Movement of the International Literary Exchanges, between France and North America from January 1845 to May, 1846: With Instructions for Collecting, Preparing, and Forwarding Objects of Natural History Written by The Professors Administrators of The Museum Of Natural History At Paris. And Instructions Relative to Anthropology and Zoology
History
Movement of the International Literary Exchanges, between France and North America from January 1845 to May, 1846: With Instructions for Collecting, Preparing, and Forwarding Objects of Natural History Written by The Professors Administrators of The Museum Of Natural History At Paris. And Instructions Relative to Anthropology and Zoology
Exchange of publications
It is well to renew the liquor, after the animal has remained in it
some time: this precaution is absolutely necessary, when there is
several animals in the cask; if it is neglected, they may corrupt.
It is well to arrange the animals so that they may not touch the
bottom of the cask.
INSTRUCTION
RELATIVE
TO ZOOLOGY AN ANTHROPOLOGY
By M. ISIDORE GEOFFROY SAINT-HILAIRE.
_Generation of the Pouch-Animals._--Mexico and expecially Brazil
produce, as it is known, several varieties of the Marsupial Mammifers,
all the family of the Didelphides, but some, such as the Didelphes,
provided with a true pouch, other, such as the Micoures and the
Hermiures, without pouch properly so called, doubtless it will be
possible to procure live specimens of both sexes. We cannot too
strongly urge the naturalist to neglect nothing to clear up the
mystery, yet but partially penetrated, of the manner these mammifers
reproduce kind. We are far indeed, from the period, when it was
believed that the animals were formed at the dugs of their dams. The
labors of Hunter, Home, Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire de Blainville and other
observers, have long since removed from science this inadmissible
anomaly; some years ago, M. Owen, having the fortunate opportunity of
examining the uterus of a female Kanguroo, that died in bringing
forth, and of dissecting the embryo it contained has developped
several facts of great interest.
But the intra-uterine gestation of the marsupials, and the second
singular gestation peculiar to them, still remain new and important
subjects of study for anatomy and comparative physiology. Animals or
parts of animals sent in alcohol from America, the Indian Archipelago,
or New-Holland, some cases of reproduction occuring in Paris and
London, such are the imperfect elements which the French and English
physiologists possess; their efforts to procure a certain number of
specimens have always been unsuccessful. This determined Geoffroy
Saint-Hilaire to draw up in 1824, and the administration of the museum
to send to all the countries where the Marsupials are found, detailed
information on the state of the question at that time, and of the
researches imperiously required by the wants of science from observers
in those regions.
1º If learned naturalists could send a series, so that the evolution
of the ovula, the embryo, and the egg could be studied from its
fecundation to its discharge from the uterus, they would thus supply
Zootomists with all the elements of the great work we have just
pointed out.
2º To observe with care the circumstances of the passage of the foetus
to the vagina of the pouch.
3º To describe in the most accurate manner the way the foetus clings
to the teat. They should determine this by observations of several
specimens of different ages, and repeat, if possible, on the
Didelphides, the curious experiments made by Collie and Morgan on the
mammary foetus of a Marsurpial of an entirely different family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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