TAKEN OFF THE COAST OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 299 
nearly with the length of the fish; the cystic duct comes off from 
its anterior end, and, running backwards parallel to it and to the 
hepatic duct, joins the latter just before coming to the posterior 
border of the liver: the common duct, fig. 3 4, after this runs 
backwards among the lower appendices pylorice of the left side, 
and debouches into the duodenum on a small papilla upwards of 
an inch distant from the pylorus. The gall-bladder contains a 
small quantity of yellow olive-coloured bile. The texture of the 
liver is so soft and fragile that it cannot be preserved. 
The ovaria, figs. 2 and 3 J, lie directly above the stomach, are 
about 3ft. 3in. long, and extend forwards nearly as far as the 
middle of the liver. Their ends taper to points diverging slightly 
from each other ; traced backwards, they gradually increase in 
bulk to #in. in diameter at their middle; soon after this they 
diminish in size, become more closely connected, and unite at 
27 in. from their anterior points into one body, which tapers 
gradually to Zin. in diameter, and then curving downwards to 
the external orifice on the right side of the stomachic cecum, only 
becomes rapidly smaller, and opens behind the intestine. On lay- 
ing open the common tube or oviduct, it is found for 2 or 3 in. 
from the orifice quite plain ; above this, longitudinal folds of the 
lining membrane appear small and irregular at first, but soon 
larger, more projecting, and then occupying the whole inner sur- 
face of the tube. These plicxe, which become tortuous and col- 
lected into rows of two or three together, are found to extend to 
the ends of the ovarian cavities, and are studded throughout with 
minute ova of unequal sizes in an undeveloped state. 
The ureter, figs. 2 and 3 m, a simple tube of the size of an ordi-~ 
nary goosequill, runs from the external orifice, just within which 
is a slight vesical dilatation, fig. 3 7, along the median line, lying 
above and attached to the ovaria, and in contact with the roof of 
the abdominal cavity, for a distance of 1 ft. 11in., when it per- 
forates the fibrous membrane separating the kidney from the 
other viscera. It runs obliquely forwards and upwards into the 
kidney, fig. 3 0, which, inclosed in its proper cavity, extends 
from an inch behind where the ureter joins it as far as the cra- 
nium, a distance of 2 ft., reaching farther forward than the di- 
