BULLETIN No. 176. 



THE LIGAMENTS OF THE OVIDUCT OF THE 

 DOMESTIC FOWL.* 



By 

 Maynie R. Curtis. 



Introduction. 



The oviduct of a laying hen is a large, much coiled tube fiUing 

 a large part of the left half of the abdominal cavity. It is sus- 

 pended from the dorsal body wall and lies dorsal to the abdom- 

 inal air sac. Its anterior end is expanded into a large funnel 

 which is spread out beneath the ovary in such a way that the 

 mouth of the tube faces the ovary. In certain experimental 

 work on the oviduct which has been for some time in progress 

 m this laboratory, particular interest was aroused by the fact 

 that when the oviduct is in functional (laying) condition the 

 outer portion of its wall in the albumen secreting region is very 

 thin. The main part of the oviduct wall is made up of the 

 thick albumen and membrane secreting glands. The muscular 

 and peritoneal layers are very thin, except in the region of the 

 uterus and vagina. Notwithstanding this fact the oviduct is 

 capable of very marked and long continued peristalsis. One is 

 impressed with the fact that there is apparently a great dispro- 

 portion between the amount of musculature in the walls of the 

 duct and the degree of physiological activity of this organ. It 

 seems to the observer impossible that so powerful a peristalsis 

 can be maintained solely by so ver\' thin a muscle layer. 



* Papers from the Biological Laboratory of the IMainc Experiment 

 Station. No. i6. 



