CHANGES IN THE OVUM. 



83 



The largest are found in the body of the uterus, and they become smaller 

 as they approach the extremity of the cornua. They spring from the 

 uterine surface by a somewhat narrow pedicle, through which they receive 

 their blood-vessels, and their color is nearly always dark yellow ; alto- 

 gether, in shape, hue, and general appearance, they are not unlike a 

 morel mushroom. 



The "foetal" or "chorial cotyledons" repeat the disposition of the 

 maternal cotyledons. They are bright-red concave patches, each exactly 

 fitting into the sinuses of the corresponding uterine processes, with which 

 they strikingly contrast in hue ; on their surface they offer a multitude 

 of long, conical, ramifying or branched villi, measuring from 4 to 6-ioths 



Fig. 42. 



Maternal A>fD Fcetal Cotyledons of the Cow. 



A, Pedicle of the Maternal Cotyledon ; BB, Maternal Cotyledon ; C, Foetal Cotyledon ; 

 Placental Villi ; E, Chorion. 



D, 



of an inch, which are received into the depressions of the maternal cot- 

 yledons. This ramifying or racemose disposition of the chorial villi is 

 peculiar to the bovine and ovine species. The chorial cotyledons are 

 attached to the chorion by a very short, thick, and vascular pedicle ; 

 between them and the maternal cotyledons there is always to be found 

 a small quantity of thick, white, milky-looking fluid — the so-called " cot- 

 yledonous " or "uterine milk." 



According to Schlossberger, this uterine milk should be considered as 

 a fluid analogous to milk or chyle. It contains 88 per cent, of water, 

 I "5 of fat, 07 of salts, and 9*6 of a protein substance. In the cotyledo- 



