ISO 



sential guide to future experiments, the female No. 1. was selected, 

 she being still suckling the young one of the previous year, and 

 being known not to be impregnąted. She vvas placed with the raale 

 only at such times as they coukl be walched. 



" The coitus was observed on the 27th of August at 1 p.m. She 

 vvas separated from the malė the šame day, and was kept in a di- 

 stinct shed and paddock until parturition took place. In order to 

 inure her to the examinations of the pouch vvhen they should be- 

 come indispensable, they were commenced six days after the copu- 

 lation, and were repeated every morning and eveniiig by James 

 Hunt, the intelligent Keeper whose services \vere allotted to ttie by 

 the Council during these investigations. At many of these exami- 

 nations I vvas present, and the foUovving are araong my notes made 

 on those occasions. 



" Sept. 6th. — lOth day of gestation. Pouch tolerably free from 

 secretion ; the right upper nipple about 2 inches long and įrd of an 

 iuch in diameter ; the young one, which has left the pouch, still 

 sucking occasionally ; the other nipples as vvhen tirst examined. 



" Sept. 11 th. — l,5th day. No alteration in the pouch or nipples; 

 the young one still sucking occasionally. 



" Sept, 30th. — J^4th day. The young one that vvas sucking is 

 dead. The nipple in use by it has begun to shrivel, and the brown 

 secretion to form. 



" Oct. 4th.— 38th day. Hunt observed the female in the after- 

 noon putting her nose into the pouch, and licking the entry. He 

 examined her at 6 in the evening ; but a slight increase of the se- 

 cretion vvas the only perceptible change, and there vvas no appear- 

 ance in the nipples indicative of approaching parturition. 



" Oct. 5th. — 39th day. Hunt examined the female at 7 a.m. and 

 found the young one attached to the nipple. No blood or albumi- 

 nous discharge couid be detected on the litter, nor any trace of it 

 on the fur betvveen the vagina and orifice of the pouch. As the 

 birth took place in the night, the mother had probably had time to 

 ciear avvay all indications of it. 



" I repaired to the Gardens the šame day and examined the pouch. 

 The young one vvas attached to the left superior nipple: it resem- 

 bled an earth-vvorm in the colour and semitransparency of ils inte- 

 gument, and adhered firmly to the point of the nipple. It breathed 

 strongly but slovvly, and moved its fore legs vvhen disturbed. Its 

 body vvas bent upon the nbdomen,- its short tail tucked in betvveen 

 the hind legs, vvhich vvere about one third shortcr than tlie fore legs, 

 but the thr^e divisions of the toes vvere distinct. The vvhole length, 

 from the nose to the end of the tail, vvould not exceed 1 inch 2 lines. 

 A linear longitudinal mark of the umbilicus vvas apparent. 



" lt has been asserted by Barton that the young of the Opossum 

 immediately after birth are in a much more imperfect condition than 

 that above described in the Kangaroo, being merely gelatinous cor- 

 puscles, comparable to a Medusa ; but the later observations of 

 Dr. Rengger on an Opossum (Didetphis AzarcB, Temm.,) nearly allied 

 to the Virginian species {Did. Virgiriiana, Cuv.,) accord as to the 

 condition of the nevv-born fcetus with vvhat \ve have novv been able to 

 ascertain with accuracy is the condition of the new-born Kangaroo. 



