18/8.] CHLAMYDOPHORUS TRUNCATUS. 675 



walls are thick, being surrounded by a layer of circularly disposed 

 muscular fibres. Resting upon the upper surface of the proximal 

 half of this portion of the urethra is the prostate gland, the pos- 

 terior border of which is attached to the tube. On slitting open 

 the canal, no trace of a vesicula prostatica could be distinguished ; 

 but it is well to bear in mind that the small size of the parts, together 

 with the immersion of these for some time in alcohol, may have 

 served to prevent the recognition of what, under any circumstances, 

 must be a very minute organ. Professor Macalister ' refers to the 

 presence of a Weberian organ, of which, however, he gives no de- 

 scription, merely statiug that it is "long, and not distinctly bifid ;" 

 but inasmuch as he makes no mention of a prostate gland, it appears 

 to me to be not improbable that he may have mistaken that gland 

 for the organ in question, an error which need occasion no surprise 

 when the small size of the parts is taken into consideration. If the 

 Weberian organ be present, it certainly does not project beyond the 

 wall of the urethra. The extrapelvic or spongy portion of the 

 urethra lies within the penis and measures •£ of an inch in length. 

 At its commencement it receives the ducts of Cowper's glands, whilst 

 at its termination it opens upon the summit of the rounded extre- 

 mity of the penis. 



I'esticles and vasa deferentia. — Professor Macalister 2 states that the 

 testicles lie within the "wide abdominal ends of the inguinal canals;" 

 but this was certainly not the case in my specimen. In it the tes- 

 ticles were situated immediately posterior to the kidneys, and in close 

 relation to the superior abdominal wall, to which each was closely 

 attached through the ^flection of the peritoneum. The testicle of 

 the right side was posterior in position to that of the left. The gland 

 itself was of the same size and form as a canary-seed, and, together 

 with the epididymis, measured \ of an inch in length. The latter 

 was of large size as compared with the testicle, to the outer side 

 of which it was attached at both its anterior and posterior extremi- 

 ties. The anterior extremity, or globus major, is continuous with the 

 testicle, the separation between them being indicated by a slight 

 constriction. From this it passes forward for -fa of an inch, and, 

 suddenly curving upon itself, turns backward to the same extent, 

 and becomes constricted to form the body of the epididymis. The 

 latter extends along the outer side of the testicle as far as its 

 posterior extremity, where it again expands into a glandular mass, or 

 globus minor, which, however, is of larger size than both limbs 

 together of the globus major. From this body the vas deferens 

 passes off. The entire testicular mass is placed obliquely, its ante- 

 rior extremity being directed obliquely forward and outward, the 

 posterior, which is in contact with the lateral aspect of the apex of 

 the bladder, in the opposite direction. The vas deferens measures ^ 

 of an inch in length, and crosses the ureter in its course backward. 

 The two vasa at their termination are almost in contact, and disap- 

 pear from view by sinking into the anterior border of the prostate 

 gland, the substance of which they traverse in their course to the 

 1 hoc. cit. " Lnr. cif. 



