84 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 14. NiO 4. 



very thick and exhibits a fine structure. It is namely honey- 

 combed with glandular pits of equal size and arranged in 

 longitudinal series. The interspaces between the pits of the same 

 row are about equal to the diameter of the pits, but the inter- 

 spaces between the different series broader (Pl. fig. 6). The 

 fundus portion opposite this glandular honey-combed part is 

 thrown in some irregular longitudinal folds, and the remaining 

 pyloric portion is comparatively thin-walled with small long- 

 itudinal folds. The sphincter pylori is well developed. As 

 the stomach was not filled and dilated the non glandular 

 fundus portion may be comparatively more strongly con- 

 tracted than the glandular area. 



The length of the whole intestinal tract from the pylorus 

 to the cloacal opening is about 200 mm as far as could be 

 ascertained by laying a thread along the intestine, while still 

 adhering to the mesentery.^ As the length of the specimen, 

 an immature female, measured from tip of snout to the 

 cloaca, is 76 mm, this length is contained only 2 ^3 times in 

 the length of the intestine. The latter organ is thus very 

 short. It appears to be comparatively shorter than in any 

 other mammal except certain Chiroptera according to the 

 most known tables of measurement in the literature. To 

 judge, however, from Beddard's figure of the alimentary 

 tract of Antechinomys laniger the intestine must be still 

 shorter in that Marsupial. Alston^ has also pointed out, 

 that it is only a little more than twice the length of the 

 animal, and he found a similar condition in Sminthopsis 

 crassicaudatus, while the intestine of Phascologale penicillata 

 was even less than twice the length of the animal. 



A very short intestine is thus a feature common to se- 

 veral different small insectivorous Marsupials. It is partly 

 and originally a primitive characteristic but stånds also in 

 Gonnection with the diet. 



The duodenum of Gaenolestes is comparatively very wide, 

 and the intestine continues to be so a long way. About the 

 middle it has a somewhat smaller calibre. The posterior 

 portion is thin-walled and becomes much widened in such 

 places, where faecal matter is massed. This faecal matter 



^ The experiment was repeated twice with the same result. 



2 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1908, p. 562. 



3 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1880, p. 454. 



