12 



A. J. GOLDFARB. 



super-ripening is represented in the heavy lined curve (Fig. i). 1 

 The process continues until an optimum is finally reached many 

 hours after liberation at a stage marked B. Beyond this age 

 there occurred a definite progressive deterioration, indicated by 



Min. 



D 



Max 



Min. 



Physio'ogically good eggs 

 ' Fresh ' 



Age in hours. 



poor 

 Moderately aged 



Max. 



bad. 

 Very aged 



FIG. i. Showing extent of morphologic and physiologic changes during ageing 

 or deterioration cf eggs. AB represents the period of superripening; BCD, the 

 period of overripening; DEF, the period of extreme deterioration and death. 

 ABCDE represents change in volume, rate of membrane formation, rate of cleavage, 

 total cleavage (Hipponoe). aBCDE represents loss of jelly, total cleavage 

 (Arbacia), width of membrane formation. CDEF represents increase in agglutina- 

 tion, fusion, abnormal cleavage, separation of blastomeres, cytolysis, and increase 

 in oxidation. 



the progressive retardation in the rate of membrane formation, 

 in the rate of cleavage, in the decrease in total cleavage, etc. 

 \Yith further aging, there appeared other symptoms that 

 marked further deterioration, such as agglutination, fusion, 

 irregular cleavage, separation of blastomeres, and finally cy- 

 tolysis and death. Some of these symptoms first appeared at C 

 of the curve, such as agglutination, others at D such as irregular 

 cleavage, etc. 



1 /. e., part A of the curve. 



