4 



each part of the intestine, and pass three-fourths round the tube, project- 

 ing half an inch inwards. These elongate the mucous surface over 

 which the food, passes. This portion of the intestine was filled with 

 hard faecal masses, containing whole corn and undigested food. The 

 lowest part of the rectum passes from the right side downwards, and 

 opens into the same side of the cloaca, inclining a little to the left ; it 

 projects into this sac for about half an inch, and is surrounded by a 

 strong sphincter muscle embedded in its everted lip. The mucous 

 membrane is longitudinally plicated, and the anus can be dilated to a 

 considerable extent. The longitudinal fibres of the rectum are very 

 distinctly marked, especially near its termination. The folds of peri- 

 toneum which enclose the intestine are three in number : first, a short 

 process which holds the duodenum in its place ; secondly, a mesentery, 

 in which is enclosed the intestine and caeca ; and, thirdly, the portion 

 which surrounds the lower intestine ; this latter extends across the spine 

 obliquely from above, downwards, and to the right. In the second fold 

 the mesenteric artery is traceable, and the lacteals, which pass upwards 

 and backwards, and form a thoracic duct, which is seen to pass behind 

 the venae cavae, and internal to the upper part of the right kidney, and 

 to the right of the aorta ; all these folds lie superior to the ovaries. 



The cloaca in the female is a large sac, admitting readily the whole 

 hand ; from its left side passes the oviduct, which is a large dilatable 

 tube, capable of receiving four fingers and exhibiting longitudinal plicae 

 on its mucous membrane ; on the right side, and in a corresponding 

 position, is a small caecal depression, but no duct. To the right of this 

 and posteriorly the rectum opens at the top of the cavity, and between 

 this aperture and the oviduct the ^mucous membrane forms a large cres- 

 centic fold, its concavity looking downwards and backwards towards the 

 external orifice ; this appears to be capable of shutting off the rectum 

 during the passage of an ovum, and vice versa. Behind the rectum and 

 oviduct, in a small posterior pouch, open the two ureters very obliquely, 

 one on either side, about an inch and a half apart, each admitting the 

 little finger at their opening, but diminishing rapidly as they ascend ; 

 they are separated by a strong median ridge. 



Into the outer margin of the cloaca a strong levator cloacae muscle is 

 inserted, which passes down from the posterior part of the sacrum and 

 from the ischiatic ramus. A strong sphincter, an inch in breadth, en- 

 circles the external opening. In the centre on the upper surface is a 

 small pendent of cellular and erectile tissue, or clitoris, which displays a 

 dorsal groove. The mucous membrane of the cloaca is arranged in 

 longitudinal plates, so as to facilitate distention. 



In the lower part of the abdominal cavity in the female existed about 

 two dozen ova, each enclosed in a separate sac or calyx, and all attached 

 by a common pedicle about two inches thick to the posterior wall of the 

 abdomen; by this the vessels pass into the ova, and ramify on the sur- 

 face in a pectiniform manner, forming a vascular zone or girdle, the 

 stigma of the ova. One of these ovaria, that had emitted its egg a few 

 days before the animal's death, appeared collapsed and dark coloured; 

 the others were light and yellowish, and from the size of a pea to that 



