694 



Nachdruck verboten. 



Hermaphroditism in Rana rireseens. 



By Fkancis B. Sttmnee. 

 With one figure. 



While injecting the arteries of some frogs for class-room demon- 

 stration, I happened upon a rather interesting case of partial herm- 

 aphroditism. The frog in question was an average sized adult specimen 

 about 7 x / 2 cm in length. The male generative organs were of full 

 size and were normal in every respect. In addition to these, con- 

 spicuous, though small and some what imperfect, oviducts were present. 

 Ovaries were altogether wanting. The oviducts were about 5 cm 

 in length, those of a normal female frog of the same size being about 

 30 cm. Their average diameter was less than half that of a functional 

 oviduct. These ducts were considerably convoluted throughout the 

 lower two thirds of their course. Behind, they expanded into uterine 

 sacs as in the normal female and these opened into the cloaca just 

 anterior to the uro-seminal apertures. 



Sections revealed a lumen, extending through the entire length 

 of each oviduct. This terminated blindly, however, at the slightly 

 expanded anterior end which was situated at about the level of the 

 middle of the lung. In regard to the histological structure of these 

 ducts, they presented the same essential characters as those of a normal 

 female. The gland- cells and the ciliated epithelium were, however, 

 less clearly differentiated from one another. The former were smaller 

 and contained far less mucous secretion than those of the normal ovi- 

 duct. As a consequence they were less closely packed and preserved 

 more nearly their original outlines, a condition which is found in the 

 extreme upper end of a functional oviduct. No special methods could 

 be used in hardening as the specimen had been immersed in alcohol 

 immediately after injection, and therefore no attempt was made to 

 determine all the histological differences. 



The accompanying cut is from a drawing of the specimen descri- 

 bed. It hardly requires an extra explanation. 



I am informed by Professor Nachtrieb that cases of hermaphro- 

 ditism like the above are occasionally met with in laboratory dissection, 

 but that in none of these have the oviducts been as well developed 

 as in the case described. Indeed soon after writing the above my 



