348 



ALIMENTARY CANAL OF CARNIVORA. 443 



transverse rugae. The stomach of the Lion, fig. 347, shows its 

 common form in the order: it is chiefly elongated from right 

 to left ; but lies less transversely to the abdomen than in Man : the 

 cardia, a, and pylorus, b, are wide apart: there is but a small 

 extent of ' blind sac,' d, to the left of the cardia, and the pyloric 

 end, e, b, is bent abruptly and closely upbn the middle of the 

 stomach. The longitudinal fibres of the muscular coat form a 

 strong band along the lesser curvature : the ruga; of the inner 

 coat affect a longitudinal course : the pyloric valve is less promi- 

 nent than in man. The branches from the ' arteria coronaria 

 ventriculi ' pass some way down the front wall before penetrating 

 the gastric coats ; not entering at the lesser curvature, as in Man. 

 In all Felidce the pylorus is suspended by a duplicature of peri- 

 toneum, and the duodenum has the same loose attachment, to its 

 termination, which becomes more closely tied to the vertebral body. 

 The mesentery again expands to suspend the rest of the small in- 

 testines. In a full grown Lion these measured 18 feet, with a uni- 

 form circumference of 2£ inches. The caecum was 2 inches long : 

 it is simple and conical, fig. 348 : the 

 length of the large intestines was 2 feet 10 

 inches; the colon soon gains a circum- 

 ference of 4 inches. The muscular coat 

 of the intestines is thick throughout. The 

 terminal orifice of the ileum is circular, 

 and situated on a valvular prominence of 

 the same form. The apex of the caecum 



• i . r» • , , • i /* it l Caecum of tbe Lion 



is a ciuster ol intestinal iollicles. 



The lining membrane of the small intestine has fine and close- 

 set villi in the Lion ; they are longer and coarser in the Bear, and 

 seem to be rather flattened than cylindrical. In contracted parts 

 of the tube the lining membrane is thrown into longitudinal 

 rugae : the agminate follicles form long longitudinal tracts in the 

 Lion. In the Hyaena the caecum is about twice the length of that 

 in the Lion, relatively. 



In the Dog the gullet extends about two inches beyond the 

 diaphragm before terminating in the stomach. The duodenum is 

 loosely suspended by a mesentery, except at its transit across the 

 vertebrae to become jejunum. The caecum is relatively longer 

 than in the Hyaena, and after a short course is folded or curved. 

 The intestinal canal is longer and narrower in the Dog than in the 

 Wolf, and the caecum in the latter is curved from its origin : it has 

 three coils in the Fox. 



The rugae of the gastric membrane are numerous and well- 



