IvIGAMENTS OF OVIDUCT OF DOMESTIC FOWL. 9 



tion of the muscle bundles. For such preparations oviducts were 

 removed by cutting the peritoneum lining the dorsal body wall 

 a little to either side of the line of reflection of the dorsal liga- 

 ment. This peritoneum was then stripped off the body wall 

 and kidney. One-half of the oviduct was then cut away at its 

 dorsal and ventral margins leaving the other half attached to 

 the ligaments. The portions of the duct and ligaments desired 

 for study were selected. From these the glandular part of the 

 wall of the oviduct was removed by careful scraping. By exer- 

 cising sufficient care in this operation it is possible to remove 

 practically all of the glandular part of the wall, and leave the 

 underlying muscular and peritoneal layers intact. 



Such preparations were fixed in two different ways. When 

 the specimen was intended for microscopic study it was care- 

 fully spread out on a wax bottomed dissecting pan and exposed 

 to the action of osmic acid vapor for from 15 to 20 minutes. 

 The hardened sheet of tissue was then washed for 3 or 4 hours 

 in running water, then stained in picro-haematoxylin (Conk- 

 lin), dehydrated, cleared in cedar oil and mounted in balsam 

 between ordinary "3^x4" lantern slide covers. Specimens to 

 be used for macroscopic examination, and to be photographed 

 (cf. figures 6-9), were fixed in Gilson's mercuro-nitric fluid 

 after first being carefully stretched in a wax bottomed dish. 

 The time of fixation was from 18 to 24 hours. This method 

 of fixation renders the muscle fibers white and when treated 

 with alcohol the other parts of the ligament become nearly 

 transparent. When these preparations are placed against a 

 black background the muscle bundles and blood vessels stand 

 out very sharply. Such Gilson specimens were usually not per- 

 manently mounted but simply spread out on a black background 

 for study or to be photographed. 



By means of these various preparations it was possible to 

 determine the extent of the musculature of the ligaments and 

 the relation of this to the intrinsic musculature of the oviduct. 

 This nuisculaturc is best developed and hence easiest studied 

 when the hen is in laying condition. 



The muscle fibers of the dorsal ligament have their origins 

 in a line near the medial side of its dorsal margin. Here the 

 bundles of muscle fibers are quite large but as they pass ventrad 

 toward the duct they spread out in the ligament, breaking up 



