SEELYE: CIRCULATORY SYSTEM OF DESMOGNATHUS. 347 
lingualis and a side branch, and passes through the “rete mirabile” of 
Bethge, to open into the vena cutanea magna (pi. 23, fig. 1). Near 
this opening and toward the median line another small vein, the vena 
pharyngea (pi. 23, fig. 1), opens into the vena cutanea magna. 
The remainder of the blood from the posterior regions of the body 
is brought to the sinus venosus by means of the vena abdominalis, 
vena porta hepatis, vena cava posterioris, and vena hepatica revehens. 
We shall trace the course of each of these veins separately. 
The vena abdominalis differs from any described by other investi¬ 
gators in being formed not bv branches from the venae iliacae on each 
side, but by two branches, rami abdominales (pi. 23, fig. 1), from the 
venae iliacae communes as they pass along the latero-dorsal sides of 
the kidneys, and by branches from the bladder (vena vesicularis), the 
rectum (vena haemorrhoidalis), and the ventral body wall (venae mus- 
culares) (pi. 23, fig. 1). 
The vena abdominalis empties into the vena porta hepatis, which 
also receives branches from the intestine (vena intestinalis), the mes¬ 
entery (vena mesenterica), the spleen (vena lienalis), the stomach 
(venae gastricae), the stomach and duodenum (vena gastrico-duode- 
nalis), and the esophagus (venae oesophageae) (pi. 23, figs. 1, 2; pi. 
24, figs. 3, 4). These esophageal veins seem to correspond to those 
found by Bethge in Spelerpes. 
The venae iliacae communes, receiving blood from the tail, venae 
caudales, and from the hind limbs, venae iliacae, send part of their 
blood through the rami abdominales, and part through the venae 
renales advehentes to the kidneys (pi. 23, fig. 1). 
The vena cava posterioris arises by branches, venae renales reve- 
hentes, from between the kidneys (pi. 24, fig. 3), passes anteriorly, 
receiving a few branches from the genital organs and from the rectum, 
traverses the right dorsal portion of the liver (pi. 23, fig. 2), receiving 
a few branches from the liver, and opens with the vena hepatica 
revehens, from the ventral side of the liver, into the sinus venosus 
(pi. 23, fig. 1). 
The venae caudales, two in number as in Spelerpes, with a cross 
connection posterior to the kidneys, the venae iliacae from the poste¬ 
rior limbs, and the venae subclaviae remain to be mentioned. These 
are all shown in plate 23 (fig. 1). A curious instance of the one-sided¬ 
ness of this circulatory" system is seen in the case of the venae sub- 
claviae, which instead of opening at opposite sides into the sinus 
