310 Mr. Home’s Account of the 
American opossum. These animals, therefore, form the in- 
termediate link between the opossum and kanguroo. 
These facts throw considerable light upon the mode of pro- 
pagation of this very curious tribe of animals ; and they confirm 
in the most satisfactory manner, the observations contained in 
a former paper upon the kanguroo, taken from a specimen 
which was sent to England preserved in spirits, and which was 
in an impregnated state, but the parts rendered very indistinct 
by being coagulated and long kept. In that instance the embryo 
was evidently surrounded by a coagulated jolly, and there 
was no connection between the fetus and the coats of the 
uterus. Further evidence was however required upon so new 
and interesting a subject ; this is now obtained by Mr. Bell's 
examination of the impregnated uteri of an animal whose 
mode of generation is the same, made immediately after death. 
By comparing the male and female organs of the kanguroo, 
wombat, and American opossum, it appears evident that the 
semen of the male is carried directly into the cavity of the 
uterus through the os tincae, and not by the lateral canals, as 
has been generally believed. The proofs of this are the follow- 
ing: the number of lateral canals opening into the vagina is 
the same in ail these three animals, but in the kanguroo there 
is only one os tineas ; in the wombat and American opossum 
there are two ; the male kanguroo has a pointed single glans 
penis, while the wombat and American opossum have a bifid 
glans penis with a double orifice ; and these two orifices in the 
state of erection of the penis, do not diverge from one another 
so as to apply themselves to the oblique openings of the lateral 
canals, but oppose the two ora tincae, whose situation is well 
adapted to receive them. 
