160 



MEMOIR ON THE REPRODUCTION OF THE OPOSSUM. 



The skin was rose-coloured, and translucent; beneath which could be seen the ribs. 

 No hairs on the skin ; which, under the doublet, was wrinkled and very loose. 



It moved strongly by means of its fore-arms. 



1 1 raised its snout or muzzle oft* the glass, by the act of extension of its head, and by 

 lifting itself on the fore-paws. 



No motions in the hind legs, which are very small ; mere buds. 



It turned itself over, and moved round the glass in various directions. 



It now respired by the two nostrils and by the mouth. 



The cartilages of the nostrils seem to be bare, or uncovered, and sit on the anterior 

 face of a conical pit or dimple. It was easy to perceive that the air entered and escaped 

 through all three of the orifices, by the bubbles of milk or mucus resting on the several 

 apertures. 



The embryo was dead at ten minutes past nine o'clock; having survived its separation 

 one hour and twenty-nine minutes, during which it carried on a true respiratory, pulmonic 

 life; notwithstanding it had been much handled, and exposed to the cold air of the street. 



There were no nails on the hinder toes; those of the fore-paw are faithfully represented 

 in the figure annexed. They were of a red hue. 



The iris was very visible, of a faint blue colour; no appearance ^,— — _^ 



of any palpebral raphe; the organ of vision quite covered beneath 

 the skin — through which it is seen. r 



No orifice of an ear — but a whitish-coloured cicatrice or scar, 

 beneath which the organ is hidden. 



No raphe of the lips, running towards the angle of the future 

 enormous mouth, or gape. 



I have already given the measure of the fore-arm; which possessed the power of pro- 

 nation and supination very perfectly. 



The paws were very prehensile. 



I pinned it, on its back, to a flat cork, and completely extended it. Introducing a dis- 

 secting needle into the mouth, I split with it the lip, lower jaw, and throat, down to the 

 sternum — when I discovered a vast milk-white tongue — so enormous, in proportion, as 

 to convince me that the tongue alone constituted fully one-third of the entire weight of 

 the head. See its outline in the former figure, and in the one annexed. « 



i f. 



