1883.] ON THE TONGUES OF THE MARSUPIALS. f)99 



tions of the body in Lucanidse in general. He then pointed out that 

 most of the Lucanissi and Borcini, uuUke the Odontolabini, differed 

 comparatively little except in size, whereas the latter subfamily 

 must be regarded as polymorphic. The variability and plasticity of 

 many Odontolabini was so great, that it was practically impossible to 

 separate them into sharply distinct species. The chitinous por- 

 tions of the male sexual organ were valueless as specific characters in 

 this group. 



In the second, or systematic part of his paper. Dr. Leuthner 

 monographed the three genera Neolucanus, Thorns., Hetfirochthes, 

 Westw., and Odontolabis, Hope, which form the subfamily Odonto- 

 labini, giving full synonvmy, and carefully describing the female 

 and the various forms of the male in each species. 



This memoir will be published entire in the Society's ' Transac- 

 tions.' 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Tongues of the Marsupialia. 

 By Edward B. Poulton, M.A., F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived December 18, 1883.] 



(Plates LTV., LV.) 



I am greatly indebted to the kindness of our Secretary for sup- 

 plying me from the Society's collection with a great part of 

 the materials upon which this paper is written. I have received 

 from him spirit specimens of the tongues of Macropns, Belideus, and 

 Didelphys, and fresh specimens of those of Petrogale and Dasyurus. 



Professor Moseley also very kindly gave me excellently prepared 

 tongues of Halmaturus, Phalangista, and Perameles, and a spirit 

 specimen of Acrohates. These specimens were obtained in 1874, 

 and are described in the ' Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger.' 

 I was also fortunate enough to procure a living specimen of Phalan- 

 gista vulpina. 



In a previous paper (" The Tongue of Perameles nasuta ") in the 

 'Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science' for January 1883, I 

 described a new type of compound filiform papilla, which I then 

 thought to be peculiar to that animal and modified for the capture 

 of insects. I now find that it is characteristic of the Marsupial 

 tongue, and I propose for it the name " coronate papilla." During 

 my work upon this organ I find it absolutely necessary to use new 

 terms in addition to the old ones (which I retain as far as possible), 

 as these latter do not cover the ground. I therefore add a pro- 

 visional list of the technical terms used in such descriptions as are 

 contained in the present paper. New terms are printed in italics. 



Circumvallate papillae. — Used in its old sense for the large bulb- 

 bearing papillae (or in some cases ridges) at the back of the upper 



