1024 Journal of Agricultural Research vol. vi.no. 2S 



ductive activity from strictly nonlaying to fully functional condition. 

 Eighteen of the twenty showed reproductive organs which were in every 

 respect normal for their functional condition. Each of these birds had 

 produced a dwarf egg x in a regular series of normal eggs and had con- 

 tinued to produce normal eggs in regular cycles. These birds either made 

 no nesting records, or a few such records were scattered among normal 

 eggs, as is frequently the case with normal birds which have never pro- 

 duced dwarf eggs. Whether or not these occasional nesting records in- 

 dicate ovulations into the body cavity has never been investigated. 

 Observations made on a large series of autopsies on laying birds indicate 

 that ovulation into the body cavity is not a very rare accident in birds 

 with sex organs which are morphologically normal. 



In each of the other two cases also the dwarf egg was produced in a 

 regular series of normal eggs and normal-egg production continued in 

 regular series for months (case 19, nine months, and case 20, five months) 

 after the dwarf egg had been produced. Case 19 never made a nesting 

 record until eight months after the dwarf egg had been laid. She then 

 made two and laid a litter of 1 1 eggs. These were the last eggs produced. 

 During the next three months she showed no evidence of reproductive 

 activity (neither eggs nor nesting records). She began the last week of 

 her life with a series of four nesting records on successive days. Three 

 days after the last of these she died of peritonitis. At the autopsy the 

 ovary contained a series of seven enlarged but absorbing yolks and two 

 empty follicles which could be certainly identified. The body cavity 

 contained free decomposing yolk. The upper part of the oviduct was 

 filled with an egg concrement composed of successive layers of coagulated 

 albumen formed around a small tumor which was attached by a narrow 

 neck to a glandular ridge in the albumen-secreting portion of the duct. 

 This tumor was about the size of a normal yolk. 



Case 20 continued to lay normally for five months after the dwarf egg 

 had been laid. Three nesting records were distributed separately among 

 100 normal eggs. The bird then appeared to pass through a normal non- 

 productive period of nine days. She then laid two eggs. A week later 

 two clutches of nesting records occurred. During the next month she 

 laid three eggs and made two nesting records. Occasional nesting records 

 occurred during the next three months, but no more eggs were produced. 

 The bird was then killed for data. At the autopsy the ovary contained 

 a series of six enlarging yolks and three distinguishable follicles. The 

 body cavity contained lumps of yolk. The funnel and the oviduct liga- 

 ments in the region of the funnel were pathological. They were red and 

 fluted in appearance. The elongated lips of the funnel in the region of 

 ligaments were fused together so that the opening of the funnel was no 

 larger than the diameter of the tubular portion of the duct. . 



1 In one case two and in another three at widely separated dates and each occurring in a series 01 normal 

 eggs. 



