634 MR. C. H. o'cONOGnUE ON THE 



the posterior end of the fat-body and running forward in it 

 to the level of the spleen, Avhere it passes dorsally and opens into 

 the hepatic portal vein. It is only connected in an indirect way 

 by small anastomosing branches with the i-enal portal veins. 

 Along its course it receives little twigs from the epigastric vein. 



The Epiyastric Vein lies beside the epigastric artery in the mid- 

 ventral line of the abdominal wall. In the region of the liver it 

 gives off five or six small branches, all of which enter directly 

 into the left side of that body and are not connected with the 

 hepatic portal vein. Behind the liver the epigastric vein is 

 connected by a number of small venules with the anterior 

 abdominal vein. As Beddard (4) has pointed out, this is one 

 of the most constant veins in Snakes, and is single save in 

 Lioheterodon madagascariensis, where it is alternately single and 

 double. 



The veins in the male are, like the arteries, on the whole very 

 similar to those in the female. Those in front of the heart are 

 precisely similar in both sexes. 



The caudal vein bifurcates to form the renal portal veins which, 

 at the level of the cloaca, receive the paired pelvic veins, and in 

 addition, in the male a vein from each corpus cavernosiim. The 

 renal portals give rise to the two branches which unite above the 

 gut to form the beginning of the hepatic portal vein and then 

 pass forwards to the kidneys between the vasa deferentia and the 

 ureters. On the kidney they receive no specially marked tribu- 

 tary from the vas deferens to correspond with the one from the 

 oviduct in the female. 



Each testis gives off one spermatic vein, whereas in the female 

 there are a number of small ovarian veins, just in front of the 

 corresponding supra-renal body, that of the left side opening into 

 the left efferent renalvein, and that of the right into the post- 

 caval vein. 



There is no vessel in the male to correspond with the oviducal 

 sinus, and consequently no branch from it to the supra-renal 

 body. The supra-renal portal supply consists of two intercostal 

 veins, one at each end of that body, which arise from the corre- 

 sponding side of the vertebral column. 



Some variation is to be met with in the position of the union 

 of the two efferent renal veins with regard to the kidneys. The 

 junction may be as much as an inch in front of the right kidney, 

 or, on the other hand, this kidney may overlap the point of union, 

 in which case several small veins bring back the blood from the 



it has only a siiia;le origin from the left renal portal vein, viz., JSrijx cnnicus, Emiectes 

 mnrinus, and E. noftens, Beddard (3). Lastly, it may have no direct connection 

 with the venal portal veins, bnt only indirect ones by means of anastomosing twigs, 

 viz., Zamenis gemonensis, Beddard (2), Coluher ascula, and Tropidonotns natrix, 

 Hochstetter (20): This last observation I have been able to confirm. Further, the 

 anterior abdominal vein may be partly double thronghout, as in Boa constrictor, 

 a. divinlloqua, JS)\yx jaculus, Beddard (4), and Pt/tlion sehce, Jaquart (26), or 

 single as in Zamenis gemonensis, Catisus rhombeatus, JEri/x jnhni, Beddard (2), and 

 Tfopidonotus uatrix. 



