HISTOIvOGY OF THE^ OVIDUCT OF THE DOMESTIC HEN. 413 



in front of an advancing yolk. The small, very dark staining 

 nuclei in these sections should 'be noted. 



If we examine a section of the oviduct which has just passed 

 the active period of secretion we find the protoplasm still very 

 finely granular. It now has an alveolar appearance. This is 

 shown in figure 471 which is taken from the isthmus. Similar 

 appearances may also be. found in the albumen region. 



If sections are cut from a region of the oviduct which would 

 not normally secrete for several hours, the appearance of the 

 cells is somewhat different. Here, as shown in figure 466, each 

 cell contains several very large granules which take an intense 

 haematoxylin stain. Around each of these granules is a light 

 area which gives the appearance of a solution zone. The re- 

 mainder of the cell cytoplasm is finely granular and often pre- 

 sents an alveolar appearance, (cf. fig. 466). It should be said 

 that I have never been able to obtain sections which show the 

 condition just described (fig. 466) throughout the section. In 

 all cases the first three or four cell layers beneath the epithelium 

 present this appearance in great detail. Beyond this the granules 

 begin to fade out until those cells towards the center of the 

 ridges show no evidence of granules. I have attributed this 

 condition to the action of the fixing fluids used. 



No attempt has been made to study in detail the origin and 

 growth of the gland granules. The observations reported in 

 the above paragraphs have been made in the course of the study 

 of the grosser histology. In general I think the changes under- 

 gone by the granules in these glands can be said to resemble in 

 many ways the changes descriibed by Langley, E. Miiller and 

 others for the granules of the salivary and digestive glands. 

 . As shown in figure 462, there is a layer of connective tissue 

 between the inner layer of muscles and the layer of tubular 

 glands. This connective tissue extends into the center of each 

 ridge forming a core. At the same time the connective tissue 

 cells are found along :the walls of the tubules and often form a 

 thin layer between the epithelium and the tubules beneath it. 

 In figure 465 the gland cells are so distended with secretion that 

 very few connective tissue cells can be seen. In figures 470 and 

 471, from the isthmus these cells are very evident. The same 

 conditions are found in the albumen region. The connective 

 tissue carries with it of course the smaller blood vessels. Ex- 



