THE PANCREAS 247 
Passerine birds have two pancreatic ducts usually on 
the ascending loop of the duodenum, or there may be one 
ahead of the pyloric biliary duct. The picarian varieties 
possess three ducts as a rule, one near the beginning of 
the pylorus, one near its end and a third of inconstant 
location. Owls have a system like Passeres, but the rela- 
tion between the organ and the intestinal loop is looser 
and the ducts are wider. Columbae have two pancreatic 
ducts in the ascending hmb of the duodenum. Gallinaceous 
varieties have a double biliopancreatic system, a duct of 
each kind entering the descending and the ascending 
duodenal reaches, with the biliary placed after the pan- 
creatic in each instance. Accipitres have always two 
and oftentimes three ducts as do Anseres, both orders 
frequently having the third duct opening at the bottom 
of the duodenal loop where stagnation can and does occur. 
Fulicariae have usually three ducts. 
The foregoing are the orders presenting pancreatitis 
and therefore those whose anatomy concerns this study 
directly. The irregularity in number and arrangement of 
ducts continues through all the avian orders which show 
a greater aberration from standards than do the mam- 
mals. Theoretically the birds should cast some light upon 
the unsettled question of the causes of pancreatitis, and 
as a matter of fact such a result seems to have been 
realized. In 1915 I published an article upon a study of 
this subject which indicated that acute inflammations of 
this organ may arise via the lumen of the duodenum and 
pancreatic ducts, while chronic processes were the result 
of periductal passage of pathogenic agents. Further 
study would seem to indicate that disease of the biliary 
tract is of importance in lesions of the pancreas since a 
decidedly large number of cases is found in mammals, 
where the relation of ducts is definitely more intimate 
than in birds. The work of Archibald, (4) Deaver and 
(4) Surg. Gyn. and Ohst., 1919, 28, p. 529. 
