FEMALE ORGANS OF THE PKOBOSCIDEA. 12(3 



scribe two sinuses as opening on the superior (intestinal) wall of the urino-genital canal 

 about the middle of its course. These are evidently the Cowperian ducts, although, 

 like myself, these anatomists could not discover the glandular bodies with which I have 

 little doubt they were connected. Their statement that these ducts open on the superior 

 wall of the urino-genital canal arises from a misconception as to the course of that canal 

 after it has passed out of the pelvic cavity. As we have seen, the canal curves forward 

 to terminate at the vulva — an arrangement which causes what, in the majority of mam- 

 mals, is the upper or rectal wall of the canal to become in the Elephant the inferior 

 wall or floor. In their description of the African Elephant neither Perrault nor Forbes 

 makes mention of Cowperian glands or of their ducts. 



The muscles above described as the bulbo-cavernosi appear to be present in the 

 female of both the Indian and African Elephants. Messrs. Miall and Greenwood find 

 in the Indian species an arrangement of muscular fibres almost identical with that above 

 described, whilst Perrault ' describes the urino-genital canal of the African species as 

 " being covered with a large number of fleshy fibres, which were continuous with the 

 muscles of the anus as well as with those of the sphincter of the bladder." Neither of 

 these authors, strange to say, appears to have recognized that the fibres in question are 

 homologous with the bulbo-cavernosi of the male animal. Miall and Greenwood^, 

 indeed, observe that the sides of the vulva " are very loose, and do not appear to be pro- 

 vided with a distinct sphincter " — a fact which is easily explained when one considers 

 the great difference in arrangement of the urino-genital canal of the Elephant as compared 

 with that of the majority of mammals'. In the latter the canal is, so to speak, cut 

 short, and the bulbo-cavernosi muscles are thereby converted into a sphincter vaginae 

 surrounding the genital fissure, whereas in the Elephant the male-like elongation of 

 the urino-genital canal, together with the presence of an enormous clitoris, gives rise to a 

 corresponding modification in the arrangement of the muscular fibres and a resulting 

 similarity of the bulbo-cavernosi muscles in both sexes. The ischio-cavernosi and leva- 

 tores clitoridis muscles have both been figured by Mayer in the Indian Elephant. They 

 have not been hitherto described in the African species. The clitoris does not diff"er 

 much in the two species of Elephant. In the Indian species, however, there is a distinct 

 mucous prepuce which has no representative in the African Elephant. It is true that 

 Forbes * describes a " well-marked preputial-like reversion of the integuments " as 

 surrounding the glans ; but, so far as I could ascertain from an examination of his spe- 

 cimen, this is merely fonned by the reflection of the mucous membrane from the urino- 

 genital canal to the clitoris, the line of reflection being situated about 2 inches beliind 

 the extremity of the glans clitoridis. The same arrangement of these parts is found in 

 the Indian Elephant ; but, in addition, there is a second and more anteriorly placed fold 

 of mucous membrane, which completely surrounds the glans clitoridis, and leaves 



• Loc. cit. p. 132. ' Loc. cit. p. GG. ^ Loc. cit. p. 405. 



' It is worthy of note that Stukeley figures the coiistrictorei vwjhue muscles. 



