The posterior mesenteric vein returns blood from 



the hinder part of the small intestine and from 

 the rectum. The blood in the anterior part of 



