440 MR. F. E. BEDDARD OX THE , [Mar. 15, 



gastric before entering the portal vein. Tlie remaining veins are 

 similar in the two specimens. The first to join the main trunk of 

 the portal is a vein from the small intestine ; then follows a much 

 larger trunk, which fii"st of all receives a branch from the small 

 intestine and then divides into two — one splenic and the other 

 gastric. The main trunk is continued along the large intestine, 

 receiving blood from the latter and from the caecum. It will be 

 noticed, therefore, that the portal system of the alimentary canal 

 in Iguana difFei'S in several points from that of Tiliqua, notably 

 in the difference between the branches from the stomach and 

 from the small intestine. A last point in the portal system of 

 this Lizard to which I desire to call attention is a direct connection 

 between tlie poi'tal system and the systemic veins. A minute 

 vein, which would certainly esca,pe attention in a specimen that 

 had not been injected, arises from the portal vein just at the 

 csecum, and passes along the mesenteiy to join the branch of the 

 inferior vena cava which supplies the left ovaiy. 



Ventral He2oato-2K(,rietal veins. — These veins are either two or 

 three in number. The last of them, i. e. that entering the 

 liver nearest to its posteiior end, receives a vessel from the 

 antei'ior abdominal vein, to which reference has already been 

 made (on p. 438). It emerges from the body-wall in the middle 

 line. The middle vessel is formed by the junction of at least 

 three branches — two of these run anteriorly and posterioi-ly 

 respectively in the middle line, and the former receives a branch 

 from the i-ight side. The most anterior of the three ventral 

 hepato-parietal veins arises from the left side of the ventiul 

 median line. Where there are only two ventral hepato-parietal 

 veins, it appeared to me that the anterior of the two represented 

 the two a.nterior veins of the first specimen fused together. In 

 the third specimen which I dissected (which was not injected) the 

 anterior of the three veins has two imjDortant branches which I 

 did not observe in the other specimens. One of these joins the 

 epigastric, as has already been described. The second branch runs 

 forwai'ds and downwards and traverses the middle line of the 

 sternum below the skin ; it is exactly comparable to a vein 

 already described in Tiliqiia, of which the homologue also appears 

 to exist in Varanus. 



Dorsal HejKito-parietal veins. — There are either one or two of 

 these veins on the right side, which enter the liver close to the 

 entrance of the vena cava. Where there are two the posterior 

 vein, as will be explained, is detached froin the supiarenal system. 

 The more usual single vein in one of the two individuals arises from 

 the parietes and passes along two vertebrae before entering the 

 liver, from which it receives two intercostal branches which are 

 hidden below the musculature. Corresponding to it on the left 

 side of the vertebral column another vein emerges from the 

 parietes and divides into two branches, which embrace the aorta 

 and become continuous with various branches on the stomach 

 which idtimately join the two gastro- hepatic veins already 



