1908.] ON THE ANATOMY OF ANTECHINOMYS ETC. 561 



3. On the Anatomy o£ AntecMiiomys and some other Mar- 

 supials, with special reference to the Intestinal Tract and 

 Mesenteries of these and other Mammals. By Fkank 

 E. Beddaed, M.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S. 



[Received April 28, 1908.] 

 (Text-figures 111-124.) 



Contents. 



I. On some Points in the Anatomj- of Antecliinomys, p. 561. 

 II. On some Points in the Anatomy of Fhascologale, p. 564. 

 III. On the Intestinal Tract in some Marsupials, compared with that of 

 other Mammals, p. 567. 



IV. On the Existence of a Suprarenal Portal System in Marsupials, 



p. 600. 



V. Resume of new facts, p. 603. 



I. On some Points in the Anatomy q/ Antecliinomys laniger. 



An example of this rare Marsupial was kindly placed in my 

 hands some time since by Mr. Beck of this Society, with the 

 request that I would examine its anatomy. The specimen 

 consisted of the carcase after the skin had been removed, and 

 was therefore incomplete as regards many of the muscles. But 

 the viscera were intact, and I am able therefore to contribute 

 something towards a fuller knowledge of this small Polyprotodont 

 Marsupial. The only memoir known to me which deals with its 

 anatomy is one by the late Mr. Alston in the ' Proceedings ' * 

 of this Society, written nearly thu^ty years ago. In this paper 

 a number of facts is given relating to the internal organs of the 

 body and there is also an account of its osteology. The viscera 

 are somewhat summarily described by Mj.\ Alston ; and there is 

 thus some scope for a fuller account of certain organs in the 

 light of later work upon the anatomy of mammals. 



The stomach of this Marsupial has been figured by Alston, 

 who has compared it with that of Antechiaus f. He has, more- 

 over, divided other related genera by the more globular or more 

 transversely elongate form of that organ. I submit herewith 

 (text-fig. Ill) a drawing of the stomach of the specimen of 

 Antechinomys which I have myself dissected and which I hope 

 is accurate. It will be seen that it agi'ees more nearly with 

 Antechinus as represented by Mr, Alstoti than with Antechinomys 

 as figured by that naturalist. In particidar I would call attention 

 to the considerable calibre of the duodenvim where it leaves the 

 stomach, and to the fact that the cardiac half of that organ is 

 considerably prolonged beyond and to the left of the entrance of 

 the cesophagus. I am led, therefore, to doubt the value of the 



* P. Z. S. 1880, p. 454. 



t Now referred to FhascologaJe (Thomas, Cat. Marsupials Brit. Mus. 1885). 



36* 



