334. MR. F. E. BEDDARD OX THE [Feb. 16. 



abundance of small oney. Fi-om the posterioi- end of the liver to 

 the mesenteric arteiy there are 14 gastric arteries, followed by 

 one which, at any rate, chiefly supplies the spleen. There are 

 thus altogether 13 belonging to this series. The first of them is 

 distincth^ larger than any of the preceding hepato-oesophageal 

 vessels. These 1 1 vessels are really aii'anged in pairs, one of each 

 pair supplying one side, the other the other side of the stomach. 

 The arteries appear to be in reality all of them joaii'ed ; but the 

 arrangement is lost here and there, owing to the dwindling oi' 

 total disappearance (?) of one or othei- of the two arteiies making 

 up the pair. Were these invaiiably piesent the total of the 

 lai'ge-sized gastric arteries would have had to be increased by 

 four. The actual facts of arrangement are these : — The series 

 commences with a pair followed by a single artery, to which, how- 

 ever, corresponds on the opposite side of the aorta a very minute 

 branch. Then follows a paii", the peculiarity of which is that the 

 two vessels arise one in front of each other from the same (right) 

 side of the aorta. The next two are a pair, I believe ; but the 

 two arteries arise i-ather further away from each other than in 

 the case of the previous pair. After this comes a single ai-tery 

 with no fellow that I could see. The next pair also arise some 

 little way apart from each other, but dn the same level. Following 

 this is a pair of which the left-hand branch is very minute. The 

 next pair is remarkable for the fact that both trunks ai'ise from 

 a common origin, but shortly after diverge ; the last two trunks 

 may be considered to form a pair, but they arise some little way 

 apart, as is the case with the earlier pair of gastric arteries. The 

 posteriorly arising vessel of this pair supplies, as has already been 

 mentioned, the spleen. 



Arteries of Intestine.. — The 1st, and at the same time the 

 largest, of the arteries supplying the intestine (the shortest, 

 indeed, of all the artei'ies arising from the aorta) is the superior 

 mesenteric. This artery arises exactly opposite the origin of the 

 7th of the posterioi- series of intercostals. It passes first of all 

 under * the 9th intercostal portal, and then gives off a forwai-dly- 

 running branch which very soon divides into two ti-unks ; of these 

 the posterior is the artery of the fat-body, while the anterior runs 

 as fai- forward as the spleen and pancreas. The main trunk of 

 the mesenteric then passes over the 10th intercostal portal, and 

 gives off a forwardly-running branch, which passes under the 

 main portal trunk and then gives off three bran,ches to the 

 intestine. The main trunk of the superior mesenteric continues 

 its course along the intestine, giving off branches at more or less 

 regular intervals. Ultimately it becomes . continiious with the 

 2)osterior mesenteric. This artery arises from the aorta between 

 the 34th and 35th of the posterior intercostals midway between 

 the two testes. It runs to the intestine without branching; 

 ai'i'ived at the intestine it divides into two main bi'anches, one of 

 which is continuous anteriorly with the superior mesenteric. The 

 * I. e., as seen when the snake is dissected. 



