544 



Bashford Dean Meynorial Volume 



(with their 10 eggs, each measuring 80-83 mm. in diameter) sketched in. This is re- 

 produced herein as Text'figure 9. Being labelled, it needs no explanation here beyond the 

 remark that the non^gravid uteri are of approximately the same si2,e. 



Text-figure 9 

 Semi-diagrammatic sketch to show the repro- 

 ductive organs of a 1510-mm. female Chlamydosel- 

 achus. Note the five huge eggs (80 — 83 mm.) in 

 each ovary, and the paired oviducts with their 

 subdivisions. One shell gland is opened to show 

 its structure, and both uteri are somewhat 

 dilated. 

 Sketch by courtesy of F. Momose. 



THE OVARIES 



In Chlamydoselachus, the ovaries are paired, 

 elongate, and in the non-breeding female, 

 more or less flattened organs situated in the 

 anterior part of the body cavity and attached, 

 rather indirectly, to the dorsal body wall by 

 means of broad mesenteries. These organs 

 like others in this fish are subject to some 

 interesting variations which will be pointed 

 out further on. 



Before Smith's studies (1937), but three in- 

 vestigators had published observations on the 

 ovaries of Chlamydoselachus. Garman (1885) 

 merely remarks — ''The ovaries [Text-figure 8] 

 had been badly preserved and were much 

 torn". CoUett (1897) describes the oviducts 

 and then continues as follows: "The right 

 uterus [ovary?] 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 [ovary] was 220 mm., and it contained 

 five large yolks, and about 20 small ones." 



This is understandable only on the sup- 

 position that Collett used the word "uterus" 

 but meant ovary. In the paragraph preceding 

 the one quoted, he crudely described the 

 oviducts — stating that they were 900 mm. 

 long and that each expanded into "a uterus- 

 like sack". His description of the "uterus" in 

 the above quotation, if "uterus" is replaced 

 by ovary, absolutely fits the structure of the 

 immature elasmobranch ovary having in it 



