346 MB. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE [Feb. 16, 



in front of the first renal arteiy of the postei'ior kidney and that 

 the second of these arteries branches into three before entering 

 the substance of the kidney. 



Tropidoxotus fasciatus. 



In this Snake the anterior vertebi'al artery is exposed for the 

 greater half of the distance which lies between the heart and 

 the jjosterior end of the head. In the two individuals I have 

 examined it gives off only three intercostals, which occupy about 

 the same joosition in both. Besides these, the larger — female — 

 (which is pei-hajDS I'ather better injected) shows a few very minute 

 intercostals with interspaces between the larger ti-unks. That 

 individual, moreover, possesses a vessel of rather peculiar origin 

 and distribution, which I could not find in the other snake — a 

 male — thi-oughout its whole extent. The artery is a fairly large 

 one and arises from the dorsal side of the vertebral between the 

 last tAvo intercostals, and passing along the wall of the cesophagus 

 enters the parietes anteriorly to the left of the middle and some 

 way in front of the disa23pearance of the vertebral artery. It 

 may be added that the vertebral artery gives off branches to the 

 oesophagus, as do the carotids, and that some of these spi'ing from 

 the intercostals. 



Intercostal Arteries and Veins. — There is only a single vertebral 

 ai'tery given off from the right aorta before its junction with the 

 left. Thence forward follows as usual a considerable series of 

 trunks, of which all enter the hody-ioall accitrately in the middle line 

 as fixed by the disposition of the tendons in this region of the 

 body. There are nine of these up to the origin of the superior 

 mesenteric artery : the fii'st lies in front of the liver ; five arise 

 along the course of the liver, and three are posterior to it. The 

 coi'responding poi'tal A^eins do not invariably rise from the 

 parietes in the dorsal meilian line. The first of the portal series 

 accompanies the second intercostal, but arises from the left side 

 of the dorsal middle line ; it recei^^es a small branch which arises 

 from the parietes nearer to the head, and also much further away 

 from the dorsal median line. The second portal is the stoutest 

 trunk of the series ; it arises to the left of the middle line between 

 the third and foui'th intercostals. The next portal is a very fine 

 and slender tube arising in front of the fourth intercostal and also 

 to the left side. Then follows a complex parietal portal consist- 

 ing of three trunks, of which two are in front of and one behind 

 the fifth intercostal. They all lie to the left of the dorsal median 

 line at their point of origin, the third branch more so than the 

 rest. From the latter a slender twig is connected with an equally 

 slender tube arising in this case to the right of the median dorsal 

 line. The next portal trunk is a fairly impoi'tant one ; it arises 

 in front of the seventh intercostal and to the right side ; it is 

 formed by a slender anterior trunk which arises in a corresponding- 

 position further forward. The next two poi'tals are of fair size 

 and arise one a little in fi'ont of and the other a little behind 



