20 Adams, On the Mole ( Talpa europcea). 



Saint- Hilaire discovered by dissection that the virgin 

 mole has the same external appearance as the male 

 with respect to the genital organs, the vagina being 

 closed, not by an internal hymen, but by the skin of the 

 belly covering the orifice. Micturition is effected by the 

 clitoris, which externall)' resembles the penis of the male, 

 and has the same function of micturition, which is easy of 

 verification by passing a bristle from the bladder through 

 the extremity of the clitoris. Of course, the glans penis 

 of the male, if extruded, will show the sex at once, but 

 superficial examination will not determine this, and 

 though Saint-Hilaire points out that the clitoris is nearer 

 to the anus than is the penis, this difference is often too 

 slight to be of any practical value, and dissection alone 

 can decide the point. 



Saint-Hilaire goes on to assert that to effect pene- 

 tration of the virgin an ossicle or os penis is used.* 

 This, I am convinced, is not the case. At the end of the 

 glans penis, but covered with integument, there is a flexible 

 cartilaginous body corresponding to the os penis of the 

 carnivora, which doubtless strengthens the penetrating 



Fig. 19. — View of glans penis from Fig. 20. — Side view of glans penis, 

 above, — os penis. ^— os penis, ti — urethra, 



in — meatus. 



organ but is certainly not capable of rupturing the skin 

 covering the vagina of the virgin mole. The length of 

 this piece of cartilage is 275mm. My observations show 

 that about March ist a wrinkle appears at the base of 



* " Get osselet aigu, veritable tariere." 



