CETACEA. 



.593 



situated at the anterior broad part of the open- 

 ing, which is eight inches anterior to the anus. 



In all the females of the zoophagous tribe 

 of Cetacea which Hunter examined, the parts 

 of generation were very uniformly the same; 

 consisting of the external opening, the vagina, 

 the body and two horns of the uterus, Fallopian 

 tubes, fimbriae, and ovaria. 



" The external opening is a longitudinal slit, 

 or oblong opening, whose edges meet in two 

 opposite points, and the sides are rounded off, 

 so as to form a kind of sulcus. The skin and 

 parts on each side of this sulcus are of a looser 

 texture than on the common surface of the 

 animal, not being loaded with oil, and allow- 

 ing of such motion of one part on another as 

 admits of dilatation and contraction. The va- 

 gina passes upwards and backwards towards 

 the loins, so that its direction is diagonal re- 

 specting the cavity of the abdomen, and then 

 divides into the two horns, one on each side of 

 the loins ; these afterwards terminating in the 

 Fallopian tubes, to which the ovaria are at- 

 tached. From each ovarium there is a small 

 fold of the peritoneum, which passes up to- 

 wards the kidney of the same side, as in most 

 quadrupeds. 



" The inside of the vagina is smooth for about 

 one-half of its length, and then begins to form 

 something similar to valves projecting towards 

 the mouth of the vagina, each like an os tincae : 

 these are about six, seven, eight, or nine in 

 number. Where they begin to be formed, they 

 hardly go quite round, but the last are com- 

 plete circles. At this part, too, the vagina 

 becomes smaller, and gradually decreases in 

 width to its termination. From the last pro- 

 jecting part, the passage is continued up to the 

 opening of the two horns, and the inner sur- 

 face of this last part is thrown into longitudinal 

 ruga 1 , which are continued into the horns. 

 Whether this last part is to be reckoned com- 

 mon uterus or vagina, and that the last ral- 

 vular part is to be considered as os tincee, I do 

 not know ; but from its having the longitudinal 

 rugae, I am inclined to think it is uterus, this 

 structure appearing to be intended for dis- 

 tinction. 



" The horns are an equal division of this part; 

 they make a gentle turn outwards, and are of 

 considerable length. Their inner surface is 

 thrown into longitudinal rugae, without any 

 small protuberances for the cotyledons to form 

 upon, as in those of ruminating animals ; 

 and where they terminate the Fallopian tubes 

 begin. 



" In the Bottle-nose Whale (Delphinus Tur- 

 sio), where the Fallopian tubes opened into 

 the horns of the uterus, they were Surrounded 

 by pendulous bodies hanging loose in the 

 horns. 



" The Fallopian tubes, at their termination in 

 the uterus, are remarkably small for some in- 

 ches, and then begin to dilate rather suddenly; 

 and the nearer to the mouth the more this dila- 

 tation increases, like the mouth of a French 

 horn, the termination of which is five or six 

 inches in diameter. They are very full of lon- 

 gitudinal rugae through their whole length, 



" The ovaria are oblong bodies, about live 

 inches in length; one end attached to the 

 mouth of the Fallopian tube, and the other 

 near to the horn of the uterus. They are irre- 

 gular on their external surface, resembling a 

 capsula renalis or pancreas. They have no 

 capsula but what is formed by the long Fallo- 

 pian tube. 



" How the male and female copulate I do not 

 know; but it is alleged that their position in. 

 the water is erect at that time, which I can 

 readily suppose maybe true; for otherwise, if 

 the connexion is long, it would interfere with 

 the act of respiration, as in any other position 

 the upper surface of the heads of both could 

 not be at the surface of the water at the same 

 time. However, as in the parts of generation 

 they most resemble those of the ruminating 

 kind, it is possible they may likewise resemble 

 them in the duration of the act of copulation, 

 for I believe all the ruminants are quick in 

 this act. 



" Of their uterine gestation I as yet know 

 nothing, but it is very probable that they have 

 only a single one at a time, there being only 

 two nipples. This seemed to be the case with 

 the Bottle-nose Whale, caught near Berkeley, 

 which had been seen for some days with one 

 young one following it, and they were both 

 caught together. 



" The glands for the secretion of milk are 

 two, one on each side of the middle line of the 

 belly at its lower part. The posterior ends, 

 from which go out the nipples, are on each 

 side of the opening of the vagina in small sulci. 

 They are flat bodies lying between the external 

 layer of fat and abdominal muscles, and are of 

 considerable length, but only one-fourth of that 

 in breadth. They are thin, that they may not 

 vary the external shape of the animal, and have 

 a principal duct, running in the middle through 

 the whole length of the gland, and collecting 

 the smaller lateral ducts, which are made up 

 of those still smaller. Some of these lateral 

 brunches enter the common trunk in the direc- 

 tion of the milk's passage, others in the con- 

 trary direction, especially those nearest to the 

 termination of the trunk in the nipple. The 

 trunk is large, and appears to serve as a reser- 

 voir for the milk,* and terminates externally in 

 a projection, which is the nipple. The lateral 

 portions of the sulcus which incloses the nipple 

 are composed of parts looser in texture than 

 the common adipose membrane, which is pro- 

 bably to admit of the elongation or projection 

 of the nipple. Oh the outside of this there is 

 another small fissure, which I imagine is like- 

 wise intended to give greater facility to the 

 movements of all these parts. The milk is 

 probably very rich ; for in that caught near 

 Berkeley with its young one, the milk, which 

 was tasted by Mr. Jenner, and Mr. Ludlow, 

 surgeon, at Sodbury, was rich like cow's milk 

 to which cream had been added. 



" The mode in which these animals must 



* The description of this structure has lately 

 been reproduced as a new discovery by Geoffroy 

 St. Hilaire. 



