36 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY OF THE INDIAN RHINOCEROS. 



But, besides its attachment to subcutaneous cellular tissue, fasciae, elastic tissue, 

 fibro-cartilages and periosteum, the hide is connected with parts which are destined for 

 its motions and adjustment upon the body. So far from the panniculus carnosus being 

 absent, it is developed in certain parts to an extraordinary thickness; and it became 

 obvious, on contemplating these muscles, that one use of the permanent folds in the 

 hide of this thick-skinned species of Rhinoceros, is to afford, like the processes of bones, 

 a firmer insertion to the aponeuroses of the cutaneous muscles than a plane surface of 

 integument could possibly have done. A sheet of panniculus carnosus situated on each 

 side of the thoracic or scapular region sends its fascia into the interstice of the fold in 

 front of the anterior extremities, the skin being bent upon itself, as it were, to grasp 

 this fascia. Similar portions of panniculus carnosus send their aponeuroses into the 

 posterior folds of the skin. But the most remarkable portions of the cutaneous muscu- 

 lar system are two, which arise, broad and thick, one on each side of the anterior part 

 of the abdomen from the superficial fascia covering that part, and, passing backwards, 

 terminate in aponeurotic sheets which are inserted into the fasciae covering the patellae 

 and knee-joint. As the patellae are higher than the abdomen, in the erect position of 

 the animal, the preceding muscles would seem to be developed chiefly to afford additional 

 support to the bulky abdomen, the weight of which is thus in part transferred imme- 

 diately to the hinder extremities ; and these the muscles in question must also tend to 

 draw forwards during progressive motion. 



The dense but highly elastic ' fascia superficialis ', spread over the peripheral surface 

 of the abdominal muscles upon their pubic and hypochondrial regions, increases in 

 thickness as it passes over the abdominal rings, and invests the spermatic chord with a 

 thick sheath, which becomes thinner where it expands upon the ' tunica vaginalis testis.' 

 Each testis was situated out of the abdomen, but pretty close to the external abdominal 

 ring, without, however, causing any protuberance in the thick integument : and there 

 is no scrotum or outward indication of the essential glands of the male organs. 



In the female the superficial fascia covering the external abdominal rings descended 

 upon and surrounded the mammary glands ; which occupy a corresponding position to 

 that of the testes in the male'. On the internal or central surface of the mammary 

 glands was situated a plexus of large veins : the arteries supplying them were a branch 

 from the superficial femoral and branches of an artery answering to the cremasteric 

 artery in the male, which passed with the ' ligamentum teres uteri ' through each abdo- 

 minal ring. 



The sole of each foot was occupied by a thick cushion of elastic tissue, not adipose 

 chiefly, as in Man, but of a whiter, gelatinous and ligamentous texture, resembling 

 the morbid tissue called ' albuminous carcinoma.' The difference between the thick 

 epidermal layer covering the sole, and that sheathing the fore part of each of the three 



' This correspondence is accompanied by a similarity in the development and functions of the cremaster 

 muscle in the two sexes of the Marsupial quadrupeds. 



