IQO LEO LOEB. 



losa, and an egg of a primordial follicle enveloped by one layer 

 of granulosa. In a follicle in which we found a still larger number 

 of eggs, the latter were well preserved and rather small, and situ- 

 ated in different parts of the granulosa. Of interest is also an 

 observation which showed that a disintegrating egg may enter 

 into direct contact with the theca interna of a nearby follicle of 

 small to medium size. 



These are the principal combinations of double or multiple 

 eggs we observed in the ovaries of this animal, and both ovaries 

 behaved in a similar manner. How shall we interpret this condi- 

 tion? The large number of follicles with two or more eggs 

 which we found in both ovaries indicates clearly that we have 

 to deal with a general condition of the organism affecting both 

 ovaries equally and not with a local ovarian change. We may 

 conclude that bioval or plurioval follicles may originate in 

 either of the two following ways: (i) The young eggs in the 

 tunica albuginea of the ovary remain united; connective tissue 

 fails to grow between two or more eggs and to separate from each 

 other the different eggs with the surrounding granulosa cells. 

 The pictures of primordial follicles containing two eggs speak 

 in favor of this interpretation. (2) But other follicles containing 

 more than one egg must originate in a somewhat different manner. 

 Very small follicles, especially primordial follicles, push their way 

 into larger follicles, perhaps even into such follicles which are 

 already in the process of degeneration. And this is probably by 

 far the more frequent mode of origin. We find different stages 

 in the junction of two follicles of different sizes, and in different 

 stages of development. We can follow the pushing in of the 

 smaller into the larger follicles. The fact that the thickness of 

 the granulosa surrounding the different eggs in a follicle is in 

 accordance with the character of the egg is only compatible 

 with the view that two formerly distinct follicles effected a 

 secondary union. In favor of this interpretation speaks also 

 the observation that in the majority of cases the more unde- 

 veloped egg is situated toward the outer pole of the larger follicle. 

 This is in accordance with the fact that the smaller a follicle is, 

 the more peripheral is its situation. Occasionally, however, a 

 primordial follicle may be pushed deeper into the cortical tissue 



