448 Bashford Dean Tvlemorial Volume 



specimen is quoted here with the comment that nowhere in his paper do I find any 

 mention of the ovaries : 



The oviducts were extremely long, both being of about equal length. Towards their 

 upper ends [sic] each expands to a uterus-hke sack, of which the right is somewhat larger 

 than the left; both contained immature eggs. Below this expansion the oviducts are quite 

 narrow, but subsequently expand slightly downwards towards the abdominal pores. The 

 total length of each oviduct is about 900 mm. 



The right "uterus" was 240 mm. in length, and contained 10 large eggs, about the size 

 of the yolk of a small hen's egg, but some varied in size. There were, besides, about 30 lesser 

 yolks of the size of large and small peas, as well as a few bigger ones about the size of 

 the yolk of a pigeon's egg. The length of the left uterus was 220 mm., and it contained 5 

 large yolks, and about 20 small ones. 



Nishikawa (1898) states that the left oviduct of Chlamydoselachus is always rudi' 

 mentary, and the nidamental gland of the right side is better developed than that of the 

 opposite side. The right oviduct is much distended when it contains from 3 to 12 eggs, 

 these numbers being the limits observed in 7 specimens. Each egg is 110 to 120 mm. long 

 (transverse diameter not stated), while the oviduct is only 600 mm. long. As already 

 stated, measurements based on Nishikawa's Fig. 1, pi. IV, representing an egg within its 

 envelopes, give a length of 100 mm. and a transverse diameter of 60 mm. Doubtless 

 changes in the form of the egg occur, since it must be compressed while passing through 

 the oviduct proper. In a foot'note to Nishikawa's paper, S. Goto, who prepared the 

 manuscript for publication, states that when no eggs are contained there is no perceptible 

 difference in si2;e between the two oviducts. In another foot'note Goto writes: ''Mr. 

 Nishikawa tells me . . . that the female genital organs of Chlamydoselachus are essentially 

 like those of other sharks, and I can confirm his statement from a passing examination of 

 a specimen brought some time ago to my laboratory. Collett's description of these organs 

 appears to me irrelevant." 



Hawkes' (1907, pp. 475-476) description of the oviducts of the female Chlamydo- 

 selachus is so instructive that it is quoted entire : 



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 anterior edges 

 of the funnels become united to the anterior wall of the body cavity, whilst the posterior 

 edges of the united fimbriae 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 coelomic 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 

 ventral. 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 remainder of the oviduct, The transverse deeper groove in the oviducal 



