4'46 



MR. F, E. BEDDARD ON THE 



[Mar. 15, 



Lateral Abdominal veins. — These veins are seen at their 

 simplest in the present genus, as also in Iguana. Each vein 

 arises from the femoral vein of its own side, and runs forward 

 within the body-cavity in close attachment to the parietes ; the 

 vessel on each side lies in the angle formed by the bending of the 

 parietes to constitute the latei-al walls of the body ; they are thus 

 about equally far removed fi'om the mid-dorsal and mid- ventral 

 lines. The veins give off branches to it w^liere they perforate the 

 obliquely- running membi-ane Avhich supports on each side the 

 bladder, and shuts off the fat-body fi-om the front part of the 

 abdominal cavity. The vessels ai'e visible as far forwards as 

 the end of the lungs, where they become lost in the parietes. 

 There is no superficial connection between these veins and the 

 renal portal veins. The anterior i-egion of the same vein, %. e. the 

 azygos, runs from the jugular along the vertebral column, but on 

 the right side in both specimens, whereas in Iguana it is on the 

 left. It is noteworthy that such a difference in position occurs 

 also among mammals. 



Text-fiy. 94. 



AliiiiPiitaiy portal system of TiUqua scincoides. 

 For lettering see text-fig-. 89, p. 430. 



Ve7iti'al Hepato-parietal veins. — The regular number of these 

 veins in Tiliqua gigas appears to be three ; but in one of the two 

 individuals examined by me there was a very slender additional 

 vein entering the liver just behind the anterior of the three. 

 The last of the three veins, as in Iguana (see p. 440), joins the 

 median epigastric vein, not very far from the entry of the latter 

 into the liver ; on its way it gives off one or two branches to the 

 ventral parietes in the middle line. Concerning the middle vein 

 there is nothing pai-ticular to be said. The anterior vein is very 

 remarkable, and quite diffei'ent from the coii-esponding vein in 

 Iguana. In runs straight from the liver to the ventral paiietes, 

 which, however, it pei-forates in the middle line and behind the 



