258 



INEZ WHIPPLE WILDER. 



was found to contain large numbers of tightly coiled spermatozoa 

 (Fig. 3, x), which, however, in a few minutes began to uncoil, 

 so that in the course of half an hour the majority were uncoiled 

 or uncoiling. Some few, however, were still coiled seven hours 

 later. From time to time some of the spermatozoa were seen 

 to be coiling up again, a condition which was probably induced, 

 as was shown by a subsequent study of spermatozoa taken from 



a 



FIG. 3. Spermatozoa of Desmognathus fusca, showing method of coiling; cor, 

 the mass or corpuscle about which the spermatozoa coil; x, spermatozoa coiled 

 as found in the spermatophore. Based upon drawings with Abbe camera. X 290. 



the ducts of living males, by partial drying of the preparation. 

 All of these movements were somewhat jerky and mechanical, 

 and none of the free swimming movements such as the living 

 spermatozoa exibit within the ducts of the male were to be seen. 

 It must be noted, however, that the conditions were not perfectly 

 normal, since the spermatophore, obviously not intended for 

 an aquatic medium, was placed in water for examination. In the 

 case of another spermatophore, found in the cloaca of a similarly 

 isolated female, and examined microscopically without the 



