61 



merkwürdige Einseitigkeit des Vorganges in den bisher beobachteten 

 Fällen, vor allem aber die konstante Lagerung auf der linken Seite 

 erklärt noch der Grund der vermehrten Wucherung der Thymus gegen 

 den Vagus. Es läßt sich nur sagen, daß in der eigentümlichen Lage- 

 beziehung zwischen Vagus und Thymus in solchen Fällen ein ätio- 

 logisches Moment für diese Verlagerung zu suchen ist, weiter daß 

 diese Dystopie im frühen Embryonalleben entsteht. 



Nachdruck verboten. 



A Contribution to the Histology of the so-called Cowper's 

 Grland of the Hedgehog (Erinaceus eiiropaeus). 



B}^ E.. G. Linton. 

 (From the Anatomy Department, Royal Veterinary College, Edinburgh.) 



With 5 Figures. 



It is not surprising that the secondary sexual glands of the 

 hedgehog should have attracted the attention of anatomists and histo- 

 logists. Their extraordinary high degree of development during the 

 rutting season is a point of real interest; and, as Oudemans (1), in 

 his exhaustive investigations on the sexual organs of mammals, truly 

 says, they are developed more strongly at this time than is the case 

 in any other animal. 



In all there are four sets of glands which seem, in some manner, 

 to be closely associated with the function of reproduction. They are 

 the seminal vesicles, the prostate proper — situated at the base of 

 the bladder on the ventral side of the urethra — a pair of glands 

 embedded in the urethral muscle which were discovered by Leydig (2) 

 and named by him "Cowper's glands", and, lastly, a pair of glands 

 situated outside the pelvis on the buttock. It is with the last mentioned 

 pair that this communication deals. 



The situation and external appearance of this pair of glands has 

 been accurately described ; but, to avoid confusion, it may be advisable 

 to refer briefly to them in this place. In a fully grown and sexually 

 mature hedgehog in the rutting season, these glands are large, more 

 or less circular structures placed outside the pelvis close to the ischial 

 tuberosity and root of the penis. 



Each gland lies lateral to the base of the tail and rectum and is 

 in contact with the muscles of that region. They are light yellow in 

 colour. Each gland has one main duct which enters the pelvis and 



