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Show 450 MR. M. F. WOODWARD ON MAMMALIAN DENTITION. [May 2, 3. Contributions to the Study of Mammalian Dentition.- Part I. On the Development of the Teeth of the Macro-podidEe. By M. F. WOODWARD, Demonstrator of Zoology, Royal College of Science, London. (Communicated by Prof. HOWES.) [Received M a y 2, 1893.] (Plates XXXV.-XXXVIL) CONTENTS. I. Historical Review, p. 450. II. Observations on the Specimens, p. 451. III. General Considerations, p. 465. IV. List of References, p. 471. V. Explanation of the Plates, p. 472. Early in 1892 I had placed at my disposal, through the kindness of Prof. Howes, a number of fcetal mammals of various kinds, which were for the most part derived from the late Prof. W . K. Parker's collection. I have been for some time past investigating these specimens and now submit a few of m y results in this contribution. • I.-HISTORICAL REVIEW. Since Kiikenthal (4) published his preliminary observations on the development of the teeth of the Cetacea and of Bidelphys, an entire revision of the science of Odontology has been necessitated. This has been taken up eagerly by many Continental observers, notably Leche, Rose, and Taecher, so that notwithstanding the newness of the study there is already springing up a rapidly increasing literature. Most, however, of these observers have confined their attention to a few isolated examples, and no systematic examination and comparison of the tooth relationships in the various orders of Mammals, such as that commenced by Pouchet and Chabrys (9), has been attempted. In dealing with the Marsupials these observers have mainly studied the tooth relationships of Bidelphys, Kiikenthal (5) and Rose (9) having made most exhaustive investigations of this genus. Rose has further published some interesting but largely theoretical views of the tooth development in Acrobates, Basyurus, Phalangista, and Macropus; while Leche (6) has published preliminary accounts of that of Phascolarctos, Perameles, Myrmecobius, and Trichosurus. The only investigation which treats of the facts dealt with in this paper is that of Rose (9) on Macropus; he, however, only devotes a few lines to his observations, which were based on |