1870.] DR. J. MURIE ON SAIGA TARTARICA. 489 
ductus communis choledochus are both narrow, and together over 3 
inches long. The latter opens slit-wise into the duodenum, 7 inches 
(Pallas notes 10) distant from the pyloric orifice. 
The pancreas and mesenteric glands present nothing worthy of 
notice. 
4, The Mouth and Organs of Deglutition. 
In the ‘ Spicilegia’ quoted, the hairy upper lip, premaxillary pad, 
conical papillary fuscous buccal region, and livid tungue are briefly 
mentioned. I may add, however, a few remarks. There are a dozen 
forwardly convex linear and fringed transverse palatal elevations ; 
behind these the surface is smooth and somewhat concave from the 
-second molar backwards. 
The dark coloration of the tongue is limited to its anterior half or 
that portion capable of being extended ; the posterior moiety, on the 
contrary is very pale-coloured. In the male the gustatory organ 
was 6 inches long, and within a trifle of 13 inch broad at root. In 
general appearance it is uncommonly like that of a Sheep, much 
more so than to an Antilope’s tongue. The root is thick and 
convex, the middle considerably narrower ; and forwards from this 
it by degrees widens into a broad flat spatulate extremity. The 
tip is slightly notched in the median line ; and from this a shallow 
furrow runs back for 1} inch. Below there is also a very shallow 
medial furrow 3 inch in length. From the freenum lingue the 
tongue is free for 13 inch. Between the tip and the anterior por- 
tion of the dorsum the surface is comparatively smooth, the filiform 
papillee being very short, close, adpressed, and towards the posterior 
portion retroverted. Each lateral margin of the dark portion of the 
tongue, and an arch 3 an inch deep underneath the tip, are beset with 
punctiform flat-topped papille fungiformes.. The conical papille 
on the white convex dorsum are of moderate size, and, as in the 
Sheep, form a longitudinal ellipse. The papille circumvallatz are 
few in number, of small size, and sparsely scattered in parallel lon- 
gitudinal rows on the external surface of each side of the dorsum 
and root. 
The Saiga being a delicate feeder, choosing, like the Goat, aromatic 
herbs, may account, physiologically, for vast numbers of gustatory 
papillae found at the sides and under surface of the tip of the 
tongue. 
The velum pendulum palati is a thick and deep fold, narrowing 
cousiderably the passage into the pharynx. The arch above is dense 
and muscular ; but the free margin is much thinner and membranous. 
The two small follicular tonsillary glands are hidden within the pil- 
lars of the fauces ; and open into the palatine arch by a narrow orifice 
in front of the epiglottis. The mucous membrane around the fauces 
is smooth. 
The pharynx is a much wider cavity, and is abundantly supplied 
with submucous glands: its constrictor muscles have but moderate 
thickness. 
Of the glands conveying their secretions by ducts into the mouth, 
