212 THE VITAL FUNCTIONS. 



gizzard (g) ; at the lower extremity of this organ 

 the upper hepatic vessels (b,b), eight in number, 

 and of considerable diameter, are inserted : then 

 follows a portion of the canal (d), which may be 

 regarded either as a digesting stomach, or a 

 chyliferous duodenum : farther downwards, the 

 second set of hepatic vessels, (h h), which are 

 very numerous, but as slender as hairs, are 

 received ; and after a small contraction (n) there 

 is again a slight dilatation of the tube (c) before 

 it terminates. 



The alimentary canal of the Ciciridela campes- 

 tris^ (Lin.) which preys on other insects, is re- 

 presented in Fig. 318; where we see that the 

 lower part of the oesophagus (o), is dilated into 

 a crop (p), succeeded by a small gizzard (g), 

 which is provided for the purpose of bruising 

 the elytra, and other hard parts of their victims : 

 but, this mechanical division being once effected, 

 we again find the true digesting stomach (s) 

 simply membranous, and the intestine (i) very 

 short, but dilated, before its termination, into a 

 large colon (c). The hepatic vessels (h), of 

 which, in this insect, there is only one set, ter- 

 minate in the cavity of the intestine by four 

 ducts, at the point where that canal commences. 



A more complicated structure is exhibited in 

 the alimentary tube of the Melolontha vulgaris^ 

 or common cockchafFer, which is a vegetable 



