i76 



IKE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol. LV 



onr specimen Mas this The fust egg; v,hu]i left the ovary of 

 the voung hen passed down, the ovidncit normally and had albu- 

 men and shell laid on in the usual manner. The egg passed on 

 into the lower part ot" the uterus (shell gland) , but, due to in- 

 jury, congenital occlusion of the vagina, or some obstruction, the 

 egg could not be laid. &ii(;h interference with normal oviposition, 

 either congenital or acquired, stimulated a reversed movement 

 (probably antiperistalsis) and the normal egg was earned back 

 np into the oviduct and lodged there. More eggs left the ovary, 

 took on albumen as thev passed down the duct, but coming into 

 contact with the preceding egg which occluded the duct, where 

 broken bv pressure, and the soft yolk and albumen collected about 

 the obstructing egg. In this way tlic yolk mass about the egg 

 acquired its large dimensions. 



We can thus locate very closely the exact position of the 

 anomalous yolk ma.ss m the oviduet of the hen. Since it con- 

 tained Lncrs of albumen it must have lodged below, or in the 

 lower part of the portion of the oviduct where albumen is laid 

 onto the Aolk, and since tlure vvas no shell whatever withm the 

 cortex of the mass, it must have lodged above the point m the 

 oviduct where slrell is formed. Again, antiperistalsis. or at least 

 reversal of normal movement, must have occurred because the in- 

 closed egg comprised a shell, and so must itselt have gone the 

 full length of the oviduct into the utenis, while at the time the 

 enveloping yolk mass was formed the original egg must have 

 been above the shell-forming level. 



Iheabovf (Md(n(< .ombiiud with tlu <\idui.< of Dava-ne 

 fcit^d bv P.ik(i) and (uiti. ul.o 1 p n ( i I i_ M>rtsh(lled 

 (ggs in the bodv cavitv ot U \\\^ v ms t , pi v i, Ihmv^Iv that 

 snmthin.. of the natun ot iniipniMilsis m ili, (Aiduct dots 

 occur. The inference seems warranted with regard to our speci- 

 men, that if the included normal egg could have retraced its 

 course downi the oviduct in company with the next following egc, 

 instead of hxkinfr permanentlv in the preuterine portion of 



ii'-liid.d t!,,^ two together, and the 

 liii;iry •■ ovmu in ovo," similar to 

 I'ark.'r. Patterson, Hargitt, Curtis 



