502 



ANATOMY OF VERTEBRATES. 



species of the Ly- and Liss-encephala, with little or no caecal 

 distinction of the intestines, the suspensory fold of the abdominal 

 alimentary canal may be almost as simple as in lizards ; e. g., in 

 the Shrews, fig. 389, m. The omentum is restricted to a very 

 small duplicature from the spleen, s, supporting some processes of 

 the ramified pancreas. When the caecum and large intestines are 

 more developed, then the peritoneum, reflected from the back of 

 the abdomen, appears to make a half twist, fig. 380, c, to form 



389 



Abdominal cavity, and mesentery. Ilydrosorex Hermann!, nat. size, cl.wii". 



the mesocolon, behind which the duodenum passes to become 

 the loose jejunum, which, with the ileum, is suspended on the 

 mesentery. The meso-duodenum, continued partly from the 

 upper layer of the mesocolon, is here of a size characteristic of 

 the peritoneum in many Mammals, but is reduced in Quadru- 

 mana, and is almost lost in Man. The great omentum or epiploon 

 is larger in Rodents than in Shrews ; but is transparent, and 

 with little or no fat : it includes, in Rodents, pancreatic processes, 



