1052 



SUBMAMMALIAN VERTEBRATES 



1898) . Ciliated cells and goblet cells are also 

 present (van den Broek, 1933). For the liz- 

 ards, the general picture which emerges is 

 of seasonal development of the oviducal mu- 

 cosa in most forms, of a specialized area for 

 the secretion of albumen, and of a "uterus" 

 or "incubation chamber" for the oviparous 

 species. ^*^ Crowell (1932) has seen in Phrij- 

 nosoma and Sceloporus, as has Dutta ( 1946) 

 in Hemidactylus, a tract of pro-ovarian cilia 

 like that described by Parker for the turtle. 

 Specialization of the uterus for viviparity is 

 discussed below. 



In April to July the oviducal glands of the 

 snake Xatri.v t. tigrina are conspicuous and 

 their cells are crowded with secretion gran- 

 ules (Takewaki and Hatta, 1941). Seasonal 

 development of the uterine portion of the 

 praii-ie rattler's oviduct also occurs (Rahn. 

 1942). 



The immature alligator's oviduct has been 

 described (Reese, 1915; Forbes, 1937. 

 1940a), but information on the adult struc- 

 ture seems to be lacking. 



XIV. Other Specializations in Females 



Reptiles 



During the i^eriod of sexual inactivity the 

 stratified epithelium lining the urogenital 

 fossa of female Lacerta is about 30 /x in 

 thickness. In the spring breeding period, 

 however, due to a remarkable increase in 

 stratification the epithelium becomes 210 to 

 260 fjL thick. 0]:)ening through the stratified 

 epithelium are long, sinuous tubules produc- 

 ing an amorphous secretion. Regression of 

 the stratified layer starts in July, continues 

 gradually, and is not yet complete when hi- 

 bernation begins in November. As Regamey 



(1933, 1935) points out, the glands at the 

 height of their development remind one of 

 the uterine glands of mammals. Dantchakoff 



(1938) i-emarked that the highly developed 



'" Flinjuosuma and Sceluporits (Crowell, 1932), 

 Vromastix (Kehl, 1935), Hoplodactylus (Boyd, 

 1942), Hemidactylus (Dutta, 1946; Mahendra, 

 1953), Xantusia (Heimlich and Heimlich, 1950), 

 Lygomma (Wcckes, 1927b), Lacertn (Sacchi, 1888; 

 Regamey, 1935; Jacobi. 19?6), Anguis (Coe and 

 Kunkel, 1905; Ja.obi. l!):!fi), Anniella (Coe and 

 Kimkel, 1905), Am plnxlui, no, Anops, and Tro- 

 gonophis (Coe and Kunkel, 1905), unspecified 

 genu.s (Giersberg, 1922). 



stratified epithelium of the urogenital fossa 

 and cloaca in the lizard has a good deal of 

 resemblance to the stratified vaginal epithe- 

 lium of a rodent in estrus. 



In male, immature, and nonestrous female 

 colubrid snakes of a viviparous species of 

 Natrix, calcium, magnesium, and protein 

 levels in the plasma were relatively low and 

 showed little variation throughout the year. 

 The same was true in Thamnophis. How- 

 ever, concentrations of all three substances 

 rose very conspicuously while females of 

 both genera were in estrus, with the highest 

 values of all being attained in Thamnophis 

 just after ovulation (Dessauer, Fox, and CJil- 

 bert, 1956). 



XV. Effects of Ovariectomy 



Fish 



( )variectoniy has little effect on female 

 coloration in the bowfin, Amia calva (Zahl 

 and Davis, 1932) in Halichoeres poecUop- 

 terus (Kinoshita, 1935), or in the stickle- 

 back, ddstcrosteiis aciileatus (Bock, 1928). 



AiHphihidtis 



If R(ina pipiens is ovariectomized in Se]i- 

 tember, the oviducts degenerate by Decem- 

 ber (Wolf, 1928). The glandular cells de- 

 crease in size, and few secretory granules 

 are observed. This is said to be the only 

 species of frog in which the IMiillerian ducts 

 (corresponding to the oviducts of the fe- 

 male) are cjuite well formed in the male 

 (Christensen, 1931). In immature animals 

 of both sexes the ducts are similar and small ; 

 with the onset of sexual maturity, the ovi- 

 ducts grow further in females. That this is 

 due to ovarian hormones was proved by 

 ovariectomy. Removal of the ovaries from 

 adult BkJo arenarum also results in oviducal 

 atrophy (Galli-Mainini, 1950). 



In the female, as in the male, of Xeuopus 

 laevis castration causes a drop in the serum 

 calcium level (Shapiro and Zwarenstein, 

 1933). 



Reptiles 



Alalc and female Lacerta casti'ates are 

 indistinguishable externally. The oviduct 

 atrophies to the nonbreeding stage (evidence 



