ON SOME ABNORMALITIES IN THE CARNIVORA. 587 



32. On some A.bnormalities in the Carnivora. By (Jharles 

 F. SoNNTAG, M.D., F.Z.S., Anatomist to the Society. 



[Received May 10, 1921 : Read May 10, 1921.] 



(Text-figures 64-65.) 



The following abnormalities were seen in animals dissected in 

 the Society's Prosectorium during the past two years. They 

 consist of : — • 



1. Elongation and contortion of vessels and nerves in the neck 

 of a Bengal Fox (Canis bengalensis). 



2. The occurrence of two sepai-ate precaval veins in a Panda 

 (^1 ilurus fulgens). 



3. Abnormal modes of termination of the vertebral veins of a 

 Common Badger [Meles meles). 



These conditions were compared with the normal state of the 

 vessels, which is identical in all three animals. 



The Normal Blood-vessels. 



The aortic arch gives off the innominate and left subclavian 

 arteries, and the former divides into the right subclavian and 

 right common carotid arteries after giving off the left common 

 carotid. The common carotid arteries run antero-laterally, and 

 then straight forwards. The internal jugular veins are on their 

 lateral aspects, and the vago-sympathetic nerve-cords lie on their 

 dorsal surfaces. 



The external jugular veins unite with the subclavian veins to 

 form the innominate veins, of which the left one runs obliquely 

 across the anterior part of the thorax and joins the more vertical 

 right vein to form the precaval vein. The vertebral veins open 

 by single trunks into the innominate veins. 



The vena azygos major opens into the right side of the precaval 

 vein immediately anterior to the root of the right lung. 



Abnormalities in a Bengal Fox (text-fig. 64). 



The animal, which was young, poorly-nourished, and rachitic, 

 had a symmetrical and uniform enlargement of both lateral 

 thyroid lobes (text-fig. 64, A.A), and the thymus gland was well- 

 developed. The former were about twice the size of the lobes in 

 a normal adult male. The isthmus of the thyroid gland was 

 normal. 



The innominate artery (B) divided in the normal manner, but 

 the right subclavian artery was concealed by the right innominate 

 vein (0). 



The left common carotid artery (D) has a more horizontal 

 course than the right one (E), and describes a very acute flexure 

 with the convexity to the left. The right common carotid artery 

 is not only flexed, but recurved, with the result that there is 

 an S-shaped flexure. Tlie left vago-sympathetic cord runs a 



