THE MUSK-POD. 87 



males is quite naked, except a slight tuft at 

 the end ; and often covered, as well as all 

 the parts near it, with a yellowish waxy 

 substance. 



The musk, which is much better known 

 than the deer itself, is only found in adult 

 males ; the females have none, neither has 

 any portion of their bodies the slightest 

 odour of musk. The dung of the males 

 smells nearly as strong as musk, but singu- 

 larly enough neither in the contents of the 

 stomach, nor bladder, nor in any other part 

 of the body, is there any perceptible scent of 

 musk. The pod, which is placed near the 

 navel, and between the flesh and the skin, is 

 composed of several layers of thin skin, in 

 which the musk is confined, and has much 

 the appearance of the craw or stomach 

 of a partridge, or other small gallinaceous 

 bird, when full of food. There is an orifice 

 outwards through the skin, into which, by a 

 slight pressure, the little finger will pass, 

 but it has no connection whatever with the 

 body. It is probable that musk is at times 



