88 JOURNAL OF THE 



But packed and coufiued as they are in several rows inside the 

 wall of the ovaries they are held in a polygonal form. Each one 

 contains a large nucleus and a distinct nucleolus. When quite 

 young they are nearly hyaline, and transparent. Near the ante- 

 rior ends of the ovaries they are several layers deep across its 

 diameter. As they grow in size the increased pressure forces 

 the elono^ated mass of vouniz; ova slowlv toward the uterus, since 

 they cannot escape at the anterior ends of the ovaries. Then 

 because the diameter of the posterior ends of the ovaries and the 

 uterus is but little greater than the anterior ends of the ovaries 

 the ova must be arranged in a decreasing number of rows, until 

 a single ovum is equal in diameter to the insi'de diameter of the 

 uterus. If we count the number of ova which stand in a super- 

 ficial transverse row across a well developed ovary, near the ante- 

 rior end there will be four or five; now looking along the ovary 

 toward the uterus, we will count three, two and finally one. 

 With the increase in size of the ovum there is an accompanying 

 development of yolk globules. The first change is the appear- 

 ance of very fine granules. Then yolk globules are developed, 

 a few at first, but become very numerous as the growing ovum 

 passes into the uterus, when it is quite opaque. The globules 

 seem to be more numerous in a peripheral plane. The ova are 

 held in })olygonal form until one only occupies the diameter of the 

 uterus, when they are at first rectanglar in outline. From this 

 form, as they grow in size, they simply elongate until their length 

 is Jibout two or three times their diameter. The ends of the i^^^ 

 are gradually rounded off, and it becomes slightly curved so that 

 it is shaped very much like a bean. At first the ovum possesses 

 a very delicate wall. The covering of the ^'g''^ becomes stronger 

 as it passes down the uterus. The fully developed egg possesses 

 a double wall, a delicate inner membrane and an outer tou^h 

 membrane. 



Just the precise stage when the ovum is fertilized I have not 

 detern)ined, but I have found spermatozoa in the posterior part 

 of the ovaries. The nucleus in the fully developed egg is quite 

 distinct, though not so prominent as in tl>e young ovum. It is 



