140 Zoological Society. 



tion that the peritoneal outlets exist in the Crocodile, the membrane 

 was here first examined, but without the shghtest appearance of an 

 aperture being detected. The peritoneal cavity between the uterus 

 and bladder was next examined, and particularly where the mem- 

 brane is reflected from the lower part of the lateral tubes {ad ute- 

 ritms, Geoff.), this being the situation where the description of 

 M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire would lead us to expect them. There 

 was, indeed, in the angle between the lateral and middle uterus a 

 narrow peritoneal pouch, which seen from above appeared like the 

 orifice of a canal; but on sounding this with an eye-probe, uniform 

 resistance was met with, and on laying the cavity carefully open the 

 membrane was found to be entire and imperforate at the bottom. 

 The remainder of the peiitoneum in this neighbourhood was searched 

 over, but with the same want of success. 



" The female was adult, but was believed never to have been with 

 young. 



"I repeated the examination on the female parts of an adult 

 Kangaroo {a\&o without young), which had been preserved in spirits 

 from a former dissection, and in which the peritoneal connexions 

 between the bladder, uterus and rectum were entire. The same 

 small blind pouches were found in the situation indicated above, 

 but not any trace of the orifices of canals. M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hi- 

 laire acknowledges he was unable to find analogous canals in a male 

 Kangaroo that he examined subsequently to the female ; and as the 

 dissection on which his supposed discovery is founded appears not 

 to have been performed by himself, these canals, unless confirmed 

 by further observation, must be considered as at least of doubtful 

 existence. 



Mr. Owen also read Notes on the anatomy of the American Tapir, 

 Tapir Americanus, Gmel., observing, in his introduction, 



"The death of tlie male American Tapir having afforded an oppor- 

 tunity of examining its anatomical structure, I proceed to lay before 

 the Committee a portion of the notes taken on that occasion, confi- 

 ning myself to such additional circumstances as have not appeared in 

 previous accounts. Of this species the latest anatomical description 

 is that which is given by Mr. Yarrell in the 4th volume of the ' Zoolo- 

 gical Journal ' to the accuracy of which this dissection bore ample testi- 

 mony." 



At the request of the Chairman, Mr. Spooner adverted to the case 

 of a Leopard lately living at the Society's Gardens. It had been 

 suspected to be labouring under ascites, but on its death its bulk 

 was found to have been occasioned by an excessive deposition of fat 

 both in the abdomen and thorax. A conversation ensued among the 

 Members present ; and Mr. Spooner having stated his belief, corro- 

 borated by his having observed similar results in Dogs, that distant 

 periods of feeding with full meals occasioned corpulence and disease 

 of skin, while frequent and more sparing meals led to the recovery 

 of health and activity, it appeared to the Committee desirable that 

 this proposition should be submitted to the test of direct experiment. 



It was therefore ordered. 



That it be suggested to tlie Council to select, for the purpose of 



experi- 



