SEXUAL CHARACTERS — ELASMOBRANCH FISHES 211 



the frills, whose function is problematical. Associated with the 

 grappler on its inner side is a globular, compact gland, with a 

 completely closed duct, opening by a pronounced and well- 

 defined orifice at the end of a short tube. As the whole clasper 

 organization protrudes from the pouch, the gland orifice emerges 

 after the grappler. 



Since the gland here is associated with the anterior clasper, and 

 none with the posterior, it is conceivable that this is morphologi- 

 cally the same gland shifted forwards, having taken its duct 

 with it. Taking into consideration its absence in Chimaera and 

 its conjunction with surrounding parts, I do not think this is 

 hkely, but that it is of independent origin. The gland does 

 not at all resemble those of the Batoidei, as indeed there is no 

 reason why it should, being globular instead of elongated, and 

 completely surrounding its containing sac leaving a lumen which 

 is very small, instead of being confined to one side of it. 



Histologically (fig. 13), the gland resembles that of Lamna in 

 being composed of compact masses of tissue, not penetrated by 

 ducts, and separated from each other by partitions of connective 

 tissue. The individual cells, however, are different. Instead 

 of being elongated, they are spherical, as shown in the inset, 

 with, spherical central nuclei. 



In the female anterior claspers are not present, but there is a 

 similar and similarly situated pouch to that of the male. The 

 pouch, the limits of whose large cavity are indicated by a dotted 

 line in figure 14, is entered by a small sharply defined orifice, 

 posterior to which is a directive or guiding groove, sloping down 

 to the orifice. The material is not in a good enough state of 

 preservation to determine the presence and nature of a gland or 

 body at the bottom, or dorsal aspect, of the female pouch, but 

 I am inclined to think one is present as a spongy mass. Con- 

 sideration of the organs in both sexes leads to the behef that the 

 narrow tubular duct of the gland of the male, with its strikingly 

 penis-like extremity, is mtroduced into the pouch of the female, 

 otherwise we should find the pouch of the female wide open, 

 revealing the extremities of the large cavity, instead of guarded 

 by a narrow orifice, just large enough to admit and hold the penis 



