86 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND Ii. N:0 4. 



It has thus a shape nearly opposite to that of the same 

 organ of Didelphys in which animal the left end is broader 

 and truncate, while the right is narrower tonguelike and 

 rounded of at the extremity. In Metachirus the spleen has 

 an irregular shape and is produced in lobes. In a small 

 Marmosa the left end is broader as in Didelphys, but the 

 whole organ is shorter in transverse direotion and a trian- 

 gulär quite free portion is attached to its posterior corner. 

 The spleen of Antechinomys is described by Bedda rd as 

 »wider at the duodenal end and narrower at the opposite 

 extremity», but at the wide end it is divided »by two pa- 

 rallel longitudinal furrows» into »several finger-shaped lobes» 

 not detached from each other. In a small Sminthopsis again 

 I found this organ divided into two tonguelike free lobes at 



Fig. 7. The spleen of Caenolestes from 

 the ventral side. 



its right or duodenal end, and the opposite somewhat irre- 

 gular. The shape of the spleen is thus so variable among 

 the Marsupials, that it cannot be used for proving or dis- 

 proving affinity. 



The liver of Caenolestes is big and thick. The right 

 lateral and the left lateral lobes are by very complete fis- 

 sures divided from the central portion (fig. 8 B). They are 

 very large and extend on the abdominal side further mesi- 

 ally than on the thoracic side so that they on the former 

 partly overlap and cover the central lobes (ef. fig. 8 B & C). 

 The central portion of the liver is very compact. There is 

 only a trace of fissura umbilicalis in the shape of a slight 

 longitudinal impression in the middle of the frontside (ven- 

 tral) of the organ (ef. fig. 8 A), and a short vestige of fis- 

 sure in continuation of this towards the suspensorium. Fis- 

 sura cystica does not reach half way from the ventral edge 



