MAKStTIATA. 



SIAHSUI'l 



hold, and sustained no injury from the interruption of the supply of 

 nourishment. Prof<-uor Owen conclude* therefore that the evidence 

 dJuee.1 aUbliahM the fact that the mammary fontus at a very early 

 period U at leut capable of luitaining a Reparation from the nipple ; 

 and although it may not at this t*ge of growth possess the power of 

 regaining iu hold by iU own unaided effort", it U far from being the 

 inert and formless embryo that it hai been described to be, resembling 

 on the contrary, in iU Titsl power*, the new-born young of the smaller 

 Mammalia rather than the uterine foetus of a larger species at a period 

 of development when such a fcotus corresponds in size to a new-born 

 Kangaroo; and although the latter possesses greater powe of actiou 

 than the fame sized embryo of a sheep, and approximates more nearly in 

 this respect to the new-born young of the rnt,yet,Profesw>rOwenobserves, 

 it it evidently inferior to the Utter. For, though enabled by the mus- 

 cular power of iU lips to grasp and adhere firmly to the nipple, its own 

 unaided efforts seem incapable of drawing sustenance therefrom. The 

 peculiar adaptation of a muscle, analogous to the cremaster, to the 

 mammary gland, for the purpose of injecting the milk from the nipple 

 into the mouth of the adherent footus, lias been demonstrated by 

 Professor Geoflroy and Mr. Morgan ; and Professor Owen remarks that 

 it can scarcely be supposed that the fictal efforts of suction should 

 always be coincident with the maternal act of injection. If at any 

 time this should not be the case, the consequences might be fatal from 

 the forcible injection of milk into the larynx. To guard against this 

 there is a special contrivance, first described by M. Geoflroy, the 

 necessity for which appears to have been foreseen by Mr. John Hunter 

 in his dissection of two small mammary foetuses of the Kangaroo for 

 the especial purpose of showing the relation of the larynx to the 

 posterior nares (Nos. 3781, 8734, 3735, Mus. Coll. Reg. Chir., Physiolo- 

 gical Series), in which, as Professor Owen states, there are evidences that 

 Hunter had anticipated most of the anatomical discoveries which have 

 subsequently been made upon the embryo of the Kangaroo. The 

 epiglottis and arytenoid cartilages ore elongated and approximated, 

 and the rima glottidis is thus situated at the apex of a cone-shaped 

 larynx, which projects, as in the Celacea, into the posterior nares. where 

 it is closely embraced by the muscles of the soft palate. The air- 

 passage is thus completely separated from the fauces, and the in- 

 jected milk panes in a divided stream on either side the larynx to the 

 oesophagus. 



1, the head of nummary Jottus of a Kangaroo, about eight weeks old, 

 duaeeted to ihow the relation of the larynx to the tongue and posterior nares. 

 , the epiglottb*, drawn down out of the aperture in the soft palate ; 6, the 

 cititj in the tongue for the reception of the nipple. 



!, the elongated nipple, withdrawn from the mouth ; the dotted line shows 

 the extent to which it U grasped : it never extends into the irsophagus or 

 stosaach, as has been conjectured. Owen. 



" Thus aided and protected by modifications of structure," con- 



tinues Profcsior Owen, " both in the system of tlie mother on<l 

 own, deafened with especial reference to euuhnthvr'a peculiar condition. 

 and affording therefore the most irrefragable evidence of creative fore- 

 sight, the feeble offspring continues to increase from suet- 

 exclusively derived from the mother for a period of about eight 

 months. The young kangaroo may then be seen frequently to 

 protrude its head from the mouth of the pouch, and to crop tin- 

 grass at the same time that the mother U browsing. Il.ivin; tliua 

 i acquired additional strength, it quits the p u-h, and hops at fir 

 i a feeble and vacillating gait, but cuntiiiir - to return to the pouch for 

 occasional shelter and supplies of food till it hai attained the weight 

 of 10 Ibs. After this it will occasionally insert its head for the 

 purpose of sucking, notwithstanding another foetus may have been 

 deposited in tha pouch, for the latter, as we have seen, attaches 

 itself to a different nipple from the one which had been i'n 

 in use." 



For the observations made by Professor Owen on the structure of 

 the female generative organ* iu the other Marsupials, M compared 

 with those of Oviparous, Ovoviviparous, and Viviparous Animals, we 

 must refer to his paper above quoted, our space not permitting us 

 to do more than call the reader's attention to the fact that his 

 itxiii 'Hons rest principally on the examination of those organs in 

 Diileljikyt dorsigera, Petaurut pyyiuatu, Pelauriu Ta : i '-ttyput 



rirem'nu*, Dulelpliyi \'iryinin : i.nnta rFArtei, and Jfd 



mojjr. His remarks on the inferiority of the cerebral development 

 of the Marsupials will be read with great interest as bearing oil 

 the structure and analogies of those organs, and other points of 

 resemblance to the lower vertebrate classes, especially to the reptiles. 

 " Those marsupial quadrupeds which I have had an opportunity of 

 observing alive in the Zoological Gardens," says the Professor (" and 

 there are at present (1834) species of Datyurtu, tiiddphyt, Phalli 

 Petaurut, Ji yptiprymntu, Macropiu, and Phtucalomyt), are all charac- 

 terised by a low degree of intelligence ; nor can I learn that tin 

 manifest any sign of recognition of their keepers or feeders. Another 

 character, no less uniformly belonging to them, is the want of a 

 power of uttering vocalised sounds. When irritated they emit a 

 wheezing or snarling guttural sound ; that of the Dasyitni* 

 is the clearest, and is the nearest approach to a growl. Mr. Harris 

 however states that iu addition to this uoisc, the Ursine Opossum 

 utters a kind of hollow barking. The Tliylaciaai cynoaithalnt, or 

 large Dog-Faced Opossum, he observes, utters ' a short guttural cry, 

 and appears exceedingly inactive and stupid, having, like the uwl, an 

 almost constant motion with the nictitating membrane of tl. 

 The Wombat, when irritated, emits a loud hiss, which forcibly reminds 

 one of that of the serpent. The noise emitted by the Kangaroo under 

 similar circumstances is equally remote from a vocalised sound ; the 

 necessary apparatus for producing which, Cuvier long ago observed 

 'to be wonting in the larynx of this animal. It is interesting to find 

 these analogies to the Kcptilia, and more might be pointed out if it 

 were not a comparison which merits a separate consideration." The 

 reader who would pursue his inquiries as to the generative system of 

 the Martujiialia may also consult the previom writings of Daubenton, 

 Hengger, and Leuckart The museum of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons will afford ample materials for following out the organisation 

 of this extraordinary group in the skeletons and preparations pre- 

 served in the Physiological Series of that noble institution. The 

 following is the arrangement, based on the organisation of the 

 animals, proposed by Professor Owen in a paper read to the Zoological 

 Society of London on the 8th and 22ud of January, 1839 : 



Tribes. 

 Sarcvphafa. 

 Three kinds of teeth ; cantata long in both jaws ; a simple stomach 



Cl.ASSinuATKlX O THB MAR8CHATA. 

 Families. 



Genera. 



( Tkylarintis. 



Sub-;: 



inti-iunam cocam 



. no S Deuynndtr 



i PhaMCfil'ttheriuiH \ 

 . . Extinct tisHMtional form. . { ny , acotkfri , IM , '-'' 



"1 



Ambulaloria . 



Thret kinds of tetlh In both jaws ; a simple stomach ; a moderately long V Sanatoria 



Chari'opnt. 



Curpopkaga. 



Anterior loeiaen Urft and Isng In 



; a very long Intcstlnum rcum 



AaUfior inci- 



I'hnlanpatiila . . J PMangitta . . . . < Puudoelui 



both Jaws ; canines Inconstant ; a simple L L /'"/">" (Or 



um | (_ J'elaurui .... Aicobalel. 



'if del. 



( Ciiicut. 



. . ^ Pteudvchcn t. 

 ray). 



j natcalarcliJif 



I'ltatcolarclol. 



canines present in the upper , 

 jaw only, or wanting; a complex stoawh | a long intesunum ca-cum . . J 



largt and long In both jaws ; 



( 



Uacrnpvi 



I Jlalmatunil. 

 1 llacroptu. 



Two sealpriform Incisors ill both jaws ; no caninrs ; stomach with a special ^ r/intcohmyijir . < 1 1 Difrot ^ ' n (f,, 

 (laadj Occam short, wide, with a vermiform appendage . . . . I 



The Unns giroi to the tribes or primary groups of Manupiala in tbe classification are not to be understood aa strictly indicating the food of the 

 i rwslly Included therein, but only their general tendency to scleet for their .upport the substance* implied by those denlgnatlonn. 



