504 
MR. OSLER’S OBSERVATIONS ON THE ANATOMY 
The tongue is more than four inches long. Running over the opening be¬ 
tween the lateral jaws, it dips behind them, passes along a deep hollow in the 
foot nearly to the extremity of the animal, is then brought in a curve upward 
and forward under the investing membrane of the body, and finally, doubling 
on itself, returns to the posterior part of the jaws, where its extremity is 
attached. Like the tongues of nearly all the mollusca, it becomes soft towards 
the end. The teeth are strong, prominent, and erect, with the points curved 
backward. They are set four together in transverse rows, so compactly, that 
they appear as if united. The distance between these rows is equal to two 
thirds the breadth of the tongue; and in their intervals on either side are 
other rows, disposed obliquely, and with two teeth in each. The principal 
lingual membrane, into which the muscles are inserted, is attached along the 
upper part of the accessory cartilages; but there is in addition a proper one, 
resting upon the other, and which alone is so firmly attached to the tongue as 
to admit of being removed with it. 
In the act of feeding, Patella opens the mouth laterally. The integuments, 
adhering firmly to the bony upper jaw, expand the free extremities of its mar¬ 
gin, and separate a pair of soft lips attached within these extremities, whose 
opening is of course vertical. A single large and complicated muscle now 
closes the jaws, and retracts the tongue, whose hooked teeth draw up the food 
to the opening of the pharynx. Increased effect is given to this action, partly 
by a pair of muscles inserted into the wings of the upper jaw, which press its 
concavity against the teeth ; and partly by the projection of the elastic pyri¬ 
form bodies, which raises the tongue above the level of the lateral jaws. The 
parts will be restored to their original position, and the cartilages at the same 
time moderately expanded, by three pairs of small muscles ; of which the first 
(e, fig. 13.) act upon the upper jaw ; the second, ( k , fig. 12.) upon the acces¬ 
sory cartilages ; and the third, (/, fig. 11. & 12.) upon the extremity of the 
tongue itself. 
In dissecting the parts, we begin by removing all the soft portion, compre¬ 
hending the liver, ovarium, and intestines. The tongue is to be carefully dis¬ 
engaged, and it will be right to preserve the stomach, which is found without 
difficulty, on the left side, resting on the ovarium. Having divided and turned 
aside the integuments of the head, and thrown the stomach forward, separating 
