428 ON THE GENERATIVE ORGANS OF HYAENA CROCUTA. [Apr. 1 6, 



may have been borne out by the presence of an anal pouch, which, 

 according to him, was mistaken for^the female organ — an explanation 

 which is rational enough if we consider that H. crocuta formed tbe 

 subject of the hypothesis, but one which, as I have already shown, 

 loses all its force if we regard it as referring to either of the other 

 species of Hyaena. I would add that the other statements of the his- 

 torians already quoted, to wit that the Hyaena changes its sex every 

 year, and that the female is rarely caught, are equally explicable in 

 accordance with this view. The first of these I regard as another 

 attempt to solve the problem of generation, seeing that the animals, 

 to the eye of the observer, were uniformly of the male sex ; whilst 

 the latter is merely a statement of fact. It may be urged that the 

 geographical distribution of H. crocuta, confined as that animal is 

 to the region of Africa lying south of the Sahara 1 , and consequently 

 beyond the ken of the Greeks, is against this view. But I may be 

 permitted to point out that it is almost certain that in their time, as 

 now, trading caravans from the coast visited these districts and con- 

 veyed to the Greeks information regarding the animals which in- 

 habited them ; otherwise it is impossible to account for the accurate 

 knowledge which Herodotus undoubtedly possessed regarding the 

 African continent as far to the south-west as the valley of the 

 Niger 2 . In all probability the statements of travellers regarding the 

 bisexual nature of the Hyaena, originating with H. crocuta, were 

 transferred by the Greeks to //. striata, with which they were better 

 acquainted — statements which when taken as referring to the latter 

 species are absolutely devoid of meaning, but which, when regarded 

 as applying to the former, admit, as it appears to me, of a rational 

 explanation. 



I have, in conclusion, to acknowledge the kindness of Dr. Alfred 

 Young in preparing the illustrations for this paper. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



Plate XXIV. 



View of the male perineum and penis of Hyena crocuta. From above 

 downwards are seen the orifice of the anal-gland pouch, and anus]; 

 below the latter is the scrotum, together with the bare perineal inte- 

 gument ; lowest of all is the penis, surrounded by its prepuce. 



Plate XXV. 



Fig. 1. Male generative organs and extremity of rectum of Hyana cromta. 

 G. P, glans penis ; Pr, prepuce ; S, scrotum seen from the side ; P, 

 penis ; C. P, crura penis, covered by the ischio-cavernosi muscles ; 

 B. U, Bulb of urethra, covered by the bulbo-cavernosi muscles ; B. P, 

 retractor penis muscle ; B, bladder ; UB, urethra ; T, T, testicles, 

 that on the right side lying in its serous sac ; V. D, vasa differentia ; 

 B, rectum ; A. G, anal gland ; L. A, levator ani muscle. 



Fig. 2. Intrapelvic portion of urethra laid open, showing elevated fold of 

 mucous membrane on its floor, together with the opeuing of the utri- 

 culus on the summit of this fold. 



Fig. 3. Glans penis and prepuce of Hyena crocuta. The prepuce is retracted 

 to show the small recurved spines which invest the glans. 



1 'Geographical Distribution of Mammalia,' by Andrew Murray. 



2 Heeren's ' Ancient Nations of Africa.' vol. i. p. 102. 



