24 GONADECTOMY IN RELATION TO THE SECONDARY 



whatsoever to do with the absence of the ovary, but was purely a coin- 

 cidence. 



The findings at autopsy, illustrated by fig. C, plate vn, are of par- 

 ticular interest. On the site of each germ gland was a mass of whitish 

 tissue, and leading from it to the cloaca was a slightly convoluted tubule. 

 On the left was a distinct but infantile oviduct. No trace of one could 

 be found on the right. On the right " gonad " were several vesicles filled 

 with a rather thick but clear yellow fluid. Sections of these "gonads" 

 showed a compact mass of small cells having a large nucleus in propor- 

 tion to the protoplasm. The whole mass suggested nothing so much as 

 early nephrogenous tissue. There was not the slightest trace of seminal 

 tubules nor of spermatozoa, nor was there any trace of degeneration. 

 According to Foges and others, transplanted testicular tissue always 

 contains seminal tubules and spermatozoa. It seems probable, then, 

 that after the removal of the ovary the Wolffian body and ducts under- 

 went a compensatory development. It is well known, of course, that 

 the right ovary degenerates in female birds and that in the male the 

 Mtillerian ducts disappear; but, according to Lillie, nothing is known 

 of the fate of the Wolffian ducts in the female. 



The hermaphroditic condition of the accessory organs of reproduc- 

 tion in this individual led to a search for similar organs in normal females. 

 In some individuals it is comparatively easy to demonstrate on the 

 right side a small amount of tissue that may be interpreted either as 

 the degenerated gonad or the remnants of the Wolffian body of this 

 side. Leading from this is a strand of tissue which can be interpreted 

 as the Wolffian duct. In most females it is impossible to demonstrate 

 these traces, but several young normal females have been found in 

 which there can be no doubt of the existence of these structures. 

 Whether or not they are really the rudiments of the Wolffian body and 

 ducts remains to be determined. On the left it is almost impossible 

 to find traces of the " Wolffian body," but the "duct" can sometimes 

 be found. A further investigation of these structures is being made 

 in the hope that their nature may be definitely determined. 



If the observations of Beard and Allen regarding the original source 

 of the germ cells in the endoderm are correct, and if Ancel and Bouin 

 are correct in referring the production of the internal secretion of the 

 testes to the interstitial cells, the degree of comb development may be 

 referred to them rather than the germ cells. To determine this point 

 involves considerable histological work which as yet it has been impos- 

 sible to accomplish. In the present instance we have had a large comb 

 develop on a bird in the absence of the germ cells proper. Of course, 

 it is possible that some of the cells of the glandular mass may have 

 been potential germ cells, but there is no evidence that such is the 

 case. On the other hand, the large comb and wattles developed 



