976 GENERATIVE APPARATUS. 



city of the fibrous envelope of the corpus cavernosum, to return the organ to its 

 ordinary position when the phenomenon of erection has ceased. 2. The tegu- 

 mentary fold, or sheath, which envelops the free portion of the penis when in 

 its ordinary state of repose. 



A. Suspensory and Retractile Ligaments of the Penis. — Two in 

 number, these ligaments arise from the lower face of the sacrum, descend as 

 flat bands in front of the sphincter ani, between the retractor muscle of the anus 

 and the rectum, to which they give numerous short fasciculi from their posterior 

 border ; they then unite at the mesial line, below the anal opening, thus forming 

 around the terminal extremity of the rectum a real suspensory ring. Lying 

 together, and intimately united, they are continued on the accelerator urina?, 

 which they follow at the raphe, and are eventually lost in its texture, near the 

 free extremity of the penis. 



These cords are composed of unstriped muscular fibres. 



B. Prepuce. — The prepuce, or sheath, is a cavity formed by a fold of the 

 abdominal skin, and lodges the free portion of the penis ; it is entirely effaced 

 at the moment of erection, when the copulatory organ is lengthened and enlarged. 

 The skin at the opening, of the prepuce enters its cavity, and, on arriving at the 

 free portion of the penis, forms a circular cul-de-sac in becoming reflected over 

 the organ, which it envelops. 



This lining integument of the prepuce is fine, and is very irregularly plicated ; 

 it is destitute of hair, and holds a middle place, with regard to organization, 

 between the skin and mucous membranes. It contains in, or beneath, its sub- 

 stance a considerable number of sebaceous or proeputial glands that secrete an 

 unctuous fatty matter (exhaling a peculiar odour, and dark grey in colour — the 

 smegma praputii), which is spread over the free surface of the membrane. 



Above, the inner integument of the sheath is applied to the tunica abdomin- 

 alis. Below, and on each side, the cutaneous fold constituting this cavity con- 

 tains between its layers an expansion of yellow elastic fibrous tissue, the lateral 

 portions of which, attached to the abdominal tunic, are named the suspen,sorij 

 ligaments of the prepuce. 



In the Ass, there exists, near the entrance to the prepuce, and on each side, 

 a small tubercle which may be looked upon as a rudimentaiy teat of the female. 



(The prepuce protects the penis, and sustains it when in a flaccid state. In 

 certain Horses, a gurgling sound is produced in trotting, from the air brusquely 

 entering and leaving this sheath.) 



Differential Characters in the Male Genital Organs op the other Animals. 



Ruminants. — Vaginal sheath. — Goubaux has remarked tliat, in the Bull, the internal 

 inguinal ring is very small when compared with that usually seen in the Horse. It is situated 

 nearly at the point of union between the two originating branches of the sartorius muscle. 



Testicles — In these animals the testicles are very voluminous, oval, and vertically elongated. 

 They, with their envelopes, form a pendant mass that occupies the inguinal region. The 

 scrotum is always of a pale colour. In the interior of the testicle, the corpus Higlimorianuio 

 and the rete tentis are very marked. (The proper tissue is yellow, and the septa formed liy 

 the prolongations of the tunica albuginea are not very distinctly seen.) 



Epididymis. — Vas deferenx. — The heal of the epididymis is wide and flat, and partly covers 

 the anterior border of the testicle. The middle portion, smaller than in Solipeds. represents a 

 narrow cord lying outside the posterior border of the seminal gland. The tail is a little free 

 appendage, inflected inwards and upwards to become continuous with the vas deferens. The 

 latter is dilated, as in the Horse, when it arrives above the bladder, and lies beside the duct 

 of the opposite side. The two, thus joined, increase from before to behind, leave the neck of 



