158 MR. bynof/s observations 



tion the small size of the animal found in the pouch, 

 its utter helplessness, its slight power of motion, 

 and its firm attachment to the nipple. The more it 

 is in the embryonic state the firmer is its attachment 

 to the mother ; to separate it from the nipple re- 

 quires some force ; the surrounding parts of the 

 opening of the mouth, after separation, bleed pro- 

 fusely, and the animal has no power to close it ; the 

 opening remains gaping and circular, the animal 

 lies on its side, and if very young, soon dies. On 

 each side of the opening is a line shewing the ex- 

 tent of the mouth. When arrived at greater 

 maturity it can make no noise until the mouth is 

 fully developed, and then a faint hissing note ; it 

 has no power to stand until very large, and the hair 

 is about to shoot out from the skin. An animal in so 

 helpless a situation could not possibly, with all the 

 aids and contrivances of the mother, attach itself to 

 the nipple and produce adhesion of the oral aper- 

 ture, when even at a later period it has no motion 

 of life or power to close that opening. The reten- 

 tion in the uterus must be of short duration. I have 

 been led to these conclusions from examinations on 

 the banks of the Victoria River. A flying doe, 

 inhabiting the grass flats, of more than ordinar}^ size, 

 was killed. In thrusting my fingers into the pouch, 

 I found that the mammary glands were remark- 

 ably enlarged, pressing forcibly into that cavity. I 

 questioned the seaman who took up the animal, im- 

 mediately after being shot, whether he had taken the 



