138 WALTER LAWRENCE. 



especially between the coils of the ductus epididymis are many 

 polymorphonuclear leucocytes and indeed these are within the 

 tubule in some areas. Ligation of the ductus deferens at the 

 time of testis elevation produces no outstanding differences in 

 the epididymal contents. 



Sperm expressed from the ductus epididymis and ductus 

 deferens as well as sperm observed in the prepared material are 

 seen to be morphologically intact, but they have lost some of 

 their tendency toward agglutination. When physiological saline 

 was added to these spermatozoa, only a slight amount of motility 

 was observed and this was a weak vibratile motion. No differ- 

 ence in the morphological or physiological characteristics in the 

 sperm from the epididymis and vas could be discerned, nor 

 was there any difference between the sperm from the ligated 

 and non-1 igated sides. It should be remembered, as pointed 

 out above, that the seminiferous tubules of the testes are at 

 this time at the height of degeneration with the lumina packed 

 with degenerating remains, and that but few sperm could be 

 found among these; transfer has continued from the seminiferous 

 tubules since the sixth day, many of the degenerating cells 

 being present in smears and sections of the epididymis. The 

 sperm seen here are undoubtedly at least eight days old, and 

 their viability is a point not to be overlooked. 



Epididymis of Ten Days Retention. The gross appearance of 

 these epididymi is similar to that seen in the preceding stage. 

 Where the vas is ligated the epididymis is somewhat larger and 

 the basal portion shows a clear zone. At the end of ten days 

 the ductus epididymis is fairly well distended with sperm, very 

 little diluted with other constituents; this is true of both the 

 ligated and un ligated sides. In the proximal portion of these 

 tubules fewer sperm are present with an abundance of spherical 

 epithelial cells from the seminiferous tubules, and are character- 

 ized by their tendency to form spherical masses. These cells 

 are identical with those described as giant cells in the degenerating 

 seminiferous tubules. Some of the proximal tubules contain 

 deep staining particules of irregular shape and dimensions 

 immersed in a homogeneous coagulum. Sections show that in 

 the proximal tubules in these epididymi the sperm have lost all 



