56 
ON THE PHYSIOGNOMY OF SERPENTS. 
OF THE LIVER. 
The Liver in all Ophidians presents the form of a long 
riband, diminishing towards its extremities, sometimes 
imperfectly divided into two lobes, extending along the 
oesophagus and stomach, from the heart almost to the py- 
lorus. The conformation of this organ depending in a 
great measure on the general figure of the serpent, it will 
be superfluous to describe the innumerable modifications it 
undergoes in the different species ; it is sufficient to state, 
relatively to its length, that the posterior extremity of the 
liver sometimes touches the pancreas, while in other serpents 
it remains at a considerable distance. The hepatic duct 
proceeding from the interior surface of the liver, descends 
towards the pancreas, to conduct the bile into the small in- 
testine. It is in this region, and generally covered by the 
pancreas, that the reservoir is situated, destined to receive 
the bile, which, as has been very well remarked by Duver- 
NOY,^ can only arrive there by a sort of regurgitation. 
Constantly filled with an abundant fluid, the gall bladder 
discharges it in digestion by a short duct, which unites, 
under an angle more or less acute to the hepatic duct ; 
the ductus choledocus, so formed, is lodged between the 
lobules of the pancreas to penetrate the small intestine ; 
its orifice is recognised by a small border very indistinctly 
marked. 
OF THE KIDNEYS. 
The kidneys of Ophidians, remarkable by their unsym- 
metrical position, and by their lengthened form, are di- 
vided into a great number of little lobes adhering to each 
other by cellular tissue ; they are usually preceded by ex- 
tremely small bodies, which probably represent the renal 
capsules : placed most generally at a short distance from 
the anus, the kidneys extend a good way up the abdomi- 
nal cavity. The ureters, canals of greater or less length, 
^ Annales des Sciences NaturelleSf xxx. p. 125. 
