development of the mons veneris and the labia majora.
On the other hand, some of the lower African races have been
distinguished by the deficiency in development of the labia majora,
mons veneris, and genital hair. In this respect they present an
approximation to the genitals of the anthropoid apes, among whom the
orang-outang alone shows any tendency to formation of the labia majora.

The labial appendages of the Hottentot female have been celebrated for
many years. Blumenbach and others of the earlier travelers found that
the apron-like appearance of the genitals of the Hottentot women was
due to abnormal hypertrophy of the labia and nymphae. According to John
Knott, the French traveler, Le Vaillant, said that the more coquettish
among the Hottentot girls are excited by extreme vanity to practice
artificial elongation of the nympha and labia. They are said to pull
and rub these parts, and even to stretch them by hanging weights to
them. Some of them are said to spend several hours a day at this
process, which is considered one of the important parts of the toilet
of the Hottentot belle, this malformation being an attraction for the
male members of the race. Merensky says that in Basutoland the elder
women begin to practice labial manipulation on their female children
shortly after infancy, and Adams has found this custom to prevail in
Dahomey; he says that the King's seraglio includes 3000 members, the
elect of his female subjects, all of whom have labia up to the standard
of recognized length. Cameron found an analogous practice among the
women of the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The females of this nation
manipulated the skin of the lower part of the abdomens of the female
children from infancy, and at puberty these women exhibit a cutaneous
curtain over the genitals which reaches half-way down the thighs.

A corresponding development of the preputian clitorides, attaining the
length of 18 mm. or even more, has been observed among the females of
Bechuanaland. The greatest elongation measured by Barrow was five
inches, but it is quite probable that it was not possible for him to
examine the longest, as the females so gifted generally occupied very
high social positions.

Morgagni describes a supernumerary left nympha, and Petit is accredited
with seeing a case which exhibited neither nymphae, clitoris, nor
urinary meatus. Mauriceau performed nymphotomy on a woman whose nymphae
were so long as to render coitus diffic