KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 49. NIO 7. 7 



originally has been lobulated. This fact is that Rhytina had a lobulated kidney. 

 Thanks to Steller's description 1 of the anatomy of this peculiar animal, vvhich so 

 sadly and within so short time became entirely exterminated, wc have fortunately 

 good knowledge about the morphology of its kidneys. The author quoted says that 

 the kidneys of Rhytina were enveloped in a very firm capsule (»einer sehr festen 

 Hänt»), but when this had been removed, very many small renculi (»sehr viele kleine 

 Niergen») were seen just as in the Seal or the Sea-Otter, although they, of course, 

 were larger in the Sea Cow. 



Conclnding from this it appears rather probable that the kidney of Halicore 

 can be regarded as an in its peripherical parts Consolidated, originally lobulated kidney. 

 At the same time the hypothesis that among the mammals there is a certain con- 

 nection between aquatic life and lobulated kidneys gains in probability, although at 

 present it is difficult to explain the causa ejjiciens by means of our present knowledge. 



Connochaetes albojubatus Thomas. 



The viscera of a bnll of this species, shot at Ju ja farm, proved to be very 

 similar, even with regard to dimensions to the corresponding parts of the White-tailed 

 Gnu which I had the opportunity of describing eleven years ago. 2 The paunch of 

 C. albojubatus measured about 50 X 64 cm., that of C. gnu 48 X 63 cm. The dimen- 

 sions of the reticulum in the former were 26 X 16 cm., and the corresponding ones of 

 the latter 25 ! /2 X 18 cm. The quadriplicate psalterium of the White-bearded Gnu 

 proved a little larger, viz. 19 X 17 cm., than that of the White-tailed species, viz. 

 19 '/2 X 13 cm., which also is quadriplicate. 



The colon of C. albojubatus had 2V2 centripetal and 2 centrifugal spiral coils 

 in addition to the centrifugal peripheric coils which is the same condition as found 

 in the White-tailed Gnu (conf. 1. c. Pl. 3, Fig. 1). 



When dissecting the specimen of the latter species I found the gallbladder to 

 be very large and to extend broadly beyond the edge of the liver (conf. 1. c. Pl. 3, 

 Fig. 2). This appeared almost pathological, and I was inclined to attribute it to the 

 fact that the animal had lived in captivity. I was therefore very much astonished 

 to find quite the same condition prevailing in the wild Gnu bull of the Athi plains. 



The spleen of C. albojubatus has also the same elongate and characteristic shape, 

 as described from C. gnu, and which differs so much from that of most other Ante- 

 lopes. The dimensions of the spleen of the former was 38 X 11 cm., and those of 

 the latter 37 X 12 Va cm. (at one end, 15 cm. at the other). 



This resemblance, even with regard to the exact measurements, between speci- 

 mens of the two species is very striking, the more so as one was a female which had 

 lived in captivity, and the other a wild bull. It proves that these characteristics 

 are very constant in the Gnus, and that both species in the wild and natural con- 

 dition must have very similar habits. 



1 Georg Wilhelm Stellers ausfuhrliclie Beschreibung von sonderbaren Meerthieren. Hal le 1753, p. 87. 



2 K. Vet. Akad. Bandi. Bd. 35. N:o 3, p. 48—57. 



