Note 336 — PART I.

I dissected a male of this species, which was shot a few hours from the city. It was a little bigger than a large mastiff-dog, which it resembled in many respects. Its colour was grey, and streaked transversely with black; the hair harsh, and somewhat longer than that of a dog; and from the hind-part of the head, down the neck and back, it had a long white mane, as described by Aristotle⁠[A]. The opinion of this animal’s being incapable of moving the neck, &c.⁠[B], is without foundation, it having vertebræ, and as easy a motion of the head as dogs, or other animals of that species. I could not observe any thing in the eye particular when dead: however, as I saw it not alive, I cannot contradict what Pliny says, Oculis mille esse varietates colorumque mutationes. Just over the anus was an aperture, which at first sight appeared like a female pudendum, but proved on examination only a shallow kind of sack. Its use I could not find out: but this seems to have given rise to what the ancients report of this animal, and what the natives of this country still believe, viz. that it changes its sex every year. The penis differed from that of a dog, in having no bone. The scrotum was but small, and at first sight seemed to contain but one testicle, the other being close bound up by the skin, so as not to appear externally. The vasa præparantia and deferentia were traced from the testicle through the rings of the muscles; but they were unfortunately cut out with the entrails, which the person who killed the animal had thrown away for the lighter carriage.

[A] Hist. Animal. lib. 8. cap 899.

[B] Plin. Hist. Natural. vol. 2. lib. 8. p. 184.