OCR Text |
Show 1869.] ANATOMY OF PROTELES. 493 has the appearance of a broad bilobed disk. Its length in the middle line is *8", its greatest breadth *1", greatest thickness *2". The vasa deferentia (vd) enter the upper part of the prostate without any manifest dilatation or trace of vesiculae seminales. The floor of the prostatic portion of the urethra is raised in the middle line into a distinct narrow ridge, which enlarges into a rounded prominence *6" below the neck of the bladder, and again immediately contracts, and after | inch entirely subsides. On each side of the prominence is a tolerably deep depression. There is no distinct median cul de sac, or uterus masculinus ; and the vasa deferentia appear to empty themselves on the anterior surface of the before-mentioned eminence, as a minute orifice could be seen there, though too fine to admit a bristle. The membranous portion of the urethra is 1"*8 in length and capacious. Its lining membrane is thrown into longitudinal folds. Near its anterior termination the ducts of Cowper's glands enter. These bodies are oval, with compressed sides meeting at an angle at one border, the other border being broad and rounded. The length of each is *6", its greatest width *4"; the duct is *7" long. The bulb is very prominent, with a thick muscular covering. The erector penis is large ; and there is a pair of strong retractors on the underside of the organ. As far as can be ascertained by external examination, the penis agrees with that of the Hyaena in possessing no bone, though this structure, so conspicuous in most of the Carnivora, is represented by the hard central terminal portion of the glans before mentioned. Not wishing to injure this unique specimen, I have not made a section through this. The generative organs of a male striped Hyaena are described by Daubenton. As far as can be made out from his account and the figure which accompanies it, they are an almost exact counterpart to those of Proteles. In a specimen of the same parts of Hyana crocuta, in the College-of- Surgeons Aluseum, the glans is very like that of Proteles ; but the lips of the upper slit are less conspicuous and do not appear to meet over the hard apex, which also is much less prominent. The chief difference, however, is in the prostate, which, though of the same general form, is greatly reduced in size, being but half an inch in length, and rather less in breadth. ANAL GLANDS. As before mentioned, immediately above the anus, and, in fact, having a common external aperture with the termination of the intestine, is a wide transverse follicle, or pouch, lined by a soft thin membrane of a greenish colour, studded over with minute orifices, each in the centre of a small papilla. This sac is 1^" in width, and 1" in depth ; on each side, rather more than f" within the cutaneous margin, is an aperture large enough to admit an ordinary-sized probe. The walls of the saccular depression are glandular, *2" thick, and of a very dark olive-green colour. Some of the longitudinal bands |