OCR Text |
Show 1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 435 Elephant. There is no trace of any hymen-like organ dividing this median constriction into two, such as noticed by Miall and Greenwood (I. c. pi. iv. fig. 3, h). This point about corresponds with the entrance of the genital organs into the pelvis. Perrault describes and figures (pi. 22) in his example two "valves sigmoides," which guarded the "orifice interne de la matrice," and also a " rebord qui s'avancoit au-devant du col de la matrice de la longueur d'environ deux pouces." What the two sigmoid valves are I do not see, as in his figure he indicates the two Malpigbian canals as well. The "rebord" probably corresponds to the tumid rounded eminence (fig. 8, p. 434) about 1 inch long, terminating above and behind in a little point, on which the urethra opens by a somewhat narrow aperture, just below and in front of the opening into the secondary vagina l. In front of this eminence the urino-genital canal, as the remaining part of these organs may be called, is produced into a small cul-de-sac. The total length of this canal is about 20 inches2; the clitoris, which resembles the same organ in E. indicus, and which has similar relations to the urino-genital canal, is about 15 inches from the attachment of its crura to the pelvis to its extremity. The glans clitoridis is about 2 inches long, rounded anteriorly, flattened and grooved posteriorly, where it is in contact with the urino-genital canal. There is a well-marked preputial-like reversion of the integuments round the glans, as in E. indicus. The brain was removed with but little injury ; but its description must be deferred till some future occasion. As will be seen from the foregoing account, but little difference, on the whole, exists in the visceral anatomy of the only two remaining species of Proboscideans. What differences there are chiefly relate to the stomach, liver, and female organs; but, till more specimens of E. africanus have been dissected, it is impossible to say how many of the points above noticed are due to individual peculiarities or those of age and the like. There appears, therefore, little ground, from an anatomical point of view, to separate Loxodon as a genus from Euelephas. 1 This raised part, on which is the opening of the urethra, is probably identical with the " Klappe " figured by Mayer (I. c. pi. vi. fig. 1) as existing between the two orifices of the bladder and vagina. 2 In Perrault's adult example the length was 3 feet 6 inches. 28* |