202 MR. GARROD ON THE DEATH OF A KANGAROO. [Feb. 18, 



fissure ; it embraces the middle gyrus, and does not cease opposite 

 its posterior superior angle, but descends about halfway down its 

 posterior limb to end by a point. 



The whole brain narrows in front ; and the crucial sulcus is not at 

 all strongly marked. The corpora albicantia are separated behind ; 

 and the optic nerves in front of the chiasma run forwards close to- 

 gether. The pituitary body is of fair size. 



2. On the Cause of Death of a Black-faced Kangaroo [Ma- 

 cropus melanops). By A. H. Garrod, B.A., F.Z.S., 

 Prosector to the Society. 



[Received February 18, 1873.] 



The cold weather of the first week of this month coming on rather 

 suddenly, seems to have been the cause of the death of three animals 

 in the Gardens, in all of which, on post mortem examination, it was 

 found that the lesion was the result of excessive and abnormal move- 

 ment in the abdominal viscera. A Paradoxure died from intussus- 

 ception of the small intestine, part going through the ilio-caecal 

 valve into the colon ; an Emu from prolapse of a considerable 

 length of the alimentary canal ; and the above-named Kangaroo from 

 strangulation of a loop of small intestine by the tight twisting round 

 it of the csecum — a most uncommon lesion, which proves that the 

 possession of that appendage has its disadvantages as far as the in- 

 dividual is concerned — just as in several human subjects death has 

 been proved to have occurred from impaction of small bodies, like 

 cherry-stones, in the appendix vermiformis. 



In the Kangaroo under consideration, on opening the abdomen 

 the attention was immediately drawn to a large loop of strangulated 

 small intestine, quite black from congestion, and partly covered with 

 flakes of recent lymph, the result of the induced peritonitis, which 

 was inconsiderable. The length of gut involved was nearly two yards 

 after it had been detached from the mesentery ; but in the body of 

 the animal it appeared considerably shorter, from being convoluted in 

 the ordinary manner. The last foot or so of the small intestine was 

 not included in the diseased loop, which consisted of the portion 

 immediately preceding it. The caecum was about a foot and a half 

 long, and was situate in the right iliac region, from which it extended 

 to the left superficially, and then again to the right behind the loop 

 of intestine which it encircled, so that the caput cseci could be seen, 

 distended with grumous matter (as was the strangulated portion), to 

 the right. With care, while the viscera were in situ, the little finger 

 could be introduced into the ring thus artificially formed ; and it was 

 evident that the constriction was mostly produced by the mesenteric 

 band which attaches the proximal portion of the caecum to the small 

 intestine. There were no adhesions of importance. The viscera 

 were removed en masse ; and afterwards, without the least difficulty, 

 the csecum was uncoiled, and the intestine was then left quite per- 



