77/7? BREEDING OF CHICKENS 



85 



111 the (j\aries of tliirtecii lu'iis inaile ]>y rurtis,' it was found 

 tliat they \aried in nuinl)er from 914 to '.'A'A)'i. There did 

 not appear to be any correlation lietween this total number 

 of ova and ruptured follicles and the fowl's previous trap 

 nest record. Tjie ovary is situated to the left of the median 

 line of the body just back of the lungs and lielow tlie anterior 

 extreniitx- of the left kidncA'. 



Fi. 



Til. 



jv.uy iii a lien in full la^iii; 



(Courtesy of Ra\iiionil Pearl.) 



Curtis'- has described the o\iduct of tlie laying hen as 

 being "a large, much coiled tube filling a large part of the 

 left half of the abdominal cavity. It is suspended from the 

 dorsal bctdy wall and lies clorsal to the abilduiinal air sac. 

 Its anterior end is expamU'cl into a large funnel wliich is 

 spread out bencatli the ovary in such a way that the mouth 

 of the tube faces the ovary. Tlie mutual relations of the 

 abdominal viscera are such as to virtually form a pocket in 

 which the o^■ary lies. This walling ofl:' of the o\ary is of 

 such a character as to tend mechanically to direct detaclied 

 ova to the mouth of the oviduct." There is no organic 



' Maine Bulletin No. 205. 



Iblel., No. 176. 



