520 FEMALE UROGENITAL ORGANS IN THE MARSUPIALIA, 



Fallopian tubes (f.t.) are thin and convoluted, not sharply marked 

 off from the uteri, and with fimbriated openings partially invest- 

 ing the ovaries. The uteri are of characteristic form and disposi- 

 tion. Each consists as in Perameles of two portions — body and 

 neck, but these two portions are here more sharply differentiated 

 from each other than they are in that form. The body of the 

 uterus (ut.b.) is somewhat fusiform in shape, twice as broad as 

 long, and with its long axis directed almost transversely to the 

 long axis of the animal. They are connected by the anterior free 

 portions of the two broad ligaments which are united in front 

 in the median line as in Perameles. Anteriorly the uterine bodies 

 contract to pass over into the Fallopian tubes, while posteriorly 

 they similarly narrow to continue on as the uterine necks (ut.n.). 

 These latter pass back parallel with each other, and almost at 

 right angles to the uterine bodies, to become imbedded dorsally 

 in the common connective tissue mass, which also encloses the 

 neck of the bladder ventrally and the forwardly directed portions 

 of the vaginal canals (fig. 2). The uterine necks increase slightly 

 in transverse breadth posteriorly, and are so closely united as to 

 appear externally as a single structure which terminates behind 

 in a bulbous enlargement (fig. 1, ut.n.). The posterior portion of 

 this enlargement is occupied by the two median vagina? which 

 have the form of quite short and small, completely separated cul- 

 de-sacs (fig. 3, m.v.c), into which the uterine necks directly open, 

 distinct ora not being recognisable. 



The median vaginal apparatus of this young Myrmecobius is 

 thus very closely similar to that of the virgin Perameles/f but 

 whereas in Perameles the median vaginal cul-de-sacs terminate at 

 a very considerable distance from the upper end of the urogenital 

 sinus, those of Myrmecobius end at a relatively short distance 

 from the same (3 mm. in the present specimen). Leche appar- 

 ently failed to distinguish between the uteinne necks and the 

 median vagina?, for in the paper before referred to, he says 

 (p. 154): — " Wie bei Phascologale calura reichen die geraden 



t For Contribution I., see Proceedings, 1899, Part i., p. 42. 



