16 



from Professor Owen, in which he expressed his great anxiety to be 

 favored with specimens of the gravid uterus of the platypus. (Ornith' 

 orJiynchus anatinus) in several consecutive stages of gestation. Speci- 

 mens killed during the month of September, October, November, and 

 December were much required in order to clear up several points which 

 are still very obscure as to the gestation of this animal. A similar appeal 

 had been made by the learned Professor, as long as thirty years ago, to 

 Mr. Bonald Gunn and to Dr. Casey (then resident in Tasmania), but 

 as yet without any response, and it was to be hoped that some country 

 members of the Society would now kindly endeavour to meet Professor 

 Owen's wishes, particularly as he had expressed a desire that, before he 

 died, he should be enabled to carry out to completion the investigations 

 he had formerly made and published on the subject. (Art. Monotremataf 

 Cyclopsedia of Anatomy and Physiology, 1841). 



Some members having expressed their opinion that the question as to 

 the animal being oviparous had long been settled in the negative, Mr. 

 E. D. Swan remarked that Professor McCoy, who would be recognised 

 by all as an authority of the greatest weight, had recently written to 

 the effect that he had received evidence of a most reliable character that 

 the OrnithorliynchiLs was oviparous. It was, therefore, a point of the 

 greatest physiological interest that this long- vexed question should be 

 settled, and this could only be done by obtaining specimens under the 

 circumstances referred to by the Chairman. 



The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the author of the paper* 

 read, and the donors of presentations. 



