ALIMENTARY SYSTEM. 397 
waft food into the mouth. It opens immediately into the 
gullet, for the pharynx of other Molluscs, with all its 
associated structures, is absent in Lamellibranchs. The 
short wide gullet leads into a large stomach surrounded by 
a paired digestive gland. Part of the food digested by 
Fic. 214.—Structure of Azodonta.—After Rankin. 
a.a., Anterior adductor; ¢..g., cerebro-pleural ganglia; sz, 
stomach; v., ventricle, with an auricle opening into it; 4, 
kidney, above which is the posterior retractor of the foot; 
vy, rectum ending above posterior adductor; wg., visceral 
ganglia with connectives (in black) from cerebro-pleurals ; ¢., 
gut coiling in foot ; Z.g., pedal ganglia in foot, where also are 
seen branches of the anterior aorta and the reproductive organs ; 
2.g., labial palps behind mouth. At the posterior end the ex- 
halant (upper) and inhalant (lower) apertures are seen. ~ 
these juices in the stomach is compacted in autumn into a 
“ crystalline style ””—a mass of reserve foodstuffs, and similar 
but less solid material is found in the intestine. On this 
supply the mussel tides over the winter. The intestine, 
which has in part a folded wall like that of the earthworm, 
coils about in the foot, ascends to the pericardium, passes 
