134 DR. E. CRISP ON THE GALL-BLADDER [April 8, 



stance, so that often on removing tte gall-bladder a portion of the 

 liver adheres to it. In birds there is seldom a depression in the liver 

 for its reception ; but in the Chelonian reptiles it is for the most part 

 deeply imbedded in the hepatic substance ; and the same remark 

 will apply to many of the Saurians, although I have not found it so 

 deeply placed as in the Chelonians. In the Ophidians it is mostly far 

 removed from the liver, and in contact with the spleen and pancreas. 

 Thus, in a Python (P. molurus), 10 feet long, I found it 18 inches 

 from the liver ; and this will be about the proportionate distance, 

 taking the length of the reptile into account, in most of the true 

 serpents. In the family of Orvets {Anguis), only three species of 

 which I have examined, the gall-bladder was close to the liver ; and 

 the same description will apply to the Batrachians, many foreign 

 species of which, besides the British, I have inspected. In the 

 British bony fishes which I have dissected, the gall-bladder has been 

 in contact with the liver ; but my list includes only about forty spe- 

 cies. In the Tunny (Thynnus vulgaris) I found thebody of this 

 viscus united to the liver by a long, narrow, spiral neck ; it was 

 14 inches in length, and about | of an inch in diameter. 



The Fonii and Capacity of the Gall-bladder. — In Man it is of a 

 pyramidal form, and holds from one ounce to two ounces of bile. In 

 many of the Quadrumana its form has not so great a resemblance to 

 that of the human species as in some of the lower Mammals ; thus, 

 in six Anthropoid Apes that I have examined (three Ourangs and 

 three Chimpanzees) the gall-bladder was of a twisted irregular shape, 

 — a fact of importance now that some zoologists are giving these 

 brutes, as I believe, an undue elevation in the vertebrate scale. 

 Among the Monkeys even of the same species I have found much 

 deviation of form in the gall-bladder : thus, in a Capuchin it was 

 triangular, with three mamillary projections at the base, and in 

 others nearly cylindrical. The capacity of this organ in the Qua- 

 drumana varies from one to six drachms, according to the size of 

 the animal ; probably in the old Anthropoid Apes it would be propor- 

 tionately more capacious than in Man, as is the case with the smaller 

 Monkeys, all of which consume relatively a larger quantity of food. 



In the Lemurs (Lemuridce) , five species of which I have inspected, 

 the gall-bladder was of a pyramidal shape, and its capacity rather 

 large. 



In the Bats (Cheiroptera), mj notes afford no information upon 

 the subject worthy of record. 



The Lisectivora, as far as I have examined them, have a large 

 gall-bladder. 



In the Bears (six species of which I have inspected) it is generally 

 large and pear-shaped. In the Polar Bear (JJrsus maritimus) I found 

 it more irregular in form. In the Racoon {TJ. lotor), Coatimondi ( [T. 

 nasua), Kinkajou (TJ.caudivolvulus),'Wo\Y&cme (U.gulo), Badger^U". 

 meles), Rate! (U. mellivorus), and Tayra {Mustela barbara), it is 

 large and pyramidal ; and the same remark will apply to the Weasels, 

 Otters, Dogs, Hyenas, and Civets. In the Cats it is often of a 

 somewhat irregular spiral form ; this is the case in the Lion and in 



