2o8 
ON THE STOMACH GLANDS OF THE RAT AND RABIUT 
portion and is kept licre, then gradually sent into the [)yloru.s and fundus 
portions as we ha\'e already seen in tlie case of the stomach of the rat. 
The cardiac portion of Lepus cuniculus is very large, occupying two- 
thirds of the stomach. The connection of the cardiac and fundus glands is 
not distinguishable by the naked eye and there is no boundary ridge. 
B. Microscopical Anatomy. 
According to the above mentioned modification of the gastric pouch, the 
three layers of which the gastric walls are composed show features peculiar 
to each of the three regions. Most striking are the changes undergone by 
the innermost layer of the three, the Mucosa layer. Fig. i. represents a 
scmidiagramniatic longitudinal section through the boundary ridge which 
marks off the Fundus against the cardiac sac. The regular Epithelium which 
lines the inner surface of the Fundus passes over, at the point marked with 
X, suddenly into a multicellular Epithelium, lining not only the boundary 
ridge itself, but the cardiac sac also. 
The Mucous Epithelium is uninterruptedly continuous with the multi- 
cellular Epitlielium; yet these two sections of the Epithelium are widely diver- 
gent from each other as regards their histological character. The former is 
constructed of a single row of columnar cells raking regular epithelial arrange- 
ment; the latter is, on the contrary, composed of a layer, many cells deep and 
accordingly attains a considerable thickness in contrast to the comparatively 
thin Mucous Epithelium. In this multicellular Epithelium, moreover, two 
layers are distinguished ; the outer layer is, on sections, fibrous in appear- 
ance, while in reality it is formed of numerous strata of dry flattened epithe- 
lial cells loosened to be ultimately cast off; the iiuier layer is compact in 
texture, being composed of protoplasmic epithelial cells closely set together. 
In this compact part of the Epithelium several interesting facts are to be 
noticed. As will be .seen on reactions, the nuclei which are scattered in the 
layer in question are thickly put together in the basal part of it and grow 
lesser and lesser towards the peripheral part where the layer shows every 
