^96 Dr Paolo Savi on the Bag or Bladder occasionally 
palate, or towards the usual site of the uvula ; and in thusformingj? 
by its position, if we may be allowed the expression, a connecting: 
link between the uvula of the dromedary and that of other mam- 
malia, it banishes the peculiarity which seemed to distinguish them. 
And, finally, in regard to its great size, it is evident that this 
cannot be considered as a sufiicient character to regard it as no 
true uvula, since the greater or less development of an organ cau 
never change its nature. 
This is all that seems to me necessary to be said respecting 
the structure of the mouth of the male dromedary, as far at 
least as concerns the guttural sac, the appearance of which w« 
shall now explain. 
When an animal in heat intends to project the sac, he raises 
the velum pendulum palati, and thus approximates it to that 
partition, in the superior part of the nasal cavity of which I have 
already spoken, at the same time driving out the air from his 
chest with some force. As, in this case, the velum pendulum is 
raised up, the passage into the posterior part of the nose is much 
straitened, while the air expelled serves to shut it up entirely, 
by entering into the cid de sac formed by the above men- 
tioned partition ; which being thus distended, and applied 
to the soft palate now elevated, performs the office of a true 
valve, and entirely shuts up the ordinary passage for the air. 
The air, no longer able to escape by the nostrils, seeks a passage 
by the mouth, and enters the fauces; but here a new obstacle 
presents itself to the free egress of the air iii the uvula, which 
hangs before the isthmus faucium^ and lies on the tongue, touch- 
ing with its sides the posterior face of the anterior crura of the 
palate. 
Hence it happens, that the air must force its way through 
one of two passages; that of the nasal canal is impervious, be- 
cause the soft palate and the nasal sac shut up the passage more 
securely the greater the force of aerial current ; that of the 
fauces may be forced through with difficulty, provided the im- 
petus of the air be sufficiently strong. The air is thus made to 
act on the back part of the uvula, and strives to force it forward ; 
but, as all the anterior extremity of that organ lies on the 
tongue, and its sides are applied to the crura of the palate, the 
air can only act on that small portion of the uvula situated be- 
