510 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE VASCULAR AND [May 1, 



In Boa constrictor the left vein had only two of these : I counted 

 four joining the right renal afierent. I did not count these veins 

 in Boa diviniloqua. In the latter species (of which one example 

 was in a particularly good condition for observing the point) the 

 renal afierent, as in other Boidse*, extends beyond the kidney 

 and forms a delicate vein running up to the testis. This is 

 doubtless the posterior cai-dinal. 



Bpigastric Vein. — I did not note the number of branches 

 which connect in Boa diviniloqtta the anterior abdominal with 

 the epigastric vein. In Boa constrictor I was able to observe 

 that all these branches connect the epigastric vein with the left 

 larger anterior abdominal. I couild find no branches running 

 between the smaller right anterior abdominal and the median 

 single epigastric vein. This vein appeared to be concerned 

 only with the fat-body. Several branches, however, join the 

 anterior abdominal and the epigastric after the former has become 

 a single vessel by the union of the right and left halves. Posteriorly 

 to this point there were in all about eight transverse vessels 

 uniting the left anterior abdominal and the epigastric. The 

 epigastric, I may take this opportunity of remarking, is one of 

 the most constant veins in the Ophidia in its position, form, and 

 relations with other veins. It appears to be nearly always single. 

 In the case of Liolieterodon madagasca7-ien sis, however, a specimen 

 which I dissected showed an epigastric vein constantly alternating 

 betAveen the single and double condition, like the dorsal vessel in 

 certain Earthw^orms. 



As is so usual in the Ophidia, a considerable parietal vein flows 

 into the afferent renal shortly before the latter reaches the kidney. 

 At the anterior end of each kidney there is another such vein ; 

 and a careful dissection of the same shows that it does not open 

 into the kidney-substance or into the efi'erent renal, but into the 

 very slender forAvard prolongation of the afferent renal. This 

 vein, the posterior cardinal, is traceable, as already mentioned, 

 to a little Avay in front of the testis. In the neighbourhood of 

 each testis the A'ein receiA'es the 



Sup^^arenal Portal Veins. — Of these veins (text-fig. 90, p. 511) I 

 counted three separate trunks on the left side ; tAvo of these reached 

 the cardinal in the region of the corresponding testis ; the third 

 vein lay further back, it emerged fi-oni the parietes, and joined 

 the cardinal some little way behind the left testis. On the right 

 side of the body there were only two of these parieto-suprarenal 

 veins. They reached the posterior cardinal of their side of the 

 body in the region of the corresponding testis. 



In describing cei'tain points in the anatomy of the Anaconda t, 

 I recorded the pi'esence of an extensi\'e vein running along the 

 body-Avall on both sides of and near to the spinal cohimn in the 

 region of the kidney. This A'essel connects the afiluents of the 



* Gf. Beddard, " Contiibutions to the Anatomy of the Ophidia," P. Z. S. 1906, 

 vol. i. p. 28. 



t P. Z. S. 1906, vol. i. p. 23, text-iigs. 6, 7. 



