PEMALE ORGANS OF THE PROBOSCIDEA. 117 



mucous membrane, whicli project into the interior of the uterine compartments, and 

 indicate the position of the ora uteri. The fold in conexion with the compartment of 

 of the right side is much larger than that met mth in the left. Each forms a very 

 incomplete valve attached to the outer wall of its own compartment, and projects 

 inwards towards the mesial septum. The uterine surface of each is convex, whilst the 

 vaginal surface is concave. 



Vagina. — The vagina measures 6| inches in length, and, as already stated, is not 

 separated by any external constriction from the uterus. The junction of the two, how- 

 ever, is sufficiently indicated by the line of reflection of the peritoneum from the uterus 

 to the neighbouring viscera. The vagina is situated between the bladder and rectum, 

 and is altogether destitute of peritoneum. Its walls are thick, and are provided with a 

 thick coat of longitudinally arranged muscular fibres. Upon slitting open the tube it 

 is seen to be of the same calibre as the corpus uteri, and is lined with a smooth mucous 

 membrane, which presents no trace of the rugee met with in the uterus. The vagina 

 is separated from the uterus in front by means of the mucous folds described along with 

 the ora uteri, whilst posteriorly it communicates with the urino-genital canal by means of 

 two apertures, which are separated from one another by the posterior extremity of the 

 septum vaginae. The latter is quite complete, and extends from end to end of the 

 vagina, so as to separate the tube into two distinct channels — a right and left. In 

 front the septum vaginse is continuous with the septum uteri, whilst posteriorly it 

 intervenes between the two openings of the vagina into the urino-genital canal. 



If, now, we compare the foregoing description of the uterus with those of other 

 anatomists who have dissected the Indian Elephant, we find that it differs from one and 

 all of these in several respects. John Hunter^ refers to the presence of a common 

 uterus and of two horns, thus plainly indicating the absence of a complete septum uteri, 

 such as occurs in my specimen. Mayer^ also describes a " gemeinschaftlicher uterus," 

 tioo inches in length, as communicating with the " mit der urethra vereinte vagina" (that 

 is, with the urino-genital canal) ; and the drawing which accompanies his description 

 clearly shows the presence of a unilocular corpus uteri formed in the usual manner by 

 the junction of the two cornua. Miall and Greenwood'' state that " the cornua uteri 

 unite to form a short tube of about one inch in length and three quarters of an inch in 

 diameter." This, which they regard as the common uterus, " leads into a somewhat 

 larger chamber about three inches long, which represents the cervix uteri." The sepa- 

 ration of the cervix from the remaining nine inches of the tube is indicated externally by 

 a slight constriction, and internally by " two considerable and well-marked enlarge- 

 ments which project inwards from the internal wall and almost close the passage." 

 The latter part of the single tube they look upon as representing the vagina, and de- 

 scribe and figure it as opening into the urino-genital canal by a single orifice, which is 

 " divided into two lateral halves by a thick rounded cord covered by mucous membrane, 

 ' Loc. cit. p. 175. ' Loc. cit. p. 38. Loc. cit. p. 63. 



