A CASE OF TRUE HERMAPHRODITISM IN THE FOWL 189 

 THE ENDOCRINE CELLS OF OVARY AND TESTIS 



Two tj^pes of endocrine cells have been described for the ovary 

 of fowl: the 'luteal' cells of various authors and the interstitial' 

 cells of Boring and Pearl ('17). 



The latter type of cell has now been shown by Nonidez ('20) 

 to be the basophilic stage in the development of the eosinophilic 

 leucocytes, as first pointed out by Goodale ('18). We find these 

 cells in large numbers in our preparations of normal ovaries, and 

 they are conspicuous structures in the ovotestis of our hermaph- 

 rodite. The hematopoietic role of these cells was emphasized to 

 us by our finding one in the blood stream of a normal ovary. 

 There is little wonder, therefore, that Boring and Pearl ('17) 

 found no correlation between these cells and the secondary sex 

 characters. 



The 'luteal' cells are easily demonstrable in normal ovaries 

 and in the ovotestis of the hermaphrodite. They occur in well- 

 defined groups and singly in the thecae of the follicles as well as 

 in the stroma about the follicles. Fat droplets of spherical 

 shape but of variable size could be demonstrated in the cytoplasm 

 of these cells, but we looked in vain for eosinophilic granules 

 in them. There appears no reason, however, for doubting the 

 endocrine role of these 'luteal' cells. ^ 



The endocrine cells of the bird testis are, however, in doubt 

 (cf. Goodale, '18). The basophilic 'interstitial' cells of Boring 

 and Pearl are certainly absent from the adult testis, a point on 

 which we satisfied ourselves. We have further studied the large 

 fat-containing cells which des Cilleuls ('12) and Reeves ('15) 

 have seen in the interspaces between the seminiferous tubules. 

 These cells are found in the testes both of normal birds and of our 

 hermaphrodite. Whether they are ordinary adipose-tissue cells 

 similar to those found elsewhere in the body and the fat con- 



* It is our opinion, however, that their homology is by no means certain. 

 They are not confined to the thecae internae and may not even all arise therefrom 

 (cf. Pearl and Boring, '17). The use of the term 'luteal' or 'lutein' as applied to 

 these cells seems to us to be most premature, particularly since the corpus luteum 

 of mammals is conceded by all who have studied complete series to originate for 

 the most part from the granulosa membrane. 



