BY T. THOMSON FLVNN, B..-^C. ]2I 



a specimen of T. vulpecula would be sufficient evidence of 

 the fact that the animal had borne young. In spite of 

 this. Van den Broek (4), in his work on the anatomy of the 

 female genital organs in the Marsupials, in a table given 

 on page 277, mentions a specimen of T- vulpecula. with such 

 an incomplete septum, and yet queriea the possibility of the 

 animal having borne young. On page 274 the same author 

 says: — "Doch ist diese Unterbrechung des Septum nicht 

 ein bestimmtes morphologisches Merkmal gewisser Ge- 

 schlechter von Beuteltieren, denn bei demselben Geschlechte 

 findet man bei der einen Art die Scbeidewand vollsttindig, 

 bei der audern Art unvollstanrlio-. So faud ich selber bei 

 Didelphys folgendes. Bei einem Didelphys marsupialis 

 mit Jungen im Beutel war das Septum inkomplet, bei einer 

 anderen kleineren Didelphysart, ebenfalls mit JungCii im 

 Beutel wares komplet; bei einem 6 cm. grossem Beuteljung- 

 en von Didel|ilivs CHnrrivorn bfstn.nd eine vol 1st tin di go- 

 Scheidewand. Doch selbst bei verschieden en Individuen 

 derselben Art findet ma^n das eine Mai ein untierbrochen-es 

 Septum, das anderc Mai ein kompletes." 



The above statement has some significance, in view of 

 the condition of tiiis portion of the female genital system 

 in Trichosurus caninus, a specimen of which I recently 

 received, through the kindness of Professor Welsh, of 

 Sydney. It had in its pouch a mammary foetus measuring 

 approximately from snout to root of tail along the dorsal 

 curvature, 13 cm. (As it reached me minus its head only 

 approximate measure'ment can be given). 



On examining the organs of the adult animal I expected 

 to find the septvimi broken as a result of parturition, but was 

 considerably surprised to find it quite entire. (PI. XXI., 

 Fig. 1.) Recently, I have had the opportunity of examin- 

 ing the female organs of Trichosurus vulpecula var- fuligin- 

 osus. the Tasmanian "black opossum." The median vagvaal 

 apparatus of this animal agrees with that of the common 

 Phalanger, the median septum being thin, often transpar- 

 ent, and perforated by a larger or smaller opening after 

 parturition- In extreme cases the two cul-de-sacs have 

 quite fused, the septum being onlv represented by ex- 

 tremely minute rudiments. For the purposes of compari- 

 son the median vaginal apparatus is shown in fig. 2. It 

 will be seen that there are other points of difference in 

 the two figures, besides the condition of the septum. Thus 



4. A. J. P. V. (1. Broek. '• Uiitersnclmnsen iilier die \vei))liche!i Geschlei'lits. 

 organe der Beiiteltiere." Petru.s Camper. 1)1 IK , Afl. 2. 



