105 



4. Note on the Spermatozoa, and on the Elevator Muscles of 

 THE Penis, of the Indian Elephant. By George Gulliver, 

 F.R.S. 



lu the testicle of the elephant that died on the 7th of this month 

 in the mena^erie of the Sotiety, there was scarcely any semen. The 

 seminal tubes measured from the -j-ertb to the ^th of an English 

 inch in diameter ; they coutained a brownish pulpy matter, which, 

 under the microscope, appeared to be composed of a liquid loaded 

 with a niultitude of minute, shining, oil-like molecules, either free or 

 aggregated into roundish and shapeless corpuscles. There were also 

 a few objects likę altered epithelial corpuscles ; but not a single sper- 

 matozoon, either free or in a cell, could be discovered. 



Within the tube of the epididymis, however, a few distinct sper- 

 matozoa were found ; and the drawing of them now shown is on a 

 scale of 40^0*^ °^ ^^ inch, the objects being magnified between 700 

 and 800 times, linear admeasurement. 



It will be seen that there is nothing peculiar either in the fonn or 

 size of these spermatozoa of the elephant. They resemble generally 

 those of numerous other mammalia. For the sake of comparison I 

 exhibit drawings, made on the šame scale, of spermatozoa from the 

 Cervidce, Camelidce, Ursida, Mustelidce, Soricida and Sciuridce, all of 

 which are noticed more or less in my papers in the Proceedings of 

 the Society, July 26, 1842, April 11, 1843, and February 24, 1846. 



The elephant was supposed to be about forty years old. 



I may mention, that while engaged in looking for the testicles of 

 the elephant, we exposed tvvo large muscles arising from the jjubes, 

 and inserted into the dorsura of the corpora cavernosa penis. Each 

 of these muscles was ąuite as large as the biceps musele of the human 

 arm. 



The use of these muscles in the elephant, to elevate, retract and 

 suspend his immense penis, is indicated by their attachments. Under 

 the microscope the fibre of these muscles of the penis was found to 

 possess all the characters of common voluntary musele. 



5. Brief notes on the habits of Noctilio mastivus. 

 By p. h. Gosse, Esq. 



The following notes are extracted from a journal kept in Jamaica 

 during a residence there in the years 1845 and 1846 : — 



" Being out on a shooting excursion on the 18th of October, 1845, 

 round Crabpond Point, on the southem coast, about the middle of 

 the day I looked about for a seat on vvhtch to ręst \vhile I ate some 

 refreshment. A gigantic cotton-tree {Eriodendron anfractuosum) in 

 the grass-piece of Mount Edgecumbe seeraed to promise in its long 

 root-spurs the seat I \vas seeking. On arriving at it I found the 

 tree was hoUovv, the trunk forming a \vide chimney of unknown 

 height, as being closed at the top, the darkness prevented my seeing 

 more than a few yards up. I remarked to my servant that it was a 

 likely locality for bats ; but the appearance of a large Gecko drew 

 ofF my attention, and I attempted to capturc it. The reptile darted 



