ugame;nts of oviduct of domestic fowl. 13 



described, is through the ostium tubae abdominale of the ovi- 

 duct. In other words it is easy of demonstration that so far 

 as the anatomical relations are concerned, an egg discharged 

 from the ovary cannot get far away from the funnel of the 

 oviduct. Without any reference to the activity of the funnel 

 itself the eggs separated from the ovary would as a mechanical 

 necessity from the normal anatomical relations be brought close 

 to its mouth. It is the purpose of this section to describe these 

 relations and to show how this "ovarian pocket" is formed. 



The walling off of the ovary in the hen is eft'ected by the left 

 abdominal air sac and a part of the intestine and mesentery. 

 These structures in their mutual relations form what may be 

 called a "pocket" in which the ovary lies. The dorsal wall of 

 this "pocket" is formed by the body wall to which the ovary 

 is attached. The ventral wall of the "pocket" is formed by 

 the dorsal wall of the air sac. The medial, cranial and lateral 

 limits of the pocket are formed by a fusion of the wall of the 

 air sac to the mesentery and body wall. Caudad the boundary 

 is composed of the transverse part of the small intestine and 

 the caudal portion of the left coecum with their attached mesen- 

 tery and peritoneum. There is a small open space dorsal to 

 the junction of the left coecum and rectum and lateral to the 

 rectum. In this space lies the mouth of the funnel. The ovi- 

 duct which lies to the left of the rectum and its mesentery here 

 passes into the funnel. 



The detailed description of these relations follows. The left 

 abdominal air sac extends from the anterior end of the abdom- 

 inal cavity as far caudad as a line connecting the caudal end of 

 the gizzard with the caudal end of the pubis. It is as wide as 

 the left half of the cavity extending from the mesentery to the 

 lateral body wall. This sac is attached in a band around its 

 medial, cranial and lateral margins. Its caudal margin and 

 dorsal and ventral surfaces are free. Mesially this attachment 

 is to the mesentery connecting the left coecum to the dorsal 

 margin of the gizzard and also to the qiesentery of the proven- 

 triculus, or glandular portion of the stomach. At the anterior 

 end of the body cavity the attachment of the air sac passes to 

 the body wall and runs in front of the anterior end of the ovary 

 and suprarenal body. At the craniolateral angle of the body 

 cavity the band of attachment passes in a widening belt along 



