2l8 JOSE F. NONIDEZ. 



structures being essentially of a different kind. It seems unneces- 

 sary to insist here upon this point. The glandular nature of the 

 parovaria is the more probable interpretation. 



However, it was not possible to ascertain the kind of influence 

 exerted by these glands on the spermatozoa, since all the experi- 

 ments to solve this problem had to be carried out in a fluid for- 

 eign to the body, which, as stated above, kills the spermatozoa. 

 Under such conditions it is hardly possible that the secretion of 

 the parovaria may cause any response in already injured ele- 

 ments. While the secretion of the parovaria may activate the 

 spermatozoa it is still possible that they are concerned only with 

 the dissolution of the thick fluid portion of the ejaculate, thus 

 removing one of the obstacles which prevent free motion. 



The entrance of the spermatozoa into the receptacles has been 

 repeatedly observed by the writer in the living genitalia, for sev- 

 eral minutes at a time. Owing to the impermeability of the walls 

 of the receptacles and their ducts, the noxious effects of the fluids 

 in which the dissections were carried out were not felt at once. 

 The ventral receptacle is the first to receive the sperm. Since the 

 amount of sperm ejaculated usually exceeds the quantity which 

 can be stored in the receptacles it is common to see spermatozoa 

 which have made their way into the oviduct. As will be pointed 

 out later, on account of the position of the egg when passing 

 through the latter, it is safe to assume that such spermatozoa do 

 not play any role in the fertilization of the first eggs coming into 

 the uterus, which very often, and for reasons not well known, are 

 sterile. 



At the time of their entrance into the ventral receptacle, the 

 spermatozoa in the vicinity of the openings of the parovaria, 

 namely, those crowded in the anterior portion of the uterus, 

 begin to show strong movements and make their way into the 

 receptacle by swimming actively, a stream of them being detected 

 along the coils of this organ. When they reach the tip of the 

 latter the swimming movements cease, to be replaced by undula- 

 tory movements, which decrease in intensity as new spermatozoa 

 arrive. After two to five minutes the whole lumen of the recep- 

 tacle is packed with sperms. 



When the ventral receptacle is filled with sperms, the same 



