VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY. 493 



ceptional, even though part of their great length may be as- 

 signed to an immensely long tail." The tail in the adult va- 

 ries between somewhat less than 3 feet and a little more than 

 4 feet. The heaviest tiger, a male, recorded by Col. Mac- 

 donald, " weighed 448 lbs. ; the lightest, a tigress, 242 lbs." 



In conclusion, a review of the testimony adduced leads to 

 the belief that, in spite of the positive testimony, tigers 12 

 feet long at present must be almost as rare as men 7 to 8 

 feet hio'h. 



The Alleged Hermaphrodism of the Hyena. 



Those who are conversant with the ancient literature of 

 natural history will remember that the Hyena was former- 

 ly generally believed to be hermaphrodite, and even in the 

 present day, inhabitants of regions where the Crocuta is 

 found believe it to be so. Aristotle, however, must be noted 

 as an exception. We need not be surprised at the curren- 

 cy of the belief, in view of the great similarity of the sex- 

 ual parts of the male and female. Dr. M.Watson has recent- 

 ly published a couple of well -illustrated articles (Proceed- 

 ings of the Zoological Society, London, 1877, pp. 369-379; 

 1878, pp. 416-428) on the Generative Organs of the Hycena 

 crocuta, and has remarked that the anal and perineal regions 

 of the female and male are so very similar " that without 

 a very accurate examination it is impossible to distinguish 

 between the sexes. In both there is a well-developed glan- 

 dular pouch above the anus ; in both there are cutaneous ele- 

 vations corresponding in appearance to that of the scrotum 

 in the males of allied species; and in both there is an elon- 

 gated, pendulous, penis-like body, surrounded by a prepuce, 

 and perforated at its extremity by a single aperture of small 

 size." But it is only in the Crocuta that this similarity pre- 

 vails. The male organs in the several species of the family 

 are essentially similar; but while the female organs are like 

 them in the Crocuta, in the other species they are quite dif- 

 ferent. For the details we must be content to refer to Dr. 

 Watson's papers. What is noticed here is chiefly for the 

 purpose of drawing attention to the homologies of the parts 

 in the different sexes, as well as to certain taxonomic deduc- 

 tions resulting from the facts. In the words of Dr. Watson, 

 "Nowhere in the group of mammals is the truth of the con- 



