292 Miscellanemis. 



Elseya latisternon (Cat. Shield Ilept. Suppl. p. 77). 

 There are two specimens in Mr. KrefFt's collection received from 

 Burnett's River. They differ from the specimens in the IJritish 

 Museum, which 1 previously described, in tlie underside being dark- 

 coloured and black-dotted ; and the neck of this species is spinous 

 on the upper surface, like EuMemya spinosa, but is known from it 

 by not having any nuchal shield. 



Note on Coraephorus baicalensis. By Dr. Albert OONTnER, F.R.S. 



The Trustees of the British Museum have lately purchased a col- 

 lection of fishes from Lake Baikal, and among them four specimens 

 of Comepliorus haicalensis ; another example has been presented by 

 Prof. Peters. Valenciennes denies the presence of pyloric appen- 

 dages (xii. p. 333) ; however, I find five, each from 4 to 7 milliras. 

 long. With regard to the systematic position of the fish, I still 

 think that it sliould be placed among the Acanthopterygians, in the 

 division of the Cotto-srom/jrlformes (see the " Systematic SjTiopsis of 

 the F'amilies of Acanthopteiygians," Catal. iii. Appendix). In some 

 respects it resembles a Gadoid fish ; but there are true spines in 

 the first dorsal fin : the air-bladder and, consequently, a pneumatic 

 duct are absent. 



On the Embryo of Macropus major. 

 By H. A. Pagenstkcher. 



In the first place it may be stated, with regard to the generative 

 organs, that Owen is perfectly right in saying that in Macropus 

 major no communication at all exists between the median vaginal 

 caecum and the portion designated by him as the vestibule, whilst, on 

 the contrary, Ilalmatunis ruficoUis (Bennett!) in om* collection shows 

 a complete open communication. The vaginal vestibule contained 

 a gre;vt (juantity of thrown-off epitlielium, which was acoumidated 

 in the very narrow canals of the lateral paired vagina), the uterus 

 anfractuosiis of authors ; the median caecum, which had flabby walls, 

 contained a very small (juantity of a turbid fluid. 



The left tube contained an embryo, although no yellow body was 

 to be recognized in the ovary. The very vascular decidua separated 

 pretty readily from the walls of the tube, except a few stronger 

 vascidar adhesions. The chorion had no connexion at all A^th the 

 decidua, so that it slipi)ed iiuite easily out of the envelope. The 

 embrj'o was exactly of the size and maturity of the specimen of 

 which Owen says that it was born thirty-eight days after copula- 

 tion, and which he has figured. It was enveloi)ed in the amnios. 

 The length, from the snout to the extremity of the tail, was about 

 4 centimetres. 



Tlu> amniotic ii(>duncle contained five spiral convolutions of the 

 intestine. With its inner surface were connected the membranes 

 and vessels of n vesicle over !•.■> centimetre in diameter, which 

 projected from the peduncle and was itsf'lf supported on a peduncle 



