Sperm Whale and other Cetaceans. 143 
like one cavity divided by a septum, through the centre of 
which a small circular hole had been punched. This cavity, 
which was largest at its commencement, rapidly diminished in 
size, and soon made an abrupt turn upon itself, almost imme- 
diately after which the intestine (h) was well marked. The 
mucous membrane was thinner and softer than in the other 
cavities, and quite free from rugæ, the whole thickness of the 
parietes in these two last cavities being less than in that of 
the first. On the most careful examination nothing like pylorus 
was found, neither was there any sudden change in the thick- 
ness or structure of the mucous coat, as described by G. Cuvier, 
so that if the question had not existed, I should not have thought 
of this cavity as otherwise than a dilatation of the intestine ; 
a similar dilatation I have twice seen in the dromedary. 
(Journal B. S. N. H., IV. 7.) 
The intestine, being cut away from the mesentery, was 
found to measure 260 feet, or just 16} times the length of the 
animal. Before being opened, it measured, on an average, 
about one inch in diameter, near the upper extremity 12 inches, 
midway or. rather below, less than an inch, and for the last 
12 feet, it dilated from about 2! to 8! inches; cæcum wanting, 
as it was in all of the other specimens. "The contents were 
for the most part pasty, and colored by bile ; throughout the 
last 30 or 40 feet, they were of an intensely deep brown color, 
thin at first, but towards the last having a thick, glutinous 
consistence, Mucous coat thin, but very firm ; muscular rather 
thick. "The valvulæ conniventes were most remarkably de- 
veloped from near the commencement of the intestine to within 
= about 40 feet of its termination ; instead of being transverse 
and interrupted, as in man, they were more or less oblique, 
and apparently continuous ; this being quite obvious in some 
Parts before the intestine was opened, so that it appeared as » 
re were a spiral valve within ; the effect of this would be 
.. to add to the already great length of the intestine, and balance 
_ iD Some measure its small size. The valves were 1; or 2 
_lines in width, very regular, and so close together as nearly to 
