FCETAL MEMBRANES OF CHIROMYS MADAGASCARIENSIS. 1147 



the placental connection being constituted by the close inter- 

 cligitation of the vascular villous processes of the foetal chorion 

 with the vascular folds of the uterine mucosa or maternal decidua. 

 There is no oi'ganic continuity between the two, and at birth the 

 villous processes are sirapJy withdrawn from their mucosal pockets, 

 there being apparently no loss of maternal tissue — i. e., the 

 placentation is non-deciduate. 



The secretion of the uterine glands is of liigh importance for 

 the nutrition of the foetus, and in the Lorisiformes there are 

 present pockets or recesses of the chorion (chorionic recesses, 

 Hubrecht, 8 ; chorionic vesicles, Strahl, 14) specially adapted 

 for its collection and absorption, their openings in Galago lying 

 opposite the depressed bare areas on which the uterine glands 

 open (Strahl, 14). Corresponding bare areas of the chorion, in 

 contiguity with uterine bare areas, would seem to subserve the 

 same function in the Lemuriformes, though chorionic vesicles 

 of simple structure are, we find, present in Ckiromys and seem 

 also to occur in Lemur mongoz (iStrahl, 16). 



Notwithstanding the extent of our knowledge of the placen- 

 tation of the Lemurs, and the fact that in essentials the foetal 

 membranes and placenta of Chiroinys are similar to those of other 

 Madagascar forms, we offer no apology for presenting yet another 

 contribution to this subject, since the aberrant nature and great 

 rarity of the species make it desirable tha,t these structures should 

 be described and figured more fully than has been done in the 

 papers (4) and (10) referred to above. 



The following account is based on the examination of two uteri 

 in a late and almost identical stage of pregnancy. Both foetuses 

 appear to be near full term, and are practically fully haired with 

 the eyelids open. The external characters of the foetus (Speci- 

 men B, PI. III. fig. 6) are described by Mr. R. I. Pocock in the 

 Appendix to this paper. 



Specimen A* was obtained from a female purchased several 

 yeai-s ago by the Royal College of Surgeons from Mr. J. 

 Hamlyn. The hinder part of the body was removed, and the 

 uterus preserved in situ in alcohol. 



Specimen B was originally in the collection of the British 

 Museum. In 1921 it was I'eceived in exchange by one of us 

 (H.) through the kind offices of Mr. Oldfield Thomas. According 

 to the label accompanying the specimen, it was purchased of 

 Mr. Stevens on October 1st, 1864. The uterus which accom- 

 panied the specimen v\^as strongly contracted, from which we 

 judge that it had been opened in the fresh state and, after 

 extraction of the foetus enclosed in its membranes, had been 

 with the latter at once plunged into spirit. Apart from the 

 partial separation and disappearance in places of the super- 

 ficial epithelial layers, the foetal membranes and uterus prove 

 to be remarkably well preserved. This specimen formed the 



* R. Coll. Surg. Museum, Physiol. Series, Nos. 3582.5, 3582.51, 3582.52. 



