226 PROFESSOR TURNER'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FINNER WHALE 



other by valvular orifices. One of these valves was secured, and reminded one 

 on a large scale of the human pyloric valve, or of the valve I described and 

 figured some time ago* at the end of the fifth compartment of the stomach of 

 Globiocephalus svineval. The stomach was to all appearance empty. 



An omentum was in connection with the stomach, which, when stretched 

 out, was big enough, in the mother, to cover the floor of a large room. It was 

 made up of fibres, composed of connective tissue, which crossed each other so 

 as to form a most elegant lace-work pattern, with distinct perforations in the 

 meshes of the net. Blood-vessels were seen in the larger bands of fibrous tissue 

 which traversed the net. Scarcely any adipose tissue was found in it, which is 

 the more remarkable, when we remember the enormous quantity of fat situated 

 as a sort of inner padding for the wall of the abdominal cavity. 



The intestinal canal was of great length, and by far the longer part of its 

 extent consisted of huge coils, of which as many as fifteen were counted, though 

 it is probable that a greater number existed. The hinder end of the gut, as 

 it passed backward to the anus, was almost straight, and about 20 feet long. 

 No accurate measurement of the length of the intestine could be taken, but it 

 was estimated at about 80 feet, for the various coils, as soon as they were 

 removed from the abdomen, were carted away to the manure heap. The 

 circumference of the tube was not uniform throughout, varying in different 

 localities from 20 to 30 inches. Extending along the border of the intestine 

 at the line of reflection of the mesentery was a very remarkable looking tube 

 with thick walls, which exhibited an alternating series of dilatations and con- 

 strictions, which gave it a beaded appearance (Plate VIII. fig. 32, m). This 

 tube gave off a number of branches, which ramified in the subserous areolar 

 coat of the gut, and formed there a complex anastomosing network. Along 

 with this moniliform tube was a large vein (v), and accompanying it was a 

 nerve (n), considerably larger than the human pneumo-gastric, which gave off 

 branches to the wall of the intestine. This nerve was obviously a large offshoot 

 of the sympathetic. The intestine possessed a distinct peritoneal coat (p), 

 which rested on the subserous areolar tissue. The muscular coat was thick, 

 and the longitudinal and circular arrangement of fibres was strongly marked. 

 A distinct submucous coat was present. The mucous membrane was brownish- 

 yellow, and thrown into strong valvules conniventes, some of which extended 

 two-thirds, others half round the canal of the gut. The largest valvulge pro- 

 jected at least one inch into the canal. Numbers of parasites were attached to 

 the surface of the mucous membrane. I have not as yet had time properly to 

 examine them, but they are in general appearance like the Echinorynchus brevi- 

 collis which Malm found in the intestine of the Balcenoptera which he examined. 



* Journal of Anatomy and Physiology. Vol ii. p. 73. 



