Temper atwres of Reptiles, etc. 65 



Females were, with only one exception, of higher temperature 

 than males when under the same conditions ; and the divergence 

 was always greatest when the females were suckling their young, 

 the average of tweiny-nve observations giving an excess of 1'2°. 

 The koala has only one young one at a time, but she has two 

 teats, one on each side of her pouch ; of these only one would be 

 functional at a time. That side of the pouch whereon was the 

 functional teat was invaribiy warmer than the other. The 

 average of twenty-six observations gave 36 - G° for the one side as 

 against 3Q Q for the other. 



According to observations taken for me by Mr. Ernest Le Souef 

 the Dasyures come next at an average of 36°. 



Phalangers stand next in order. The average of twenty two 

 observations on from two to four specimens of the ring-tailed 

 opossums (Phalangista) gave 36 - 6°, which is only a little below the 

 normal human temperature. But again the range was much 

 greater than one finds in any of the higher mammals. In cool 

 weather, with the thermometer at 16 8°, a male would register 

 about 35°, a female about one-tenth of a degree higher ; but in 

 warmer weather, though still in the shade, where the thermometer 

 registered 31" to 35°, the opossums would be about 37°; I once 

 observed two of them, the only ones I then had, for nearly a fort- 

 night together, which averaged about 39°, but as they died soon 

 after, I fear they had not been in good health when these records 

 were made. 



Mr. Ernest Le Souef took for me the temperatures of three 

 of these Australian opossums in the Melbourne Zoological 

 Gardens. Phalangista vulpina gave 36 - l°, Phalangista fuliginosa 

 37 - 3 °. This corresponds with Selenka's observations of the true 

 opossums (Didelphys), which ranged about 37°. 



I have made only four observations on the temperatures of the 

 kangaroo family. They are a little under the human standard. 

 Macropns giganteus gave SG'G , Halmaturus bennettii gave 37T°, 

 Petrogale xanthopus 35-9°, while the tree kangaroo {Dendrogalus 

 grayi) was exactly at the human standard, 37°. 



From the few recorded temperatui'es of rodents and insectivores, 

 I should think it most probable that they came next in order, 

 with perhaps the cetacea and sirenia, judging from occasional 

 records, as almost on the same level. All the other orders of 

 mammalia stand uniformly much above the human temperature. 



