This has a hard, gritty feeling when the animal is not in season. The neck at this time is closed. The neck of the womb is under control of the muscle around it, and this muscle is under control of the nerves of the womb. When a mare comes in season this muscle is relaxed to a certain extent, thus allowing the neck to open wide enough for the passage of a couple of fingers. By working around it with the fingers at this period it can be forced wide enough to admit a man’s hand. If the mare is put to the horse at this time and becomes pregnant or with foal, the muscles in the neck of the womb contract, firmly closing it. It remains closed until the time of foaling. When, at the time of foaling, the labor pains come on, the muscle in the neck dilates, allowing the neck of the womb to open large enough for the foal to pass out. The neck of the womb can be felt easily by oiling the hand and passing it into the passage of the womb. It will be noticed, too, that the neck spoken of projects into the passage. THE VAGINA AND THE VULVA.--These two organs together make up the passage which leads into the womb from the outside. In the young mare they are separated by a thin curtain, or partition, made up of mucous membrane. This curtain is found about four inches from the outside, and is known as the hymen. It is destroyed, or should be, when the mare is first put to the horse, although it is broken down other ways, and in some cases it will disappear of its own accord. The part of the passage in front of the hymen is called the vagina. This passage, in structures, resembles the womb, but is not so strong. There are numerous glands situated along the inner lining which secretes a fluid to lubricate it. The principle use of this organ is to guide the penis during sexual intercourse, and at the time of foaling serves as a passage for the foal. That part of the passage behind the hymen is known as the vulva. It is about four inches long and about two or three inches high, varying according to the size of the mare. In front, it is separated from the vagina by the hymen membrane. It resembles the vagina in structure and is also provided with little glands in its inner membrane to secrete fluid to lubricate the passage. At the back part of the vulva or around the outside is what is known as the lips of the vulva, one on each side of the opening. The outside of the lips is covered by a very fine skin. Just below the skin, they consist of erectile tissue, which is the same kind of tissue as that of the penis of the horse. This tissue is found more abundantly in the lips of the vulva of the young mare than in those of an old mare. The opening between these lips is situated just below the anus, or the opening where the back bowel ends. At the back part of the vulva, on the under side, is an opening, or hole, about large enough for the passage of a man’s finger. Through this hole the tube leading from the bladder