Li7ina;an Society. ^65 



had not, he believed, been previously dissected. He stated, that 

 two other individuals of that species, one an adult female, tlie other 

 a young one of the same sex, liaving subsequently come under his 

 examination, he was enabled to confirm some of the peculiarities 

 observed in the dissection of the young male gpecin)en, and parti- 

 cularly the existence of the double ccecum, and the additional lobe 

 of the lungs. He was also enabled to add to that account a de- 

 scription ol' the genital and mammary organs. In the absence of 

 distinction between the uterus and vagina, in both species and in the 

 mode of communication of what may be considered a single elon- 

 gated uterine tube with the genito-urinary canal, may be observed 

 the first traces of that approximation to the oviparous type of the 

 genital organs which peculiarly characterizes the Marsupial Edentata. 

 Mr. Owen subsequently adverted to several external peculiarities 

 which he had observed in the 6-banded Armadillo, and which, he 

 remarked, were of some insterest, as connected with the burrowing 

 habits of the animal. On the second toe from the inside there is a 

 soft large cushion, evidently' a modification of the organ of touch : 

 at the hinder part of the fore- foot there is also a warty prorr.inence, 

 from which many hairs grow. There is a loose portion of integu- 

 ment below each eye, supported upon a prominence of the zygoma, 

 hirsute, and resembling an inferior eyebrow ; by means of which, 

 and the coronal plate of armour above, the eye is well defended 

 during the act of burrowing. 



LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 



Nov. 6. — Read an extract from a letter, addressed to Robert Brown, 

 Esq., V.P.L.S. &c., by John B. Batka, apothecary and druggist at 

 Prague, containing remarks on Valeria indica and some other plants. 

 The Elceocarpus copidlijerus of Retzius, which Kcenig and Vahl 

 have referred to Valeria indica of Linnaeus, M. Batka considers quite 

 different. This plant was supposed to yield the copal ; but M. Batka 

 has examined specimens of its resin, as also of the resin of the true 

 Valeria indica, which he finds different from each other, and also 

 from copal, which is now ascertained to be the produce oi' Hymencea 

 verrucosa. The author expresses the difficulties he has met with in 

 tracing thesynonyma of Lau7-us('innamomum and Laur.Vassia, which 

 after a careful examination he is inclined to consider identical ; the 

 plant which is found commonly cultivated in collections for L. Cassia, 

 being L. Malabathrum, 'distinguished by its large, glossy, coriaceous 

 leaves, thinner inflorescence, divided calyx, and smaller fruit. The 

 differences observable in the specimens of these plants he at- 

 tributes to the influence of soil and climate. The L. javanensis, 

 which yields the bark brought from Java under the denomination 

 of Cassia lignea vera, the author also regards as only a variety of 

 L. Cinnamomum. The Chinese Cassia lignea bark, and the Cassia 

 buds of commerce, M. Batka regards as the produce of an unknown 

 species of the genus, distinct from the Laurus dulcis of Roxburgh, 

 and perhaps identical with a .species in Mr. Lambert's herbarium 

 f\-om Cavanillcs, marked /.. vianiUcnsis. 



T/tird Scries. Vol. 1. No. 6. Dec. 1832. 3 O 



