1907,] ANATOMY OF CHLAMYDOSELACHUS. 475 



The Urogenital Organs. 



The Female. — The ovai"ies are diffuse bodies attached by broad 

 mesenteries to the line of attachment of the " stomach " mesentery. 

 The right ovary is placed somewhat more anteriorly than the left. 

 The oviducts have large funnels which open ventrad to the stomach, 

 instead of dorsad as is usually the case. The edges of the funnels 

 are irregular and spreading, and are united in the median ventral 

 line to one another, thus forming one large funnel. The anterioi- 

 edges of the funnels become united to the anterior wall of the body- 

 cavity, whilst the posterior edges of the united fimhrite hang free. 

 A triangular dorsal pouch is thus made between the wall of the 

 abdominal cavity and the funnel. As this pouch is in the usual 

 position of the ccelomic openings of the oviduct, the eggs would 

 tend to pass into it instead of into the latter, if this were not 

 prevented by the unusual position of the ovaries which are ventral 

 to the oviducts. For the first 6 cm. the oviduct is a straight 

 tube, the walls of which are lined with numerous laminae. 

 This region passes into the oviducal gland, the walls of which are 

 much thickened, except along two longitudinal lines which are 

 approximately dorsal and venti"al. The length of the gland is 

 3 cm. Its interior is covered by fine laminae continuous with 

 those in the preceding and succeeding portions of the oviduct. 

 The laminae run spirally, and are very close together, instead of 

 longitudinally and somewhat separated, as is the case throughout 

 the remamder of the oviduct. The transverse deeper groove in 

 the oviducal gland mentioned by Garman (1. p. 20) was found in 

 the specimen examined. Passing from the oviducal glands, the 

 oviducts regain their original diameter, but the walls are smoother, 

 the laminae being reduced to slight strise. When the oviduct 

 reaches the level of the anterior end of the colon, it enlarges. 

 The enlargement is gradual and only increased in diameter about 

 fourfold on the left side, but on the right the enlargement is 

 sudden and very apparent, the diameter increasing 14 to 15 times. 

 This region in addition to being enlarged has folded walls, in 

 which occur one large and several small areas of dilated blood- 

 vessels. The largest blood-plexus occupies about one-third of the 

 right side of the oviduct. In connection with each plexus, on its 

 dorsal side, the oviducal wall is thickened over an area which 

 equals the plexus in length and breadth. The enlarged vessels 

 apparently supplied these thickened areas. The condition of the 

 oviduct thus described suggests that this portion of the oviduct 

 acts as a functional uterus, and that therefore Ghlamycloselachiis 

 produces the young alive, as suggested by Garman. The final 

 portion of the oviduct, which succeeds the uterine, has smooth 

 walls and a large diameter, the latter gradually diminishing 

 towards the cloaca. This region divides the functional uterus 

 from the cloaca, thus functionally^ representing the vagina of 

 higher types. The opening of the right enlarged oviduct (text- 



