242 



THE CAT. 



[chap. VIII. 



tremity the external orifice of the urethra. The organ is held 

 suspended from the wall of the abdomen by a fold of integument 

 which is inserted around the glans, forming what is called the 



piqyuce (Fig. 115). When not sexually active, 

 the penis is bent backwards towards its ex- 

 tremity, a condition which makes the cat 

 " retromingent." A small bone traverses the 

 midst of the distal part of the penis, reaching 

 almost to its extremity'. The surface of the 

 glans is beset with hard papilla:', the points of 

 which are directed towards its base. 



The corpora cavernosa and the corpus 

 spongiosum are each formed of a spongy mass 

 of fibrous bands, called trabcculce, containing 

 elastic and muscular fibres as well as nerves 

 and arteries. In the intervals of these bands 

 are highly distensible veins, into which a 

 certain number of arteries directly open. It 

 is the capacity for temporary distension by 

 means of such veins which causes these tissues 

 to be spoken of as "erectile.'" 



The itrefJira consists of a tube of mucous 

 membrane invested b}' organic muscular fibres. 

 It originates at the bladder, upon quitting which 

 it enters a gland to be shortly described as the 

 prostate. In the floor of this prostatic portion 

 of the tube is a small, ridge-like prominence, 

 called the renini moiifaiiuin, in the midst of 

 which is a narrow, slit-like depression, named 

 the nfric/e (xiiiiis j^ocii/aris, or rc>iica j))'Of<tatica), 

 at or within the margins of the opening of 

 which the seminal ducts, or vasa differentia, 

 open into the urethra. 



The term "membranous urethra" is applied 

 to that portion of the tube Mdiich emerges from 

 the prostate gland. Its membranous part is 

 soon succeeded by its " spongy portion," i.e., 

 by the part M'hich traverses the penis. Distally, 

 the urethra is lined by squamous epithelium, 

 but elsewhere by epithelium of the cohnnnar 

 kind. 



The urethra of the male thus transmits both 

 the renal excretion (which traverses its whole 

 length) and also the sexual secretion, which 

 traverses that part of it which is beyond the 

 entrance of the vasa differentia. 



The 7>ro.sYr/i'r' (jland (Fig. 115, ^;.) is a voluminous, prominent, 

 glandular structure surrounding the urethra at its exit from the 

 bladder, and opening ii\.to that canal by numerous apertures at the 



Pig. 115.— Male Organ 



OF GkNERATION — INFIiHIOU 

 .Sl'KFACE. 



1'. Ureter. 



rd. Vas deferens. 



J/. ProstJite. 



iij. Cowjier'.s fjlnnil. 



f. Kreftor iiciiis muscle. 



</. Glaus jienis. 



}.. Bladder. 



1. One of tlic cnira of 



the jieliis, with the 

 isehio - caveiniisus 

 imiscle njion it. 



2. Accelerator nrinif nnis- 



cle which invests tlif 

 liroximal, ventral 

 ]>art of the Jienis. 

 .\ jiortion of the external 

 skin has been left at- 

 tached ronn<l the base 

 of the glan.s. 



