22 DR. E. LONNBERG ON DIGESTIVE [Jail. 14, 



As in Trichosurus, the small intestiiae of Fhalcmger is pro- 

 vided vi^ith at least one Peyer's patch. It is in the specimen 

 before me situated 74 cm. from the cascum, and measures 30 mm. 

 in length by 13 in breadth, being composed of a great number of 

 small nodules. There are, however, probably more than one 

 Peyer's patch normally in the small intestine of the Cuscus, since 

 Cunningham observed no less than nine in his specimen described 

 in the ' Challenger ' report. Some of these were, however, " a 

 mere speck." The terminal portion of the small intestine shows 

 some longitudinal folds, but these are probably not permanent as 

 they disappeai' by transverse stretching. The ileo-ceecal valve is 

 well developed and protrudes 12 to 14 mm. into the csecum. From 

 this valve extends on both sides a fold — the ca?co-colic valve. At 

 the ileo-ca3cal valve it is about 7 mm. in height, but gradually 

 diminishes ; about 1 cm. from the valve it passes into the 

 muscular thickening which forms the cgeco-colic siDhincter. The 

 communication between the ceecum and the colon may thus be 

 completely shut off by means of the incomplete casco-colic valve 

 and by contraction of the cseco-colic sphincter. When such a 

 shutting-off is effected it seems as if the opening of the ileo-ceecal 

 valve would be directed into the csecum, and the function of the 

 above-described ceeco-colic valve may partly be to brace the ileo- 

 csecal valve so that it shall not be compressed and closed when the 

 CEeco-colic sphincter contracts. But, as it is arranged now, the 

 contents of the small intestine may pass directly into the caecum 

 without risk of slipping down into the colon. On the csecal side 

 of the valve there is an area on which the mucous membrane is 

 provided with a considerable number of small depressions. These 

 are about 1 mm. in diameter, and correspond, no doubt, to the 

 glandular patch with similar depressions which has been described 

 above in the phyllophagous Phalangerids, although the situation 

 is a little difi'erent in these latter, in which this patch is found on 

 the colic side of the valve. Cunningham does not mention this 

 glandular patch in his description of the intestine of the Cuscus. 



The width of the cfecum is diflferent at different places. It is 

 at first about 4 cm., then widens to 6 cm., but soon becomes 

 constricted to only 2| cm., widens again to 5| cm., then it is 

 constricted to 2| cm., and again widened to 4 cm., which con- 

 dition is once more repeated, and then it finally tapei'S towards 

 the end, which tei'minates in a digitiform appendix 2 cm. in length 

 by 4 mm. in thickness. Cunningham ^ has in the same species 

 only observed that the csecum " tapers unifoimly." The appendix 

 is hollow and filled with the contents of the ca;cuui. Its walls are 

 thicker - than those of the ordinary ceecum, and it might be a 

 lymphatic organ, which perhaps might be compared with the one 

 of similar situation in the common i-abbit. 



The csecum of Phalanger is somewhat sacculated by means of 



1 " Repoi't ou the Mavsupiulia." Rep. Scieut. Results ' Challenger,' Zoology, pt. xvi. 

 p. 161. 



