F R E E M A II T I N S . 69 



Fig. 2. represents the same parts, with 



a. the vagina, slit open to show 



h. the mouth of the womb. 



c.c. the ovaries. 



d. the urethra opening into the vagina. 



e.e. the horns of womb. 



Fig. 3 represents the same organs, as found in the free martin 

 belonging to Mr. Betts ; the vagina being slit open to show its 

 extent and termination, an inch beyond. The mouth of the womb 

 is represented by the dotted lines h. 



From these dissections it would appear that there are two varie- 

 ties of free martins. 



The first, and by far the most common, are probably hermaphro- 

 dites. They are more or less masculine in appearance, and mani- 

 fest no desire for the male. They will even work, it is said, with 

 an ox ; I knew an instance of the kind in this cofmty. This va- 

 riety, so far as I can learn, never breed. This conclusion, made 

 as it necessarily is, from comparatively slender materials, may be 

 erroneous ; yet I think there is sufficient evidence to afford a rea- 

 sonable ground for the opinion. It is worthy of notice that the 

 Romans called their barren cows taura^ as if they had something 

 of the bull about them. But it is not slated that these tauree 

 were free martins, although the supposition is not improbable. 

 Columella* speaks of " taurce which occupy the place of fertile 

 cows, and should be sent away." Varrof also calls the barren 

 cow taura. 



The second variety of free martins resembles other cows exter- 

 nally, being feminine in appearance and exhibiting the usual sex- 

 ual propensities. Those belonging to this class may breed, or 

 they may not : generally, however, they will not. I know of no 

 external mark by which the barren of this latter variety may be 

 distinguished from the fruitful. Future investigations may dis- 

 cover some external mark, but at present it is mere guess work. 



A free martin calf, then, that resembles a male in external ap- 

 pearance, and especially about the head, may safely be condemned 

 as unfruitful ; and even if she is not masculine in appearance, 

 she may still, in nine cases out of ten, be also condemned as 



• Lib. vi. cap. 22. t -De Re Rustica. Lib. ii. cap. 5. 



