490 MR. F, E. BEDDARD ON THE STRUCTURE [Apr. 27, 
two renals were pretty symmetrical as to their point of entry 
into the postcaval. The left spermatic entered the left renal as 
usual, and the right spermatic entered the postcaval as usual some 
way further down. ‘The second example showed a very remark- 
able variation—for the condition which I am about to describe 
must be, I think, a variation, though I possess no positive notes 
or sketches of anything similar in the first-described example *. 
In this specimen the suprarenal, renal, and spermatic veins were 
all separate from each other up to their entry into the postcaval 
vein, which they entered in the order named. The spermatic 
vein, however, was an unusually thick vein (for a spermatic vein), 
and bending backwards ran for some little way parallel to the post- 
caval, thus suggesting a persistent left cardinal vein. Presently 
it divided into two, the smaller continuing in the same straight 
line as a quite slender spermatic vein. The larger trunk bent 
round to the left, and after giving off some branches to the 
omentum ended in the spleen. There can be no possible doubt 
about the course of this vein: it was full of blood, and could be 
followed throughout with perfect ease. Furthermore, I do not 
think that any affluent from the spleen reached the portal system. 
All the blood thence derived flowed along the vein which I have 
just described. This, again, perhaps favours the supposition of 
the persistence of a left cardinal vein. On the other hand, this 
view is not supported by the position of the orifices of the lumbar 
veins. ‘These veins, in fact, of both sides open into the post- 
caval. They are symmetrical, and there are two veins on each 
side, as in many of the other Carnivora already described in the 
present communication. Moreover, on the left side, and the left 
side only, the two veins were joined by an anastomosis as in 
Galidia. 
I shall now give an account of these same veins in a number of 
genera of Arctoid Carnivora. 
In Procyon lotor the renals arose symmetrically. The left 
infrarenal entered the postcaval independently of the left renal. 
The right ovarian vein entered the postcaval some way below 
the renals, into the left vein of which pair the left ovarian vein 
poured its contents. There is thus no difference from the 
arrangement met with in the majority of diluroid Carnivores, 
except in the symmetry of the renals, which is not a very common 
character of the Ailuroidea. 
In Cercoleptes caudivolvulus (text-fig. 130 C, p. 488) there was 
the same symmetry of the renals ; while the position of the ovarian 
veins was also the same as in Procyon. The left suprarenal 
joined the left renal just before the latter debouches into the 
posteaval. The lumbar veins were single and slightly asymme- 
trical, the left being in advance of the right. Hach lumbar gives 
off a marked superficial branch running anteriorly dorsal to the 
* In a specimen dissected subsequently (26. V. 9) there was no splenic yein 
opening into the postcaval. 
