88 



ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 14. N:0 4. 



When describing the liver of AntecMnomys Beddard 

 (]. c.) says that the gall-bladder of that animal occupies an 

 ususual position, as be means, that it, instead of lying in a 

 cleft in the right central lobe, is situated »to the median 

 side of the right central lobe almost between it and the left 

 centrab. I wonder if this might not be an misinterpreta- 

 tjon. It appears most probabie, that the gall-bladder has 

 the usual position in fissura cystica, which is deep and has 

 been interpreted as representing fissura nmhilicalis, which 

 latter reaJly is absent or obsolete, just as is the case in 

 Caenohstes. If the present author is right in assuming this 

 the supposed difference with regard to the situation of the 

 gall-bladder in certain Marsupials^ and in the Placentalia 

 may be explained in the same way. 



The structure of the liver appears, however, in several 

 respects to be rather variable among the Marsupials. The 

 hver of Didelphys has been repeatedly described, and Ren- 

 vall^ has figured it. He points out that the left central 

 lobe is greatly reduced in size, but the right central is the 

 bigger with a wide emargination for the gall-bladder. 



In Metachirus I found a similar condition. The whole 

 organ, is thin (but not with crenulated edge). The right 

 lateral lobe is much reduced in size. The situation of the 

 gallbladder is as in Didelphys in an emargination representing 

 ftssura cystica, but there is no trace of any ;. nmhilicalis. 



In Finländer the liver is very different. Unlike in the 

 genera just mentioned the ligamentum suspensorium hepatis 

 is well developed and a deep fissura umhilicalis divides the 

 left central lobe from the right. The former is very much 

 smaller than the latter and even somewhat smaller than the 

 left lateral lobe, which on the abdominal (or aboral) side 

 entirely covers it, so that it is not visible from that side 

 but only on the thoracic (anterior) surface. When lookina 

 tor a gall-bladder at the right central lobe I did not at first 

 see any trace of such a one on the abdominal side of the 

 liver, but when I carefully examined also the anterior side 

 i found on that surface of the right central lobe, nearly in 

 the middle of the same, a small opening in the tissue. Throu^h 



1903. 



I Beddabd quotes especially Dendrolagus d; Petrogale 



^ Daggdjursletvern, dess form och flikar speciellt hos gnagarne. Äbo 



