The Process of Breeding. 71 



ing it into two halves. The testicles are two egg shaped 

 bodies placed horizontally in the horse, vertically in 

 cattle and sheep. They are made up of a number (200- 

 300) blind tubes in which is secreted the sperm or semen. 

 The spermatic cord, made up of blood vessels (it is im- 

 portant to remember in castration that the artery of the 

 cord is situated at the front part of it), nerves, serous mem- 

 brane, lymphatics and a muscle, the cremaster (which 

 withdraws the testicle up into the inguinal canals at cas- 

 tration), the vas deferens (a tube conveying the semen to 

 the penis), suspends the testicle in the scrotum. This 

 spermatic cord is located in what is known as the ingu- 

 inal canal, entrance to which is obtained through two 

 slits in the abdominal floor; previous to birth the testi- 

 cles are up in the body, later on they descend through 

 the rings (openings of the canals). In exceptional cases 

 the testicles do not descend, in such cases the animal is 

 known as a ridgling, original (cryptorchid) and is often 

 vicious and hard to control. The penis is made up of 

 the urethra, which is situated on the under surface, and 

 erectile tissue, the latter being made up of blood vessels 

 which become engorged with blood during sexual excite- 

 ment, the erectile tissue forms the glans or head. The 

 sheath (prepuce) is a fold of loose skin that envelopes 

 the penis, it is the location of numerous sebaceous glands. 

 This organ requires careful examination at intervals, or if 

 allowed to become dirty or clogged the passage of the 

 urine is more or less hindered, due partially to the cas- 

 trated male ''gelding, steer or wether) urinating in the 

 sheath. The noise made by horses when trotting, is due 

 to the air rushing into the sheath. In bovines the penis 



