of the Eyg in the Commo7i Fowl. 373 



drawn out into a point by the contractions of the mesometry. 

 All these various muscular fibres form an areolar tissue of 

 more or less close meshes towards the margin of the infun- 

 dibulum, in the place where fimbriai begin to appear, and 

 where, consequently, the infundibulum begins to increase in 

 superficial area in an increased ratio. This areolar muscular 

 tissue is supported by a corresponding stronger development 

 of the cellular tissue ; and in the part which, from the causes 

 just mentioned, is increased in thickness, the large blood-vessels 

 assume towards the margin a more parallel course, emitting 

 or receiving the numerous branches which form the capillary 

 tissue in the fimbria. Towards the ostium abdominale the 

 ciliated epithelium of the cellular or fibrous tissue often consists 

 of several layers, and the tissue itself forms more or less sinuate 

 and ramifying longitudinal folds, which decrease in height 

 but increase in number towards the margin. The ciliated 

 epithelium is often continued for some distance on the outside 

 of the infundibulum, reaching in some cases to the ovary itself, 

 the epithelium of which is not ciliated ; in both places the 

 epithelium is equally thin. 



When the hen begins to lay, the oviduct has assumed a 

 volume four or five times as large as in the full-grown 

 chicken ; the turgescence of the infundibulum is considerably 

 increased, and tlie folds have become much larger, particularly 

 in the foremost part of the infundibulum, which continues 

 itself as a shorter or longer groove along the mesometry towards 

 the ovary. The fibrous tissue continually grows more and 

 more luxuriantly, so that the folds become broader and higher, 

 at the same time emitting numerous lateral sinuated branches, 

 which are often so numerous as to form dendritic figures*. 

 The areolar muscular strata and vessels below the fibrous 

 tissue swell correspondingly. The muscular bundles bifur- 

 cate and reunite, as is seen particularly in a zone running 

 parallel to the crenulate more or less lobate margin of the 

 infundibulum, at a distance from this of 1-3 millims. In 

 this zone there is a bi'oader muscular band along which tlie 

 blood-vessels mostly run, which receive and emit the capil- 

 laries of the margin at angles approaching more or less to 

 90°. Outside this band a very pretty retiform arrangement 

 may be observed in every laying hen — the muscular strata 

 of the vessels forming anastomoses which, owing to the 

 turgescence of the fibrous tissue, form regular meshes with 



* I am aware that Griinwald denies tlie existence of these, even in the 

 tiihe ; but this result must be caused by the fact that, as he states him- 

 self, of the four specimens examined by him, three were only adult 

 chickens which had never yet laid eggs. 



