480 ON THE FEMORAL GLAND OF ORMTHORIIVSCHUS, 



do not permit me to say, though I think it is the pairing season. 

 I have set down these new accounts liecause I believe them worthy 

 of record, and perhaps this alhision may lead to something more 

 being done." 



Still more recently other cases (t^J|o men and two dogs), display- 

 ing severe symptoms following wounds from the spurs of these 

 animals, have been recorded by Dr. Lalor in a communication to 

 the Victorian Branch of the British Medical Association.* 



We are unacquainted with Dr. Lalor's paper, but from the 

 abstract we have seen, the principal symptoms appear to have 

 been great oedema and rise of temperature. In one case, that of 

 a man, the temperature rose to 104" F. 



From the above historical summary one sees that four views 

 have been entertained concerning the function of these glands 

 and their associated spurs, viz. : — 



(1) That they are in some way accessory to the organs of 



generation (Home, Bennett, ifec). 



(2) That they are poison glands, and as such constitute 



important weapons of offence (Jamieson, Blainville, Hill, 

 Meckel, Knox, Spicer, ifec). 



(3) That the secretion is userl for toilet purposes (Baden 



Powell). 



(4) That they are a remnant of conditions of life very different 



from those under which the animal now exists (Nicols). 



We will consider the last suggestion first. This, while it is very 

 difficult to show that it is false, does not apj)ear to us very 

 reasonable. It would be highly improbable that a complicated 

 arrangement such as we are considering should be retained in 

 such a condition of functional perfection if it were of no service 

 to the individual or the species. 



Baden Powell's notion that it may V)e used for toilet purposes 

 is unlikely. Spicer pointed out that it was confined to the male 

 sex, and Bennett observed that the specimens he had in his 



* B.M.J. June IGth, 1894^ p. 1332 (abstract of paper). 



