Page 287. 
Page 288. 
410 ON THE MUSK-DEER. 
round and broad ligaments prevent it from leaving the pelvic region. 
In the Sloths and Bats these ligaments are still more called into play, 
on account of the peculiar attitudes assumed by them. No more satis- 
factory mechanism could be desired. But in the human species the 
condition is very different. The uterus is situated almost directly 
above the vagina; and the entire absence of any ligaments to suspend 
it place it in a position of the greatest mechanical disadvantage, 
especially when congested and depressed by stays. Unsupported, it 
frequently bends forward or backwards, or even drops into the cavity 
of the vagina, and there finding nothing to obstruct it, becomes com- 
pletely prolapsed. Similarly in inguinal hernia, the abdominal walls 
being abnormally extended in connexion with the lumbar curve, the 
tendency to rupture in the region of the inguinal canal must be 
greatly increased, as it must likewise be by the downward tendency of 
the viscera. 
65. NOTES ON THE ANATOMY OF THE MUSK-DEER 
(MOSCHUS MOSCHIFERUS).* 
In the large collection of living animals brought home by the Prince 
of Wales from India were two male specimens of the Musk-Deer 
(Moschus moschiferus), nearly adult, from Nepaul, presented to His 
Royal Highness by Sir Jung Bahadoor, whose sudden death has been 
so recently announced. As far as I am aware, the only other individual 
of the species which had been seen alive in this country, was the 
female presented by Sir Richard Pollock, K.C.S.I., on March 31st, 
1869, to this Society, which formed the subject of Professor Flower’s 
valuable memoir published in our “ Proceedings ”’ (1875, p. 159). 
On Feb. 2nd of this year one of the Prince’s specimens died at 
Sandringham; and His Royal Highness having graciously given per- 
mission that a post-mortem might be made upon it, Mr. Clarence 
Bartlett placed it in my hands. 
Pathologically it did not present any features of special interest, 
the only organ which gave any proof of lesion being the psalterium, in 
which several minute abscesses were found along the attached margins 
of several of the lamin. 
Zoologically the specimen has given me the opportunity of veri- 
* “ Proeeedings of the Zoological Society,” 1877, pp. 287-292. Read, March 20, 
1877. 
