1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 435 



Elephant. There is no trace of any hymen-like organ dividing this 

 median constriction into two, such as noticed by Miall and Green- 

 wood (L c. pi. iv. fig. 3, h). This point about corresponds with the 

 entrance of the genital organs into the pelvis. 



Perrault describes and figures (pi. 22) in his example two " valves 

 sigmoides," which guarded the "orifice interne de la matrice," and 

 also a " rebord qui s'avancoit au-devant du col de la matrice de la 

 longueur d'environ deux pouces." What the two sigmoid valves are 

 I do not see, as in his figure he indicates the two Malpighian canals 

 as well. The "rebord" probably corresponds to the tumid rounded 

 eminence (fig. 8, p. 434) about 1 inch long, terminating above and be- 

 hind in a little point, on which the urethra opens by a somewhat narrow 

 aperture, just below and in front of the opening into the secondary 

 vagina ', In front of this eminence the urino-genital canal, as the re- 

 maining part of these organs may be called, is produced into a small 

 cul-de-sac. The total length of this canal is about 20 inches 2 ; the 

 clitoris, which resembles the same organ in E. indicus, and which has 

 similar relations to the urino-genital canal, is about 1 5 inches from the 

 attachment of its crura to the pelvis to its extremity. The glans 

 clitoridis is about 2 inches long, rounded anteriorly, flattened and 

 grooved posteriorly, where it is in contact with the urino-genital canal. 

 There is a well-marked preputial-like reversion of the integuments 

 round the glans, as in E. indicus. 



The brain was removed with but little injury ; but its description 

 must be deferred till some future occasion. 



As will be seen from the foregoing account, but little difference, 

 on the whole, exists in the visceral anatomy of the only two remain- 

 ing species of Proboscideans. What differences there are chiefly 

 relate to the stomach, liver, and female organs ; but, till more speci- 

 mens of E. africanus have been dissected, it is impossible to say how 

 many of the points above noticed are due to individual peculiarities 

 or those of age and the like. There appears, therefore, little ground, 

 from an anatomical point of view, to separate Loxodon as a genus 

 from Euelephas. 



1 This raised part, on which is the opening of the urethra, is probably iden- 

 tical with the " Klappe " figured by Mayer (I. c. pi. vi. fig. 1) as existing between 

 the two orifices of the bladder and vagina. 



2 In Perrault's adult example the length was 3 feet 6 inches. 



28* 



