588 



MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE A^'ATOMY OF 



[May 26, 



while to record my own notes as a conti'ibution towards possible 

 variations in the nature of the spirally coiled ansa paracfecalis. 

 The example which I dissected was coiled in a rather compli- 

 cated fashion. There are altogether eight limbs in the spiral, 

 and the figure given by Tullberg appears to me to represent rather 

 fewer. That is to say, the loop originally a straiglii loop has 

 been folded upon itself five times as will be seen from the 

 number of " limbs." 



Text-fig. 119. 



Part of alimentarj^ canal of JDasyprocta punctata, 

 a.p. Ansa paracsecalis. a.c.d. Ansa coli dextra. c.d. Colico-duodenal ligament. 



With reference to this characteristic Hystricomorph spiral, 

 I may mention that in Hydrochcerus it is apparently a late 

 growth. I have dissected two examples of about half the full 

 size to which the animal attains, and in both of them there 

 was no complete spiral but merely a loop with a slight twist 

 upon itself at the distal extremity (see text-fig, 118, p. 587). 



Dasyprocta aguti possesses, according to Tullberg, a limited 

 spiral. I found the same state of affairs in a newly born spe- 

 cimen, where the spiral was only twisted upon itself once, the 



