BULLETIN No. 206. 



THE HISTOLOGY .OF THE OVIDUCT OF THE 

 . DOMESTIC HEN.* 



Frank M. Surface. 



CONTE^NTS 



• Page 



Introduction 395 



Material and Methods 398 



General Account of the Structure of the Oviduct 399 



Histology of the Funnel Region 401 



Summary of Section on Histology of the Funnel 409 



Histology of the Albumen Secreting Region 409 



Summary of Section on Albumen Region 416 



Histology of the Isthmus 417 



Histology of the Uterus 419 



Histology of the Vagina 421 



Discussion 422 



Summary 425 



Literature 427 



Description of Figures 428 



Introduction. 



More than half the weight of a normal hen's egg is elaborated 

 by the oviduct. At least three very distinct substances are 

 formed by it. These are the albumen, the shell membrane and 

 the calcareous shell. . The albumen may be further subdivided 

 into the thick and the thin albumen, while the chalazje are 

 usually regarded as modifications of this same substance. The 

 shell membrane consists of two layers, an inner rather delicate 

 layer and an outer thicker layer. These layers are separated 

 at the large end of the egg, forming between them the so-called 



* Papers from the Biological Laboratory of the Maine Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, No. 40. 



