﻿354 oh THE DISSECTION 



its fellow-creatures. The nails are well adapted 

 for digging in the ground ; and the animal is so dex- 

 terous in eluding its enemies, by concealing itself in 

 holes and among rocks, that it is extremely difficult 

 to procure one. 



The upper jaw is covered with a cross cartilaginous 

 ridge, which though apparently not at all suited to any 

 purposes of mastication, may, by increasing the sur- 

 face of the palate, extend the sense of taste. The oeso- 

 phagus admitted my fore-finger with ease. The tongue 

 at the bottom of the month is nearly about the size 

 of the little finger, from whence it tapers to a point. 

 The animal at pleasure protrudes this member a great 

 way from the mouth. The tongue arises from the 

 ensiform cartilage, and the contiguous muscles of the 

 belly, and passes in form of a round distinct muscle 

 from over the stomach, through the thorax, immedi- 

 ately under the sternum ; and interior to the wind- 

 pipe in the throat. When dissected out, the tongue 

 could be easily elongated so as to reach more than the 

 length of the animal, exclusive of its tail. There is 

 a cluster of salivary glands seated around the tongue, 

 as it enters the mouth. These will necessarily be 

 compressed by the action of the tongue, so as occa- 

 sionally to supply a plentiful flow of their secretion. 



The stomach is cartilaginous, and analogous to that 

 of the gallinaceous tribe of birds. It was filled with 

 small stones and gravel, which in this part of the 

 country, are almost universally calcareous. The in- 

 ner surface of the stomach was rough to the feel, and 

 formed into folds, the interstices of which were 

 filled with a frothy secretion. The guts were filled 

 with a sandy pulp, in which, however, were interspersed 

 a few distinct small stones. No vestiges of any ani- 

 mal or vegetable food could be traced in the whole 

 f>rima via* The gall-bladder was distended with a 



