864 REPTILIA. 



The Land Tortoise [Testudo Grceca, Linn.]. 



The stomach is pretty transverse 1 . The duodenum passes to the 

 right, and down ; then to the left, and forms the jejunum ; from thence 

 to the right again, in its convoluted comse ; it next passes across near 

 the back, and is tucked down or adheres to the posterior parts in this 

 course ; and finally passes down the left to the pelvis : just where it is 

 going to pass down it swells suddenly into what may be called colon. 



The oesophagus has no rugse or small processes, as in the turtle. The 

 liver has two lobes, a right and a left : they are united by a very small 

 union just across the basis of the heart. The left lobe lies in the curve 

 of the stomach, as it were, adapted to it, and adheres to it; behind 

 which is the mesogaster. The gall-bladder is a round body attached to 

 the posterior surface of the liver. Its duct is short and pretty thick. 

 There does not appear to be a hepatic duct, but a hepato-cystic one. 



The capsula renalis is large and flat, situated above the kidneys ; 

 it looks like a pancreas, being conglomerated : but when cut into it 

 appears to be all of the same substance 2 . This tortoise has a membrana 

 nic titans. 



[Order Lacertilia.] 



Of Lizards. 



The legs of most lizards are not for the support of the body of the 

 animal, but for their progressive motion, and to enable them to climb 

 trees, walls, &c. However, their progressive motion is not confined to 

 their legs ; for, by the serpentine course that they throw their body 

 and tails into when in motion, they are capable of moving much faster. 

 This motion of body and tail is extremely quick. 



The tails of lizards 3 are so tender as to be easily pulled off by the 

 strength of the animal when held by the tail ; but this tenderness is 

 only confined to the part of the tail beyond the bed of the penis, for 

 there the tail is very strong. The reason why the tail should be so 

 brittle, is perhaps to allow the animal to make its escape when caught 

 by the tail, for it is generally broken in that way. 



The lizards in Portugal sleep very little in winter; for, whenever a 

 warm day comes on, they come out of their holes, as in summer. This 

 is owing to the weather in winter in that climate being often very 



i [Hunt. Prep. Phys. Series, No. 509.] 



2 [lb. Nos. 1277, 1278, showing not a conglomerate structure, but a convoluted 

 surface.] 



3 [lb. Nos. 2208—2223.] 



