18 F. J. F. Barringion, 



they call the external prostate — causes coagulation of the secretion 

 of the vesicular séminales: that in the guinea-pig and rat this action 

 was brought about by the secretion of the prostate was shown by 

 these observers themselves [1], and it has since been shown by Walker 

 [12[ that it is only brought about by the secretion of a special small 

 part of the prostate, which he has termed the coagulating gland. This 

 fact, therefore, throws no light on the function of the glands in rats 

 and guinea-pigs, in animals which possess no vesiculae séminales or 

 in those in which a ,, bouchon vaginal" is not formed. Further, the ho- 

 mology of the Cowper's gland of the hedgehog appears to be open to 

 question [3 and 9]. 



To determine whether the glands played any part in the breeding 

 powers, they were removed from ten rats and ten guinea-pigs. In all 

 cases the animals were known to have bred before the operation, and 

 in all the complete removal of the glands was confirmed post-mortem. 

 At varying periods after the operation they were mated with two or 

 three females, some or all of which were known to have bred previously. 

 In the case of the ten rats, five bred at periods from nine days to eight 

 weeks after the operation, all five were mated a week or less after the 

 operation. The remaining five, which did not breed, were mated two 

 to thirteen days after the operation : they died or were killed nine to 

 thirty weeks after mating: one died from a purulent discharge from 

 the upper air passages to which rats appear to be subject: the other 

 four were all old Judging from the condition of the fur, in three of them 

 an atrophic condition of the testes was present, in the fourth the testes 

 had been eaten by the females before the body was recovered, so they 

 could not be examined: this atrophy appeared common in old rats 

 and there was no reason to think it had anything to do with the ope- 

 ration. In the ten guinea-pigs, five bred from five to forty-eight weeks 

 after the operation, these had been mated seven to forty-four days 

 after the operation. Of the five which did not breed, one was mated 

 fifty-three days after the operation and died sixteen days after that: 

 it appeared old and had atrophic testes. One was mated in six days 

 and died fifty-seven days later without any cause for death being 

 found. Three, which were mated in four to thirteen days, died from 



