334 GEORGINA SWEET. 



along the length of the cloaca, to near its external opening 

 there are as in Perameles [4, p. 57] a number of much-coiled 

 branching diffuse tubular glands lying amongst the muscle 

 bundles of the cloacal wall, and in the connective-tissue 

 surrounding it, especially dorsally and laterally. These 

 gland tubes, which may be found also to a less extent around 

 the rectal wall (PI. 19, fig. 18, g.t.), have very thin walls, 

 composed of cells_, which are small and distinctly non- 

 glandular in appearance, and yet the lumen always contains 

 secretion. 



Their ducts, in number about thirty, open along the whole 

 length of the cloaca, dorsally, ventrally, and laterally, though 

 most numerous dorsally. 



On either side of the anterior half of the cloaca, or even 

 more anteriorly still, lies an ''anal gland" (PI. 19, fig. 18, 

 a. gl.) similar to those of some other Marsupials, a single 

 duct from each [contrast Dr. Stirling, 10, PI. 9, fig. 5] 

 running backwards in the adipose tissue outside the muscle- 

 layers of this part to enter the cloaca laterally, close to its 

 hinder end [cf. Perameles, 4, p. 57], These are i-eadily 

 distinguishable in sections from the diffuse gland ducts by 

 their size and structure, while the other two pairs of duct- 

 like structures described and figured by Dr. Stirling are seen 

 to be simply fibrous bands anchoring the gland in position. 

 This anal gland is most curious in structure, as indicated by 

 Professor Hill in Perameles. It consists in Notoryctes of an 

 almost spherical hollow ball, 2*4 mm. in external diameter, 

 with a fibrous capsule, from which processes pass inwai'ds, 

 just comparable to the trabeculte of a lymphatic gland, and 

 forming a more or less complete network. Unlike a lym- 

 phatic gland, however, the centre of the ball is hollow (1"4 

 mm. in diameter), and the whole gland appears to be sur- 

 rounded by striated muscle-fibres [cf. 1, pp. 157, 161, and 

 contrast 4j p. 57]. Between the trabecules the alveoli are 

 filled with long oval cells, those nearest the capsule contain- 

 ing protoplasm with deeply-staining nuclei. As they pass 

 inwards towards the central cavity, however, these cells lose 



