In an adult boar with hypospadias, I found this organ of yet larger size. The opening, which lay between the points of aperture of the two ejaculatory ducts, and had a length of l lines, led into a cylindrical body, which, gradually dilating to some extent as it passed upwards, finally, after a course of fourteen lines, split into two horns. These were placed against the seminal ducts, and, as cords of areolar tissue, could be followed with the cover ings of those tubes to the testicles. In other instances the Weberian organ of the pig ex perienced a more considerable reduction. Thus in a new-born individual whom I ex amined, I found only a single solid- cord in the middle line of the peritoneal fold between the vasa deferentia ; it had neither cavity nor opening into the uro-genital canal Solidungula.— The Weberian organ of the horse, which is generally of very considerable size, was known to Cuvier ±, who referred it to the vesicula serninalis. It has also been fre quently described and figured by Gurlt $ as a median seminal vesicle. The first who re cognised its morphological importance was Hansmann.§ With a reference to the older researches of Weber upon the vesicula pro statica of man and the beaver, but before this author had published his later observations on the horse, he explained it as the male uterus. And independently of him, Adams II was led to the same result.
The Weberian organ of the horse is a wide tube, which opens into the uro-genital canal by a large opening between the two vesiculw seminales, the ejaculatory ducts of which it receives by the constricted neck of its lower eKtremity. In particular instances this open ing is, as Leydig observed, divided by a median bridge into two apertures, which lie close to each other ; or it is even, as Weber found it, completely closed. In the same manner Gurlt found that the Weberian organ, instead of opening by a special aperture, sometimes communicated with one or other of the eja culatory ducts. The lower end of the tube is considerably dilated for a length of 1 to 3 inches. Above, this dilated part gene rally passes into a narrow cylinder, which Ruminantia. — In the Llanui, which pos sesses a heart-shaped parenchymatous pro state, I have been unable to find either a median, single, opening into the commencement of the uro-genital canal, or a Weberian organ. But, on the other hand, one finds a very dis tinct rudiment in the new-born male deer.* Here it courses as a single cord-like thread in the peritoneal fold between the two eja sometimes attains a length of 5 to 7 inches, and then divides into two short and usually unequal horns. Not unfrequently this upper part is, as was observed by Leydig and seen by myself, a simple solid thread. In the instance
described by Weber the cavity was altogether 'absent ; and an absence of the whole Webe rian organ has been observed by Leydig.
In the male ass I have also seen a very con derabl eWeberian organ (fig. 878), the existence of which I was first made aware of by Berg mann. It is here a straight canal, four and a half inches long, which ascends in the peri toneal fold between the two ejaculatory ducts, and divides at its extremity into two, much wider, horns. These have blind ends, and a length on the right side of 5, on the left cf 9, lines. There is no opening into the uro genital canal, but the lower end has a vesi cular dilatation of four lines in length, and is separated by a longitudinal fold into two blind sacs lying close behind. each other.
culatory ducts until finally it bifurcates at about an inch from the place of their inser tion. It is only during the earlier stage of embryonic life that I have been able to find a cavity and its opening: in the new-born in dividual the Weberian organ is already ob literated and solid. Some larger and smaller hydatidous vesicles which are found in its course, and especially at the site of its bifur cation, are the only relics- of this its earlier condition.
The same foFm of Weberian organ is re peated in the goat; but its development seems here to be very variable. 1 examined a large number of genitals, which had been preserved some time in spirit. In all the Weberian organ was of considerable size and develo ment. Nevertheless I have reasons for t conjecture that this is not the rule, and th in the majority of he-goats a less complete development of the Weberian organ occurs.
According to my observations the organ consists of a cylindrical body, which ascends between the two seminal ducts, and is strongly united to these by areolar tissue, especially in its inferior half. After a course of an inch and a half it splits into two horns, which are apposed to the seminal ducts, and continue with these to the testicles, where they pass into the covering of the epididymis. In two instances the lower third of the body was dilated into a longish vesicle of about three lines in diameter, while the part above this measured scarcely one line. At the seat of bifurcation it was again dilated, though less considerably. In one individual the middle portion was obliterated so as to form a solid cord. The point of opening into the uro-genital canal is a small linear fold, which is separated by a short interval from the orifices of the vasa deferentia, and is usually placed below, but, in one instance, above them.