462 Prof. Reid on the Vosrmarus Islandicu 



C5' 



and the mucous membrane there presented numerous prominent 

 vilH. The pyloric portion of the stomach was curved, the con- 

 vexity looking backwards and the concavity forwards ; it con- 

 tracted gradually and terminated by opening through a narrow 

 orifice (pyloric orifice), which projected into the commencement 

 of the duodenum. The duodenum (fig. 1 /) or first portion of 

 the small intestine ran forwards along the lower edge of the 

 oesophagus for 9 inches, having its external surface closely sur- 

 rounded by numerous aggregated caeca (fig. 1 d). These caeca 

 were each about an inch in length, their shut extremities directed 

 backwards and their open mouths forwards, were longer at the 

 commencement of the duodenum than at its termination, and 

 opened by numerous orifices arranged in no regular order upon 

 the inner surface of the duodenum* (fig. 1 /). The duodenum 

 became narrower at its termination. At its commencement its cir- 

 cumference, as ascertained by measuring it across when slit open, 

 was y|ths of an inch, at its middle 1^ inch, and at its termination 

 y^gths of an inch. The portion of the small intestine (fig. 1 c) 

 in which the duodenum terminated ran forwards for about an 

 inch in the same line with the duodenum, then turned suddenly 

 upon itself, and proceeded backwards along the lower edge of the 

 mass formed by the caeca ; and immediately beyond the posterior 

 extremity of the caeca it terminated in the large intestine by a 

 narrow round orifice formed by a funnel-shaped projection of the 

 mucous membrane of the small intestine downwards into the 

 commencement of the large intestine (fig. 1 h). The large in- 

 testine (fig. 1 m) proceeded straight backwards until it had 

 arrived nearly opposite the vent, when it bent downwards to 

 reach the anal orifice. The walls of the stomach and oeso- 

 phagus were considerably thicker than those of that portion 

 of the digestive tube placed below the termination of the duo- 

 denum, and measured about ygth of an inch. The walls of the 

 duodenum were thinner than those of the oesophagus, but thicker 

 than those of the portion of the digestive tube beyond it. The 

 inner surface of the mucous membrane of the small intestine pre- 

 sented a slight reticulated appearance, while that of the large in- 

 testine was thrown into numerous short and small longitudinal 

 folds. The stomach and intestines were nearly empty, containing 

 only a small quantity of slimy matter. 



The spleen (fig. 1 o) was very small and round in form, was 

 placed between the stomach and the terminating part of the small 

 intestine, and was overlapped by the posterior caeca. 



The liver extended across the lower surface of the anterior por- 



* Valenciennes, in his account of the Trachypterus leiopterus, describes 

 the caeca opening into the duodenum in that animal " presque sur deux 

 rangees paralleles et oppos^es." 



