62 



INTERNAL ORGANS OF FOWLS 



a 



Ovaries and Oviduct. The ovaries p and the oviduct q 

 are shown enlarged in Fig. 2. The ovaries a (Fig. 2) 

 are attached to the under side of the backbone, usually 

 on the left. The ovaries 

 and the oviduct are the 

 female organs of repro- 

 duction. The yolk of the 

 egg attains its full size 

 within the casing of the 

 ovaries, which, in good 

 laying hens, contain 

 yolks varying in size 

 from that of a small pin 

 head to that of the full- 

 grown yolk. As soon as 

 the yolk has reached its 

 -full development, the 

 casing of the ovary, or 

 ovisac, as it is sometimes 

 called, opens and the 

 yolk passes into the ovi- 

 duct c. The yolk may or 

 L may not be fertilized by 

 ' the male element before 

 or just after entering the 

 oviduct. 



The oviduct varies in 

 length, and in some cases 

 it is nearly 2 ft. long. As 

 the yolk passes through 

 the oviduct it becomes 

 covered with albumen, of 

 which the white of the 

 egg is composed, and 

 with a double membrane, 

 or the lining to the egg- 

 shell. After the egg has reached its full size the shell is 

 formed about it in the oviduct. The passage of the egg 

 through the oviduct requires from 6 to 18 or 20 hr. 



FIG. 2 



