1890.] HELODERMA SUSPECTUM. 195 



arf?/joram strongly impinges upon its right lobe. Composed of the 

 usual hepatic tissue, the liver of Heloderma is, during life, of a 

 deep brownish-red colour, but this turns paler after the organ has 

 been placed in spirit, and it becomes tinged with a greenish hue. 

 Ventrally, as a whole, this gland is convex over its surface, it being 

 behind more or less concaved. Primarily, it is divided into two 

 principal lobes ; the right lobe has a length of about 7'5 centimetres 

 and a width of 2'.') centimetres, while the left lobe is something like 

 a centimetre less in both of these dimensions. Its borders are 

 rounded, and it measures through its thick part, which is near its 

 centre, about a centimetre. 



Regarding it upon its ventral aspect (Plate XVI. fig. 1), we are to 

 observe that the right lobe exhibits near its posterior apex one or two 

 small fissures, while a small teat-like process of the glandular sub- 

 stance issues from the same lobe to cross towards the left behind the 

 gall-bladder. This right lobe is likewise indented in such a manner 

 that the gall-bladder is exposed to some considerable extent through 

 an oblong aperture. Between the lobes, behind, issue the bile-duct?, 

 and the portal vein makes its entrance. 



Viewed upon its dorsal aspect (Plate XVI. fig. 2), the liver of this 

 Lizard presents us with a number of interesting points for our exami- 

 nation. Chief among these is a small supplementary lobe which comes 

 off from the anterior part of the right lobe near its mesial border. 

 It projects freely, being subcylindrical in form with rounded apex, 

 and in direction it is oblique, passing up close to the outer side of the 

 heart. From this latter fact I propose to call it, in those specimens 

 wherein it is present, the lobulus cardiacus. Other very much smaller 

 lobuli are to be seen upon this aspect of the liver in the specimen 

 before us, whether these are constant or not, I cannot at this writing 

 say. Several of these occur at the apical extremity of the right 

 lobe; two overlapping ones are seen at the hinder part of the/bs^a 

 cystidis fellea. In this latter fissure obliquely lies the gall-bladder, 

 an organ which we will describe further along. 



The^0M5 hepatis, or the ligature that binds the right and left lobes 

 of the liver, in Heloderma is very extensive and very thick, extend- 

 ing as it does from the fissure of the gall-bladder to a point anteriorly 

 where the two lobes meet the apex of the heart. 



The portal vein enters the left lobe of the liver at its lower part, 

 as a single trunk. Its branchings take place after the vessel passes 

 into the hepatic substance. At about 4 centimetres behind the 

 liver the anterior abdominal vein joins the portal as its main tri- 

 butary. Beddard figures the portal vein of Varanus salvator as 

 entering the right lobe of the liver (P. Z. S. 1888, p. 104); but this 

 does not agree with a specimen of Varanus nihticus before me, 

 wherein the portal vein distinctly enters the lelt lobe of the liver, 

 branching just as it does so \ 



' I am indebted to Professor Alexfinder Agassiz for the specimen of V. mlo- 

 ticns to wliich I refer, and to Professor Samuel Garnian for liis liiiidncss in 

 selecting it from the collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of 

 Harvard College, and forwarding it to me. 



