150 



Mil. F. E. BEDDAIIU ON THE VISCERAL 



[June 7, 



Until very near its posterior end the trachea foims mei'el>' a 

 gutter along its ventral side, that is it opens freely into it through- 

 out. Posteriorly, howevei', there is a distinct tendency for the 

 lung to be connected only at intervals with the trachea, a hint — 

 as it appeal's to me — of the commencing independence of the two 

 parts of the pulmonary apparatus. The thoracic lung is vei'y 

 plainly a respiratory oi-gan down to about the middle of the livei- 

 and to a less extent posteriorly. Its texture is like that of many 

 other serpents, but not like that of Hydrns (see p. 153). It 

 presents, as is shown in the accompanying drawing (text-fig. 26), 



Text-fie'. 26. 



A portion uftlie internal surface of the king of Flatj/urus coJvhrinvs. 



a honeycombed and perfectly regular structui'e. The depressions 

 are natui-ally hexagonal thi'ough mutual pressure. I could find 

 no difierence in the sti-ucture of tracheal and bi-onchial lungs. 

 The bronchus is tiaceable for a, long way down the livei-. At a 

 little distance behind the posterior end of the liver (about | of an 

 inch), the lung, which has gradually become very narrow, widens 

 out into a thin-waUed dilatation of quite twice its formei' widtli. 

 This dilatation is | of an inch long and fusiforai in shape. It is 

 thin- walled, and thus contrasts with adjacent regions of the lung ; 

 but on its inner surface a honeycoml? pattern is visible, the 

 depressions, however, being very slightly marked. Behind this 

 dilatation the honeycomb structure was also plainly visible. The 

 greater part of the lung in fact seems to be utilised as a respiratoi'y 

 organ. 



It is particulaily noteworthy that the posterior region of the 



