| OCR Text |
Show 1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. 507 In Suricata the stomach is very short and round, while the cardia is extremely short \ Cynictis has a stomach more like that of the Genet, but not quite so elongated. There are folds inside the middle part of the greater curvature, but not towards the pylorus, which has a cul-de-sac extending beside the beginning of the duodenum. The cardia is very elongated. The stomach of Galidia is very like that of Crossarchus. Its cardia is of considerable size, and elongated. In Proteles it is short and much bent, and shows a tendency to the formation of a pyloric cul-de-sac. There is a large cardia; but it is not prolonged as in Cynictis, Crossarchus, and Galidia. There are considerable internal folds, as described by Professor Flower2, who remarks : - " The whole organ closely resembles that of the Armadillos, which the Proteles resembles in the nature of its food, though so widely removed in zoological position." The Hyaena has a rather rounded stomach, more or less resembling that- of Proteles. Professor Flower says3:-" The stomach is less elongated than in Felis, its fundus being very little developed." The Intestine and Cacum. In Genetta tigrina I found the length of the small and large intestines to be respectively about 120" and 14"*25, the caecum being 2"*75. The caecum was obtusely pointed, with thin walls and without glands, save a minute Peyer's patch, situated on the inner side of its very apex. As to Felis, Hunter found the small intestine in the Lion to be four times as long as the body, and the large intestine to be two thirds that length. In the Hyaena the small intestine is about eight times the length of the larger. In Proteles the intestinal canal is not five times the length of the body 4. In Hycena the large intestine is from one eighth to one sixth the length of the small intestine. In Crocuta6 it is less than one twelfth. Amongst the dried preparations in the Museum of the College of Surgeons I find parts of the intestine of a Lion and a Tiger, in both of which there is a rather long, simple caecum, which is in both (but especially so in the Lion) relatively longer than in the caecum of Felis catus. Hunter found the caecum to be from 2 to 3 inches long in the Lion. In Viverra civetta the caecum is relatively a little longer than in Genetta; but a dried specimen of Viverra tangalunga exhibits a short and rounded caecum, while one of Viverricula is also rounded, but longer. 1 For figures of the Suricate's stomach and caecum see Owen's ' Anatomy of Vertebrates,' vol. iii. pp. 444, 445. 2 P. Z. S. 1869, p. 474. 3 ' Medical Times and Gazette,' Jan. 15, 1872, p. bt\). 4 Ibid. 5 P.Z.S. 1879, p. 84. |
