ANATOMY OF THE LEATHERY TURTLE. 



315 



1905.] 



together that their backwardly directed points form practically 

 the whole of the exposed inner surface. Between the larger 

 processes and upon their bases are smaller ones of various sizes. 

 The processes are different in shape in the various regions of the 

 oesopha,gus. Near the phaiynx they have a spur-like, slender, and 

 slightly flattened form and ai-e always single. Further down 

 they become far stouter with a thick conical point, and are often 

 bifid or even trifid (text-fig. 69). The horn cap has a very definite 



Text-fio-. 69. 



Dermochelys coriacea, ccisophagus. 



A. Bifid process from the middle part. 



B. Trifid process from the lower end. 



limit towards the base of the process, beyond which the siuface of 

 the shaft is relatively soft and more or less wi-inkled. In Chelone, 

 so far as I have seen, the processes are far more regular- in form 

 and are always single. 



Stomach and Intestine. 



The tubular part of the stomach (R. C. S. Museum, Physiol. 

 Series 51 6 A) is partially divided into compartments by thirteen 

 or so low irregular transverse folds, none of which is, however, 

 sufiiciently mai-ked in this specimen to warrant the expression 

 " diaphragms perforated in their centre " used by Yaillant in his 

 description of them. The inner surface of the stomach is smooth. 



The intestine (text-fig. 70, int.) passes at first in an antei'ior 

 direction from the pylorus to the median border of the left lobe of 

 the liver. It then turns to the right along the dorsal surface of 

 the isthmus to the outer border of the right lobe. The bile and 

 pancreatic ducts open into this transverse segment, and hei-e also 

 lies the transversely elongated pancreas, as in Testudo. Near the 

 outer border of the right lobe of the liver, the mesenteiy increases 

 very much in extent and the gat is thrown into numerous coils, 

 that occvipy the right side of the abdominal cavit}^ 



The small rounded spleen (text-fig. 70, spl.) is lodged in a fold 

 of the peritoneum at the root of this mesentery under cover of 



