CHAPTER IV. 



DISEASES OF THE EGG-PRODUCING 

 ORGANS. 



1. PARAgsiTES AND FOKEKtN BODIES IN EGGS. 



The egg is produced as folloAvs: the yolk develops in 

 the ovary, which is a large conglomerate mass, the ap- 

 pearance of which may be compared roughly to that of 

 a bunch of grapes of different sizes. When the yolk 

 reaches its full development in this organ, the mem- 

 brane containing it breaks and it is discharged into 

 the oviduct. In passing through the oviduct it be- 

 comes surrounded by albumin, known as the white of 

 the egg. The development of the albumin requires 

 about six hours. In the lower part of the oviduct, it 

 remains for about twenty-four hours and during this 

 time it becomes covered with a membrane and a shell. 



If foreign bodies, or parasites of any kind, are pres- 

 ent in the oviduct, they may readily become incorpo- 

 rated with the albumin and in that way become en- 

 closed in the egg. There are a number of parasites of 

 poultry that have been found encapsulated in this way. 

 The imprisonment of i)arasite.« in the egg is not a very 

 serious matter, however, because it occurs quite in 



(72) 



