82 ELEMENTARY BIOLOGY. [CHAP. 



2. The anterior abdominal vein. (Cf. Sect. B. i. c. a.) 



This is seen to receive a series of paired epigastric 

 veins, which run in the tendinous intersections of 

 the ventral muscles. 



Carefully dissect the body-wall away from it, until 

 liberated for its whole course. Note 



a. Its origin ; by the fusion in the middle line of a 

 couple of short veins {pelvic veins), lying at the 

 base of the pleuro-peritoneal cavity and bringing 

 back blood from the hind-limbs. 



b. Its distribution. Trace it forwards ; it runs be- 

 neath (dorsal to) the ventricle : on raising the 

 latter it will be found to divide into two branches, 

 one of which goes to each lobe of the liver (afferent 

 hepatic veins). 



c. Its lesser factors. 



a. The epigastric veins ; described above. 



/?. The vesical vein ; entering its base, and bringing 

 in the blood from the urinary bladder and in- 

 testinal wall immediately adjacent. 



y. The cystic vein ; a small vessel, usually entering 

 the right afferent hepatic branch, bringing back 

 the blood from the gall-bladder. 



8. The cardiac vein ; a minute vessel, seen, on 

 displacing the ventricle, bound up in a special 

 fold of the pericardium. It brings back the 

 blood from the wall of the truncus arteriosus. 



3. The hepatic portal vein. 



Raise the left lobe of the liver ; the main trunk of 

 the above will be seen running through the head of 

 the pancreas to enter the same; it communicates 



