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Zoology. — "The uterus of Erinnceus europaeus L. after parturi- 

 tion". B}' Prof. H. Stuahl, of Giessen. (Communicated by 

 Prof. A. A. W. Hübrecht). 



(Gommuuicated in tlic meeting of March 31, 190Ö). 



Tliroiigh the obliging kindness of my eolleagne Prof. Hubreciit, 

 to whom I owe my sincere thanks, I was enabled to continue my 

 researches on the involution of the uterus post partum with a species 

 which, as far as I know, had not yet been studied in this respect. 

 The examination of a larger number of uteri of Erinaceus europaeus L. 

 made it possible sufficiently to investigate the regressive development 

 in question. 



In the pregnant uterus of the hedgehog shoi'tly before pai-turition, 

 pretty large foetal chambers are found, as was shown by Hubrecht's 

 extensive investigations. These chambers are entirely lined with 

 epithelium which extends a little under the edges of the discoid 

 placenta, the relative size of which is not very large. This placenta 

 consequently belongs to the stalked ones, although the stalk is a 

 very broad one. 



The wall of the uterus of a hedgehog which was killed immediately 

 after parturition is accordingly almost entirely covered with an 

 epithelium whicii proved to consist of high, cylindrical cells. A 

 layer of epitiielium is only wanting in a small antimesometral region 

 which is chai'acterised as the site of tlie placenta by the large 

 vascular stumps. 



Excepting the specimen just mentioned the time [)0st partum could 

 not be determined in my preparations. So I had to arrange them in 

 a series according to the thickness of the uteri, beginning with such 

 as were still very thick and admitted of a determination of the number 

 of former foetal chambers by swellings corresponding to the placental 

 places and ending with others the appearance of which did not 

 reveal any traces of pregnancy. The sections obtained from such 

 uteri were in good agreement with each other and gave a sufficient 

 idea of the various stages of involution. 



I will not give here a detailed description of the phases of the 

 retrogade development but only remark that the essential changes 

 occur in the connective tissue of the uterine mucous membrane and 

 in the glandular apparatus. The surface epithelium whicli with many 

 animals (e.g. with Putorius furo) undergoes considerable changes of 

 form, here shows these to a relatively smaller extent. They are 

 limited to the casting otf of supertluous parts and to the cliange of 

 larger cells into smaller ones. 



