54 FEMALE UROGENITAL ORGANS OF PERAMELES, 



finally end blindly and without opening into each other, twenty 

 sections behind fig. 7. The cul-de-sacs end in a small cone-shaped 

 mass of dense, deeply staining connective tissue seen in figs. 1 and 

 2 just behind the posterior end of the cul-de-sacs. This tissue is 

 directly continuous with the thin strand (c.t.-) lying between the 

 lateral vasfinal canals in fig. 8. 



In fig. 2, Plate i., representing a dissection from the dorsal 

 aspect of the anterior portion of the genital organs of a multipara, 

 certain of the above described features are shown. The uteri 

 have been opened up along their dorsal mid-lines and the dorsal 

 walls of the median vaginte have been removed. Each uterine 

 neck (iit.li.) is seen to open hy a scarcely projecting and ill-defined 

 OS into the corresponding vaginal cul-de-sac {m.v.c). At the 

 anterior ventral end of the left cul-de-sac is seen a deep depres- 

 sion [x) marking the point of origin of the anterior portion of the 

 lateral canal. The course of the latter forwards in the connective 

 tissue below the uterine neck is not visible externally, but the 

 dorsal wall of the left vaginal csecum has been removed to show 

 its crescentic opening {op.) on the common partition wall. 



It is thus evident that PerameJes possesses a median vaginal 

 appai'atus which in the virgin consists like that of, e.g., Dasr/urus 

 and Phascolarctns, of two separate cul-de-sacs. But whereas in 

 these two forms the cul-de-sacs are of some size and approach 

 posteriorly to within a comparatively short distance from the 

 opening of the lateral vagin:e into the urogenital sinus, in 

 Perameles the cul-de-sacs are small structures which terminate at 

 a relatively very great distance from that sinus. 



Ureters, Urogenital Sinus, &c. 



Ureters. — The ureters enter the anterior end of the urogenital 

 strand between the posterior portion of the uterine necks and the 

 lateral vaginal canals (Plate iii., fig. 5, ttr.) and pass forwards 

 (fig. 4, ^lr.) to open into the bladder shortly above its base and 

 close to its dorso-mesial line. 



Urogenital Strand. — This, as already defined, is the name given 

 to the elongated mass of connective tissue containing imbedded 



