of the Egg in the Common Fowl. 371 



terval of 44-46 hours between eacli succeeding ^^^^ and of 14 

 hours as the time required for the semen to traverse the length 

 of the oviduct, he would not have concluded from this set of 

 experiments that the ^^^ is fecundated in the ovary. 



The most probable conclusion from the facts as above stated 

 is that the fecundation takes place in the irifundibulura ; and 

 this appears to me to gain considerable strength from the 

 circumstance that this part of the oviduct presents a very- 

 remarkable arrangement hitherto overlooked, the pitted zone 

 already mentioned, which seems specially well adapted for 

 retaining and preserving the semen. 



The oviduct consists of four divisions, distinguishable by 

 their physiological functions, viz. : — one, from its shape, is aptly 

 termed the infundibulum, in which the %^^ is received from 

 the ovary ; a second, in which the albumen is secreted ,• a third, 

 in which the shell-membrane is formed ; and a fourth, pro- 

 ducing the shell, — which last three represent the tubiform part 

 of the duct. 



But, however different the functions of these divisions are, 

 their boundaries are by no means easily determined anatomi- 

 cally ; each of them merges into the following one by gradual 

 transitions. The folds of the infundibulum are simply con- 

 tinuations of those of the tubiform portion ; and these are 

 gradually transformed into the lower and at last shorter folds 

 which are characteristic of the third and fourth divisions. 



It is true that in some hens a kind of circular boundary- 

 line, caused by the less-pronounced development of the folds 

 in this line, may be observed between the second and third 

 portion of the oviduct ; but this is by no means clearly observ- 

 able in all laying hens. The same may be said of two slant- 

 ing transverse folds, which generally are seen near the base of 

 the infundibulum, and which are caused by the greater thick- 

 ness of the tube in proportion to the infundibulum ; these folds 

 appear less prominent in proportion as the infundibulum is 

 more or less swelling and as its folds are thicker ; sometimes 

 they are entirely absent. The inside of the tube is wholly 

 covered by a mucous epithelium forming numerous folds, which 

 are supported in their interior by corresponding expansions of 

 fibrous tissue. In the laying hen the epithelium is strongly 

 ciliated and the folds highly turgescent. One might be 

 tempted to say that the whole tube by its structure is adapted 

 for retaining and even for preserving the semen. But I have 

 not found the semen here otherwise than in passhig, nor have 

 I found any thing here that in any way appeared siiecialhj 

 constructed to serve for the preservation of the semen for a 

 longer time. With regard to the structure of the mucous 



