ACCOUNT OF THE VICUNA. ^7 



iwas overcome, and breathed with difficulty. Thus melan- 

 choly and unwell he passed the first week of June; and 

 about the J 5th symptoms of inflammation appeared, a few 

 days after which he died. 



Foreseeing this event, I had obtained permission of the Dissection of 

 owner, to dissect the animal after his death, and dispose of 

 his skin. My first care was to remote this with due cau- 

 tion, that I might be able to preserve the natural shape of 

 the animal in stuffing it : after which I proceeded to examine 

 the viscera, the articulations, and the general disposition of 

 tj-ji? muscles. 



On opening the abdomen I found the linea alba, or apo- Lineaalba. 

 neurosis uniting the large muscles, was extremely strong, 

 and much thicker than is usually observed in other quadru^ 

 peds. 



Tne viscera of the abdomen exhibited marks of the in- Abdominal 

 flammation I have mentioned. The stomachs were dis- "^''^^^^• 

 tended with gas, and the mucous membrane inflamed. 

 The epidermisof the ruminating stomach had already peeled 

 ofl^ and the intestines were nearly in the same state. There 

 was no urine in the bladder. The epiploons exhibited no- 

 thing but very thin membranous skins destitute of fat. 



The distribution and figure of the stomachs were the Stem hs. 

 same as in the camel. The second [le bonnet] was full of 

 vesicles, from which a serous or aqueous fluid issued 

 abundantly. The paunch and the other two stomachs did 

 not differ in the interior form Of their cavities from those of 

 the camel. The cellular stomach [la poche a cellules'] was 

 remarkable for the internal arrangement of the cells; they 

 havino- apertures of communication furnished with mem- 

 branous valves, which no doubt may still be discovered in 

 the dried stomach of the animal. The last stomach is united intestines, 

 to a portion of intestine, which may be considered as the 

 duodenum. This was continued in another intestine of 

 equal bulk, which, after forming an arch in the circurafer- * 

 ence of the abdomen, terminated in the left lumbar region 

 in a cul-de-sac. ; whence issued another intestinal tube, very 

 klender and smooth, and forming ten or twelve concentric 

 circles in the space made by the former. The circumvolu- 

 tions were attached to a common mesentery. This slender 

 F 2 intestine 



