234 MB. R. D. CAnSON ON A RED KAKGAEOO, 



A Colour Fhase of the Polecat. 



Mr. E. G. B. Meade- Waldo, V.P.Z.S., exhibited a mounted 

 specimen of a pale fvilvous variety of the common wild Polecat 

 {Putorius putorius), belonging to the Ilev. D. Edmondes Owen, 

 of Llandovery, tS. Wales. The animal resembled in colour a well- 

 known variety of the Badger, and was interesting because the 

 Polecats in that particular district were frequently of this 

 peculiar variety and had been well known locally for years. 



Retarded Development in a Red Kangaroo. 



The Secretary communicated the following accovuit of retarded 

 development of the foetus in a Red Kangaroo, by Mr. B-obert D. 

 Carson, C.M.Z.S. :— 



A female Red Kangaroo [Macropus rufus) was received at the 

 Philadelphia Zoological Garden, June 5, 1908. On December 15, 

 1908, the movement indicating a young one was observed in her 

 marsupium ; this young one became (5 No. 21 on om* records. 



The father of this young one came August 6, 1908, and died 

 October 28, 1908, seven weeks before S Ko. 21 was noticed. 



c? 21 ceased going into his mother's pouch June 6, 1909, and 

 stopped nui'sing about November 7, 1909. 



On September 25, 1909, movement was again observed in the 

 female's pouch and proved to be what became on our records 

 d No. 22. 



As the father of the first one, d No. 21 , had been dead 1 1 months 

 less 3 days emd no other male had been with this female nor in 

 the collection, except the older young one, which was still nursing 

 and very small and immature when the second young one was 

 first observed, the question is which animal was the father of the 

 last born ? 



It does not appear possible that it was the older young male, as 

 that must have been at least two months younger still when 

 conception took place. 



As there is no possibility of this female having been impregnated 

 by any other male of her own or any other species, the only 

 explanation appears to be that of retarded development of one 

 egg or fcetus. 



In Darwin's ' Descent of Man,' under " Manner of Development " 

 it is stated that " In various Mammals the uterus graduates from 

 a double organ with two distinct orifices and two passages as in 

 the marsupials into a single organ .... as in the higher apes and 

 man " ; also 27 lines further on are six lines indicating possible 

 functional development in the double uterus. 



Did the adult male impregnate this female twice, one egg 



