BY JAS. P. HILL. 523 



III. Ox the Female Genital Organs of Tarsi pes eostratus. 

 (PI. xxvii., fig. 5 ; PI. xxviii., figs. 6-8). 



The female genital organs of Tarsipes have not hitherto been 

 described. I again owe the material for the present description 

 to Mr. Masters, who kindly allowed me to remove the genital 

 organs from two females collected by him near King George's 

 Sound, W.A., many years ago. Considering the age of the 

 specimens and the fact that they were simply put into spirit 

 entire, the organs proved to be remarkably well preserved. Both 

 sets were examined in serial sections. 



One of the females had four young in the pouch, measuring 

 g.l. 8 mm., and h.l. 4 mm. ; the other slightly smaller specimen 

 had a distinct pouch, with, however, very small teats. Both sets 

 of organs presented essentially the same structural features. 

 The drawings and measurements given refer mainly to the organs 

 of the first-mentioned female. 



The genital organs are shown from the ventral aspect in PI. xxvii., 

 fig. 5. The ovaries (ov ) are smooth ovalish bodies, measuring 

 1-25 mm. in length by -75 mm. in breadth, lying in contact with the 

 dorso-mesial borders of the uteri. The Fallopian tubes are 

 sharply marked off from the uteri; they are slightly convoluted 

 and of no great length. The bodies of the uteri are somewhat 

 ovalish, dorso-ventrally compressed structures, with their long 

 axes directed transversely and measuring in the first female 4 mm. 

 in length by 3 mm. in breadth, and in the second 3-5 mm. by 

 T5 mm. Posteriorly the body of each uterus contracts to form 

 the uterine neck which, as in Myrniecobius, passes back almost at 

 right angles to the long axis of the body. Histologically the 

 necks are distinguished as in Myrniecobius by the absence of 

 uterine glands. 



The two uterine necks continue back side by side, surrounded 

 by a common muscular layer and quite free from any adjacent 

 structure, to open into the median vagina. They form at their 

 posterior ends a prominent papilla which projects for some 



