EINAE LÖNNBERG, AN ATOM Y OF THE RUMINANTS. 7 



und Boselaphus, bei denen sich auch, wie bei echten Boviden, 

 eine Reduction des Processus urethralis zeigt.» Such a belief 

 was also siipported by the state of our imperfect know- 

 ledge at tliat time. Now it has been proved that even quite 

 small antelopes as for instance Nesotragus livingstonianus 

 may be »bovine» in this respect, and by this and similar 

 fäets any hypothese about direct correlation between the 

 shape of the penis and the size of the animal among the 

 ruminants is overthrown. 



The penis of the Bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus (Sparr- 

 man)) has a very peculiar shape. It is very slender and 

 tapering to the end, its diameter at the inner end of the 

 prepiice being only 5 mm., and near the end where the 

 iirethra leaves its mesial position only 2Vä mm. The end of 

 the penis makes an C/D-shaped curve, first downwards then 

 upwards and finally somewhat downwards again with the 

 extreme tip. This 



CO-shaped curve 

 must be assumed to 

 represent the origi- 

 nal or primitive spi- O \!^^i^^**** 



ral which has been ^ig. 6. End of penis of Tragelaphus sylvaticus, 

 flattened to an CO a. from the right; b. from the left side. 



situated in one plane. 



The urethra leaves the lower side of the penis at the proxi- 

 mal part of this curve and runs on the right side of the C/D 

 curve almost straight to its tip beyond which it does not 

 project (fig. 6 a). This situation of the urethra on the right 

 side is very peculiar as otherwise, as a rule, the end of the 

 urethra makes its appearance on the left side of the penis. 

 This aberrant position may, however, be explained as a result 

 of the flattening from the sides of the original spiral together 

 with a shortening of the urethra itself . That the latter pro- 

 ceeding has taken place is proved by the fact that it runs a 

 straighter course t han the penis-end itself. To judge from 

 the condition found in primitive ruminants as for instance 

 Tragidus the penis-end has originally been tw^isted in a screw- 

 shaped spiral with several turns. From such or a similar 

 origin the shape of the penis-end of Tragelaphus is easily 

 derived by means of reduction. If during this process one 



