FCEIAL MEMBRANES OF CHIROMYS MADAGASCARIENSIS. 1159 



troplioblast is very similar to that of Chiromys, but in neitlier of 

 them is the subti'ophoblast capillary plexus anything like so well 

 developed, the capillaries being smaller and much less numerous 

 than in Chiromys. 



We have, unfortunately, no preparations of Chiromys which 

 show the relation of the villi to the folds of the uterine mucosa, 

 and are thus unable to state definitely whether the interdigita- 

 tion of the two was of the same intimate nature as occurs in 

 Lepilemttr (Jenkinson, 16) and Propithecios coronahis (Strahl, 15), 

 or was of a looser character, approximating to the conditions we 

 find in Nycticebics. In the latter, Assheton states that " the 

 foetal villi appear to hang in grape-like bunches into the mouths 

 of much wider depressions " (18, p. 269) ; and the sections cer- 

 tainly suggest that considerable areas of the lateial surfaces of 

 the villi do not come into contact with the uterine folds, and 

 that intimate apposition between the trophoblast and the uterine 

 epithelium is largely limited to the flattened surfaces of the ends 

 of the villi. In this connection it is worthy of note that gland- 

 secretion is present in fair abundance round the proximal 

 portions of the villi. In Galago, Strahl (14) states that over the 

 tips (except in the region of the terminal pits) a.nd lateral surfa,ces 

 of the villi the trophoblast and uterine epithelium are firmly 

 attached to each other, but in the intervillous intervals the 

 connection is less intimate. 



In Lepilemvjr, the villi are somewhat similar in character to 

 those of Chiromys, but are readily distinguishable thei/efrom, 

 being much less coarse and more finely branched. The mucosal 

 folds are likewise very thin, as is the case also, according to 

 Strahl (15), in the 60-65-mm. foetal stage of Fropithecus, whilst 

 their relations to the villous folds are exceedingly^ intimate. In 

 our sections of Lepilemur, the uterine epithelium, practically 

 everywhere in the villous regions, has become separated from 

 the underlying connective tissue of the mucosal folds, and is seen 

 as a relatively thin layer in close and intimate apposition with 

 the thicker, more cubical trophoblast. In Fropithecus, Strahl 

 (15) also describes the two epithelia as being in close contact. In 

 Chiromys, we incline to believe that the relations between uterine 

 epithelium and trojjhoblast were not throughout quite so intimate 

 as in the two Lemurs just referred to. 



Chorionic Vesicles. 



When the deep surface of the allanto-chorion is examined 

 after reflection of the inner v^^all of the allantois, numbers of 

 small, flattened, ovalish bodies of a reddish-brown colour may be 

 seen embedded in its substance (PI. YI. fig. 11). These are the 

 chorionic recesses first described and figured by Hubrecht (8) in 

 JS^ycticehus, and later described by Strahl (14) for Galago, where 

 he designated them " chorionic vesicles." 



These bodies were encountered in both our specimens, but 



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