98 THE PHYSIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 



noticed that certain corpuscles were taken up by leucocytes, 

 and transported to the uterine cavity. Others were carried 

 along in close association with epithelial cells, both from the 

 superficial layer and from the glands. 



It would appear that destruction of the epithelium does 

 not occur to any extent, and that the bleeding is not severe. 

 This would seem to constitute the chief difference between the 

 prooestrous changes in Tarsius, and the corresponding changes 

 in monkeys. 



The periodicity of the sexual phenomena in Tarsius spectrum 

 has already been referred to. 



THE CYCLE IN INSECTIVORA 



The changes which occur in the internal generative organs 

 during the cycle in Tupaia javanica, and in the aberrant In- 

 sectivore, Galeopithecus volans, have received some slight 

 attention. 



Stratz 1 has described the existence of a blood-clot and a 

 " menstrual " flow in Tupaia, and records the presence of 

 desquamated epithelial cells in the blood-clot. Van Herwerden, 2 

 however, states that the individuals which Stratz examined 

 were in the puerperal stage, and that, although Tupaia can ex- 

 perience " heat " and become pregnant at this time, trust- 

 worthy conclusions regarding the severity of the prooestrous 

 changes cannot be drawn from such specimens. That there 

 was considerable bleeding van Herwerden admits. Nothing is 

 known about the periodicity of the changes in Tupaia. 



In Galeopithecus van Herwerden describes uterine hyper- 

 aemia during the prooestrum. In the superficial mucosa 

 numerous highly congested "capillaries were noticed. In the 

 later stages blood was found extra vasated in the stroma, some 

 of it being collected in spaces which were probably comparable 

 to the sub-epithelial hsematomata described by Gebhard in the 

 menstruating human female. In the superficial epithelium 

 spots were detected where a few of the cells had been removed. 

 Bleeding did not appear to be localised to any particular area 

 in the uterus. 



1 Stratz, loc. cit. 2 Van Herwerden, loc. cit. 



