60 ON THE ANATOMY OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 



have very thick muscular and elastic walls. For the last 4| inches of 

 the course of the cornua they are united together (as seen in fig. 7, p. 59) 

 into a single tube, which is about 1 inch across at the point of junction. 

 This tube is externally single ; but nevertheless, on cutting it across, the 

 two comparatively small cavities of the cornua are seen lying beside one 

 another, but separated by a considerable septum. Without any difference 

 in the external calibre of the tube, the two cornua open together into a 

 common cavity 2| inches long, w r hich is the true " corpus uteri." At their 

 opening each cornu admits a large knitting-needle. There is no valve of 

 any kind at the opening. Both cornua and corpus are lined by smooth, 

 longitudinally plaited, mucous membrane. A similar arrangement to that 

 here described would seem to be indicated by Perrault's description : 

 " Ces comes, au lieu de s'ecarter et de se separer comme elles font ordi- 

 nairement, etoient jointes 1'une centre 1'autre, montant jusqu'au hauteur 

 d'un pied, et n'etant separes que par une cloison mitoyenne ; ensuite 

 elles se separent en deux branches." In his example (nearly or quite 

 adult) each horn measured 2 feet 8 inches, and was 1| inch across at the 

 commencement. The female genital organs he pictures on pi. 21 : this 

 shows the conjoined cornua, which are separate till near their end, as seen 

 in section. 



The next part of the genital organs is the dilated, sac-like, " secondary " 

 or " uncommon," vagina. This is about 5| inches long, and is lined by 

 smooth mucous membrane, with slightly raised longitudinal folds, run- 

 ning from the opening into it of the corpus uteri. This opening is small, 

 only admitting the tip of the little finger, and is provided behind with an 

 irregularly bilobed thick valve of mucous membrane. This constriction 

 and valve undoubtedly represent the " os uteri." Perrault describes this 

 " secondary vagina " as the " corps ovale ;" in his specimen it measured 

 18 inches by 6 inches, and was smooth and polished within. It is well 

 shown in his figure (1. c. pi. 21) ; but the " valvule frangee aux embou- 

 chures des cornes de la matrice " is not quite like the valve in my specimen. 

 In the text he says, "Deux trous au dedans... etoient entoures par un 

 appendice de la membrane interne... en maniere de la f range ou de 

 pavilion." It would appear, then, that in his animal there was no " corpus 

 T> v a IQ^O uteri," such as that which exists in mine, but that the two cornua 



r. L. o. lo/y, 



p. 434. opened separately into the "corps ovale " ( = secondary vagina). Mayer 

 apparently (I. c. pi. 6, p. 38) found a similar arrangement in E. indicus. 

 Hunter, Owen, and Miall and Greenwood all indicate an arrangement 

 like that which obtained in mine*. 



* In a specimen (2776 A) in the College of Surgeons of the uterus &c. of E. indic-us, 

 the " corpus uteri " is very much more capacious than in my (young) specimen, is 

 about 7 inches long, and is only separated off from the " secondary vagina " by a pro- 

 minent zonary fold of mucous membrane. The calibres of these two chambers are 

 about the same. 



