XI.—The Early Stages in the Development of the Ferret: Fertilisation to the Formation of the Prochordal Plate

The early developmental history of the ferret up to the present has not been made the subject of a detailed critical description. The early stages of certain other Carnivora have been described, and Professor Hill (1924) in the introduction to his paper, “The Early Development of the Cat,” gives a summary of the literature of the subject. The only papers relating to the early development of the ferret are a short paper by Professor Robinson (1925) and four papers by Professor Mainland (1930, 1931a, 1931b, and 1932).