Mateeial for the Study of Ruminants. 



27 



low folds are seen radiating from the opening to the psalterium. Three 

 such are found on the hepatic surface, two on the opposite and some 

 smaller ones along the lesser curvature. The beginning portion of 

 the small intestine forms the same two loops as described in stage a. 

 The convolutions of the small intestine occupy the central ventral 

 portion of the abdominal cavity. The caecum is found on the right 

 side close to the right kidney. It forms a semicircular curve with the 

 convexity turned forward and towards the kidney, the blind end is 

 directed backwards and inwards. The beginning colon makes a short 

 ansa proximales forwards, then returns and enters from behind, and 

 on the right side, the colic spiral, all the coils of which lie in one 

 plane. There are 2 72 centripetal and i 3 ,U centrifugal coils before the 

 large intestine leaves the central spiral and runs out in the peripheric 

 mesentery. When the large intestine has left this it makes a rather 

 long ansa distalis which reaches backwards to the middle of the left 

 kidney and then returns upon itself, passes from the right side (close 

 to the short duodenal loop) round and in front of the root of the me- 

 sentery and then again returns backwards as rectum. It is, however, 

 not straight but forms a broad transversal coil behind the right kidney 

 before it continues to the anus in the median line again. It is inte- 

 resting to note that the foetus in this stage has a more compli- 

 cated large intestine than the adult as it possesses one centri- 

 petal and three fourths centrifugal spiral coils more than the latter 

 and in addition to this a transverse coil of the rectum. This indicates 

 that Cephalophus melanorhoeus lias descended from ancestors which 

 have had a more complicated arrangement of the large intestine, but 

 that a secondary simplification 1 ) has taken place later, no doubt 

 caused by a changed diet, formerly herbi- or graminivorous, now 

 (at least to great extent) carpophagous. 



The situation and extension of the liver of this stage has al- 

 ready been reported above. The Spigelian lobe is rather large and 

 trihedral in shape. The caudate lobe is large, but it does not reach 

 the posterior end of the right kidney, still less the~testiele. The latter 

 has grown and is no longer globular but elliptic in outline and some- 

 what flattened. If the scrotal sack is cut transversally it shows itself 

 to be fully developed with two apartments separated by the septum 

 of tunica darlos. In each appartment is an inner bag, the cremaster- 



') Or retrograde adaptation as it also might be called. 



