VENOUS SYSfKM Of VARAN tJS. 489 



the suprarenal portal ; there is, however, no such connection in 

 V. hengalensis. The lateral jjcorietcd vein{l.pa.), running laterally 

 along the bod)--wall, communicates with it ; behind, this vein 

 forms an anastomosis with the dorsal parieto-hepatic vein. The 

 vertebral branch of the azygos disappears from view at the side 

 of the vertebi-al column. 



II. The Posterior- Vena (Java (text-fig. 4). — This vessel begins at 

 the hinder end of the body a little behind the kidneys, and bifur- 

 cates into two branches, each of which runs in a groove along the 

 ventral surface of the kidney. Leaving the kidneys ("posterior 

 cardinals," Beddard) they traverse the suprarenal bodies, beyond 

 which they again unite. The vessel passes through the appendage 

 of the right lobe of the liver and discharges into the sinus venosus. 

 The anatomy thus indicates the origin of the posterior vena cava 

 from two originally distinct vessels, the fusion of which to form 

 a single trunk is here still incomplete. 



III. The Hepatic Portal System (text-fig. 2) is peculiar in the 

 present species. Yhe fetnoral vein {/.) is formed by the union of 

 several small vessels from the muscles of the leg and the pelvis ; 

 on entering the trunk it divides into two branches, the pelvic, and 

 one Avhich I propose to call the ischio-mesenteric. The pelvic 

 vein (p.) runs forward along the inner border of the corpus 

 adiposum of its side, and after receiving the sciatic (sc.) from the 

 posterior region of the leg and a varying number (4-5) of veins 

 from the fat-bodies (f^-fj, unites with its fellow of the other 

 side to form a median abdominal vein ; the pelvic vein also 

 receives two or three dorso-lumbar veins from the body-wall. 



The epigastric veins (ep.v.) are two in number, and are described 

 by Beddard as originating in V. griseus from the sciatic veins. 

 In the present species I find that they arise from the pelvic ; 

 each is a fairly long narrow vessel running dorsally over the fat- 

 body, from which it receives a few branches. It then curves 

 backwards, and again forwards, assuming a position ventral to 

 the fat-body, and, receiving many branches from the parietes, 

 proceeds forwards to open into the corresponding lobe of the 

 liver at its anterior ventral margin. Before entering the liver 

 each is joined by a ventral parieto-hepatic vein from the ventral 

 body-wall. 



The anterior abdominal ventral vein (a.a.), formed by the union 

 of the pelvic veins, is a single vessel throughout its course, and 

 joins the hepatic portal vein. 



The other branch of the femoral, which I have called the 

 ischio-mesenteric (r.), is an altogether new vessel, not so far 

 described by any observer. It I'eceives a small offshoot (s.) from 

 the hypogastric, and runs along the rectum, receiving minor 

 branches from the rectum and caecum. In front of the csecum 

 the two ischio-mesenterics unite to form one of the main roots 

 of the hepatic portal vein. 



