PLATANISTA. 473 



organ is active and distended with blood. Tlie prepuce is attached about 2 '40 inches 

 behind the base of the glans, and the colour of the parts so far back is nearly the 

 same as that of the body skin, but dependent on the shed cuticle of the opposed 

 surface, which when scraped off exhibits a yellowish cutis below it. The prepuce 

 as far as it covers the glans in the retracted state of the organ is smooth, but 

 anterior to that the cutis is thrown into a dense mass of fine longitudinal folds or 

 ridges, the margins of which have a finely serrated appearance due to the presence 

 of minute papilliform processes, probably highly vascular. These become more 

 strongly developed close to the point of union with the external skin, even to the 

 entire loss of the supporting ridges. In this locality, they are laterally flattened 

 processes placed side by side in their long diameters, forming regular wavy lines 

 of filaments, about 0*04 inch in length. The lines are parallel to each other, but 

 separated by regular intervals of not more than O'Ol inch ; on the removal of the 

 smooth covering of cuticle on the glans, a circumstance which frequently occurs 

 in spirit specimens, the pale yellowish cutis is seen to be composed of irregular, 

 transverse and longitudinal ridges composed of triangular papillge of the same 

 character as those which occur on the anterior portion of the prepuce, but only a 

 little larger. These are distributed longitudinally on the back of the glans, but 

 transversely on its sides. 



Urethra. — The prostatic portion passes downwards and backwards till reaching 

 the caput gallinaginis when the direction of the canal suddenly changes ; then it 

 runs directly forwards, forming an acute angle with the prostatic portion and 

 preserving this course as far forwards as the anterior extremity of the membranous 

 portion, where in the coiled state of the organ the first bend begins. Preserving 

 its usual position on the inferior aspect of the penis till within. 4 inches from the 

 glans, it then crosses over to reach the dorsal aspect, where it enters the base of 

 the fihform process. In the prostatic portion the canal narrows immediately 

 opposite the rounded posterior extremity of the united cavernous bodies, but dilates 

 on each side of the caput gallinaginis. In looking from above, into the lower part 

 of this section of the urethra, the caput gallinaginis is seen in the distance projecting 

 on the commencement of the membranous portion and to be nearly as large as the 

 capacity of the canal opposite to the bulb of the spongy body. Viewing the crest 

 from before, it is seen to be opposite to the end of the corpora cavernosa, and on making 

 a vertical section of the canal and pulling aside its walls, a deep depression is seen 

 on either side of the crest, with a few folds indicating that this portion of the canal 

 is capable of considerable distension. The transverse breadth is about 0'90 inch, 

 while the posterior extremity of the united corpora cavernosa is only 0'40 removed 

 from the upper portion of the base of the crest. The membranous portion is 

 3 inches long, and in transverse section the tube is a vertical slit 0*25 inch in length, 

 about 5 inches anterior to this the canal is reduced to an obhquely arched opening 

 0*10 inch in diameter. Three inches further forwards it is even still smaller, but 

 preserving its obliquity. Immediately behind the prepuce, the section is nearly 

 round, and its capacity slightly increased. Halfway between this and the base of the 



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