On a Hermaphrodite Frog. 179 



XVII. — Note on a Hermaphrodite Frog. 

 By R. C. Punnett, B.A. 



[Plate IX.] 



Last February my attention was called to an anomalous 

 condition of the genital organs in a frog which was being 

 dissected by a member of the practical class in this University 

 (St. Andrews). The specimen was preserved for future 

 examination, the results of which are now given. 



Right Side. 



The Miillerian duct was well developed and considerably 

 convoluted. It possessed a small uterine dilatation, an 

 opening into the body-cavity, and was slightly pigmented 

 here and there. The ureter expanded to form a vesicula 

 seminalis, though this was hardly so well developed as in the 

 male frog at this period. The ureter and Miillerian duct 

 were bound together near the cloaca by some connective tissue, 

 but possessed separate openings into the cloaca. The genital 

 gland was a well-developed testis. On the side furthest from 

 the vena cava and about one third of the distance from the 

 anteiior end a small pigmented patch was seen, containing 

 two white specks (PI. IX. fig. 1, *). Sections through the 

 gland showed that this pigmented portion contained a single 

 normal ovum (PL IX. fig. 2, ov.), whilst the rest of the gland 

 was purely male and showed no traces of ova either normal or 

 degenerate. Vasa efferentia were present, and some of them 

 entered into close relation with the small pigmented ovarii n. 

 patch (PI. IX. fig. 2, ef.). The fat- body was well developed. 



Left side. 



The Miillerian duct was developed as in the normal female 

 and was slightly larger than tlu.t on the opposite side. It 

 possessed a well-marked uterine dilatation (PI. IX. fig. 1, ut.). 

 The ureter showed a small vesicula seminalis and bore the same 

 relations to the Miillerian duct as its fellow on the opposite 

 side. The genital gland from external appearance was an 

 unmistakable ovary, though in size it was slightly smaller 

 than in the normal females which were dissected at the same 

 time. At about the middle of the gland and on the side 

 nearest the inferior vena cava was present a small yellowish 

 patch, resembling the testis m its external appearance. 

 Sections showed that this small patch consisted of testis tissue, 

 containing, like the testis on the opposite side, nearly ripe 



12* 



