On the Female Organs and Placentation of the Racoon. 291 



larger interval. They occurred indifferently upon the transverse 

 mucous rugse and upon the intermediate depressions. The glands 

 themselves corresponded in length to the thickness of the mucous 

 membrane, their blind dilated ends closely approaching but never 

 actually penetrating the sub-mucous coat, whilst their free extre- 

 mities opened upon the surface of the mucous membrane. The 

 gland tubes were extremely tortuous, so much so that, in some 

 instances, their regularly spiral course reminded one of the epidermic 

 segment of the duct of a sudoriparous gland. In some cases, the tubes 

 terminated in a single dilated and somewhat acinous extremity, 

 whilst in others two or even three of these dilated acini could be seen 

 to terminate in a common tube. The character of the epithelium 

 lining these glands could not, unfortunately, be made out, but it seems 

 probable that it does not differ essentially from that met with in the 

 uterine glands of other mammals. The epithelium covering the 

 surface of the mucous membrane of the unimpregnated horn had 

 entirely disappeared, and, therefore, its character could not be deter- 

 mined. 



The mucous membrane of the impregnated horn was quite entire, 

 It differed from that of the barren horn in the absence of the well- 

 defined transverse rugse already described. The mucous lining of 

 this horn was much thinner than that of the opposite side, and 

 appeared as if it had been mechanically stretched by the growth of 

 the contained foetus. When a portion was placed under the micro- 

 scope, it was seen to differ from that of the barren horn in respect of 

 its much softer and more succulent character. This was due to the 

 presence of large numbers of leucocytes, as well as of spindle-shaped 

 connective tissue cells in various stages of growth. In the barren 

 horn, the latter were present as formed connective tissue, and, con- 

 sequently, lent to the mucous membrane a denser, tougher, and more 

 fibrous consistence. In the mucous membrane of the non-placental 

 area of the gravid horn uterine glands were but rarely distinguish- 

 able and then only in a fragmental form. Here and there minute 

 fragments of gland tubes were observed, but, in no case, did I 

 recognise a perfect gland similar to those met with in the opposite 

 horn. In the mucous membrane of the placental site not a trace of 

 a uterine gland could be recognised, the glands in this area having 

 apparently atrophied and entirely disappeared. As regards the 

 epithelial lining of the gravid horn, no certain information could be 

 obtained, as the mucous membrane had been almost entirely denuded of 

 epithelial cells. At the same time, the appearance of an occasional 

 epithelial cell, columnar in character, and attached to the uterine surface 

 of the placenta, renders it probable that previous to detachment of 

 that organ the uterine mucous membrane had been provided with a 

 layer of columnar epithelial cells, similar to that observed by 



