VOL. LVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. ' S6l 



left of the ventricle. The aorta goes out, passing for a little way in a loose 

 spiral turn, then becomes straight, where it seems to be muscular; at this part 

 the branches go ofF, between which there is a rising within the area of the 

 aorta like a bird's tongue, with its tip turned towards the heart*. 



The liver is principally one lobe, pretty close to the heart at the fore part, 

 and passes back on the right of the stomach and intestines; at its anterior 

 extremity on the left side, there is a very short lobe, ending abruptly. The gall- 

 bladder lies in a fissure on the left side of the liver, near its middle; there is no 

 hepatic duct; the hepato-cystic ducts, which seem to be 3 in number, enter the 

 gall-bladder at its anterior end or fundus, and the cystic duct passes out from the 

 posterior end of the gall-bladder, and terminates in the gut, about half an inch 

 from the pylorus. The oesophagus, which is pretty large, passes back, and is 

 continued into the stomach in the same line. The stomach, at the posterior end, 

 bends a little to the right, where it terminates in the pylorus. The intestines 

 pass back, making many turns; at the posterior end they become pretty straight, 

 forming what may be called the colon, or rectum, where they are a little larger, 

 and run to the anus in a straight direction. At the beginning of this larger part 

 of the intestinal tube, there is no valvular structure. The spleen is a very small 

 but long body; its anterior end is attached to the upper surface of the stomach, 

 and it is continued back along the left side of the mesentery, to which it adheres. 

 The pancreas is a small body lying above the duodenum, and is attached also to 

 the left side of the mesentery. The kidneys are situated in the upper and 

 posterior part of the abdomen, having the rectum passing below and between 

 them, as in the snake, &c. Below the rectum lies a long bag, like a bladder; it 

 adheres all along to the inside of the abdominal muscles, and its mouth opens 

 into the rectum ; but whether it is the bladder of urine, or not, he cannot tell. 

 On each side of the rectum, close to the lungs, there is a body, the posterior end 

 of which rests on the anterior end of the kidney ; whether they are testicles or 

 ovaria, he cannot pretend to determine; but imagines that they are either the 

 one or the other. 



* This account of the vena cava opening into the cavity of the pericardium may appear 

 incredible; and it might be supposed, that in the natural state of the parts, there is a canal of com- 

 munication going from ore cava to the other, which being broken or nipt through in the act of 

 catching or killing the animal, would give the appearance above described. I can only say, 

 that the appearances were what have been described in three different subjects which 

 I have dissected ; and in all of them the pericardium was full of coagulated blood. But. 

 besides the smallness of the subjects, it may be observed that they had been long preserved in spirit*, 

 which made them more unfit for anatomical inquiries. They bad been in my possession above 7 

 years. — Orig. 



END OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH VOLUME OP THE ORIGINAL. 



VOL. XII. 3 A 



