210 Mr. Home's anatomical Account 
The oesophagus is about a foot in length : its internal sur- 
face is milk white and polished, -having a number of conical 
papillae projecting into the canal. These become gradually 
longer towards the stomach ; they all point downwards, and 
the lower ones have a fringed appearance, which is shewn in 
the figure. 
The stomach, from its weight, could not be removed till 
emptied of its contents, which consisted of several pails full 
of pebbles, a quantity of mucus, and a small portion of a sub- 
stance, which proves to be the spawn of a univalve. The ap- 
pearance of the internal structure of the stomach, and the 
dimensions of its different parts are shewn in the drawing. 
Besides the cardiac and pyloric portions, as in other sharks, 
there is a globular cavity, with which the pyloric portion com- 
municates by a very small orifice, and there is another orifice 
nearly of the same size, between this cavity and the intestine. 
The upper part of the duodenum is smooth, and the gall ducts 
open into it by a long nipple-like projection, and just below 
this the spiral valve has its origin, as in other sharks. 
The valvular intestine, from the closeness of the turns of 
the valvular part, is so firm and compact, that when placed on 
its end, it stood upright like a cask. It is about four feet long, 
and ten inches in diameter, terminating at its lower end in the 
appearance of a rose, which is so remarkable, that it is repre- 
sented in the annexed figure. Below this the rectum be- 
gins, which in this instance was two feet long. Behind the 
rectum, and loosely attached to the spine, is an oval bag, the 
coats of which are very strong : its internal membrane is re- 
ticulated, forming very deep folds, and there is a long narrow 
duct leading from its cavity into the rectum. This bladder 
