PLACENTA IN PERAMELES 



139 



in diameter while outside this region the average width is 

 0-065 mm. A result of this is that the mucosa of the former 

 region has a more compact appearance than in the latter. 



Another feature to wliich attention should be drawn is the 

 presence of at least one branched gland, a photograph of which 

 is shown in tig. 10 and an outline, obtained by superimposing 

 a number of sections, in Text-tig. 1. This figure by no means 

 represents all the branches of the gland. This, I believe, is the 

 first record of any l)ut simple glands in the miusupial uterus. 



TeXT-FI(4. 1. 



Diagram of a branched gland from the uterine mucosa of 

 Perameles. 



In all cases the glands in their lower portions are narrower 

 and more coiled than in the upper, where in general they widen 

 out and retain their epithelium unchanged up to the point of 

 opening into the uterus. This latter characteristic, however, 

 is not shown by glands opening into that portion of the syn- 

 cytium to which the chorionic ectoderm is attached. 



The gland epithelium is of the usual character, consisting of 

 a single layer of cells with peripherally situated dark-staining 

 nuclei. The secretory activity of the glands is most marked, 

 particularly in the allantoic placental area. Migrating through 

 the glandular epithelium, to be added to the secretion, are 

 numbers of leucocytes. 



Abundant in the connective tissue of the placental regions are 



