SCHULTE, SEI WHALE. 451 



only the stomach but the greater part of the intestine is contained in the left preumbilical 

 region. Save for some damage to the surface of the left lobe, the liver is well preserved and 

 so successfully hardened in situ that it retains distinct impressions of the adjacent viscera. 

 The surface relief therefore merits a somewhat detailed description. It is convenient to recog- 

 nize a ventral and a dorsal surface, the latter divided into diaphragmatic and visceral areas, 

 which are further distinguished by their somewhat different orientation. The demarcation 

 of the ventral and dorsal surface is facilitated by the coaptation of the liver to the diaphragm. 

 This it will be remembered presents two sloping planes, corresponding to the caudal surfaces 

 of the lungs and that of the pericardium, the two meeting in a transverse groove, in the right 

 third of which is placed the aperture of the postcava. This groove expresses itself in the relief 

 of the liver as a distinct transverse ridge, from which the surface falls away ventrad and dorsad, 

 in consequence of which the organ in right profile view has a wedged shaped upper contour. 

 To the left of the postcava the direction of the transverse ridge is continued by the border of 

 the left lobe that gives attachment to the lateral or coronary ligament. Thus upon the dia- 

 phragmatic aspect of the liver there is given a natural demarcation of ventral and dorsal sur- 

 faces. Caudad the boundary is given by the sharp margin as far as the pointed prolongation 

 of the right lobe which overlies the kidney. Running rostrad from this point a well marked 

 ridge at the right margin of the renal impression divides the ventral from the dorsal surface 

 for about half their sagittal extent. Rostrad of this the boundary is somewhat less definite 

 and is given by a rounded eminence of the right lobe, which fits into a corresponding concavity 

 of the diaphragm slightly caudad of its pulmonary plane, and corresponding to the sinus pleurae 

 on the thoracic aspect of the diaphragm. Thus the boundary between the ventral and the 

 dorsal surface has been traced round the periphery of the liver to our starting point, the trans- 

 verse ridge on its diaphragmatic aspect. 



The sharp ventral or caudal margin demands a word of description. The notch for the 

 umbilical veins is very deep. To the left of this the border has an oblique course, crossing the 

 second compartment of the stomach, leaving exposed its greater curvature together with almost 

 the whole of the first compartment, which is covered only by the large left coronary ligament. 

 To the right of the umbilical notch the liver is prolonged caudad beside the vein for about a 

 centimetre; the margin then turns obliquely to the right. Here the caudal extremity is formed 

 by an angular projection which rests upon the right kidney. Thus defined the ventral surface 

 is strongly convex from side to side, being moulded upon the diaphragm and recti, except rostrad 

 where it presents a flattened triangular impression corresponding to the base of the pericar- 

 dium. This is crossed by the attachment of the falciform ligament, with reference to which 

 it is asymmetrical about three fifths belonging to the right lobe. Sagittally the remainder of the 

 surface is nearly straight, only in the region of the renal prolongation on the right it slopes slightly 

 dorsad in consequence of the contraction of the abdomen in the vicinity of the umbilicus. 



The dorsal surface on the left is deeply grooved for the reception of the stomach. At the 

 bottom of this groove is situated the ductus venosus buried in the substance of the liver, its 

 fissure being marked only by the reflection of the peritoneum. The Spigelian lobe is of large 

 size and peculiar in the great development of its processus papillaris. This projects strongly 

 caudad and to the left, covered by peritoneum of the lesser sac; it is contact with the stomach 

 dorsad to the left and ventrad, and with the upper lobe of the pancreas and the arch of the 

 colon on the right, the latter being also caudal. On its dorsal aspect it is separated from the 



