2 o 6 Mr. Home on the Mode of breeding 
veying the semen into the oviduct of the female, resembling 
in its form, the penis of the squalus maximus, only upon an 
infinitely smaller scale. 
The pendulous bodies close to the oval fins of the male, 
which have been mistaken for penises, by many physiologists, 
and by others more rightly considered as claspers, to lay 
hold of the female, bear a close resemblance in their form to 
those of the squalus maximus, which have been described in 
mv account of that fish, under the name holders, and from 
every part of their mechanism, there can be no doubt that 
they perform that office. In the breeding season, they become 
more fleshy than at other times, the muscles at that time 
being enlarged. 
The insertion of the penis into the female, is not unlike 
that of the common fowl, but the penis is fitted to inject the 
semen further into the oviduct than can be done by the grooved 
penis of the cock. 
When the holders are spread out, so as to embrace the 
female, even after the fishes are dead, the penis is brought 
forward by that means, so as readily to enter the external 
orifice of the oviducts, to which it is guided by the prominence 
of the clitoris. The holders are represented in this expanded 
state in the annexed drawing. 
The mode in which the semen enters the penis is so unlike 
what is met with in other animals, that it deserves to be 
particularly explained. 
The vasa deferentia are convoluted in their course, but 
become straight and much enlarged at the lower part, and 
instead of going on to the penis, terminate by two wide 
orifices on the posterior surface of what may be called the 
