538 



Capt. J. Hammond. 



(8) Multiparous rabbit. Small pieces of uterus removed on the 8th day. 

 Killed on the 18th day. Uterus not closed in places, but with outgrowing 

 mucosa (fig. 2). Glands of mucosa moderately well developed, one large 

 fold and one small one, with well developed decidual cells enclosing 

 capillaries (fig. 3). Mammary glands well developed but not thick ; milk 

 present in the ducts. 



(9) Rabbit not previously pregnant. Small pieces of the uterus removed 

 on the 7th day. Killed on the 22nd day. Uterus open in places and 

 decidual cells formed. Glands small, blood-vessels numerous and very 

 dilated. Mammary glands showing signs of atrophy but not thickened. 



(10) Eabbit not previously pregnant. Uterine horns slit and pieces 

 removed on the 8th day. Killed on the 24th day. Uterus wide open 

 (fig. 4). Glands small and capillaries dilated, and forming a plexus below 

 the surface of the mucosa (fig. 5). Decidual cells well developed. Mammary 

 glands well developed but not thickened. 



(11) Multiparous rabbit. Uterine horns slit and pieces removed on the 

 7th day. Killed on the 25th day. Uterus wide open, uterine glands small, 

 and capillaries dilated. Decidual cells formed in connective tissues, which 

 contained small masses of hyaline material. Mammary glands well developed 

 but not thickened. 



(12) Multiparous rabbit. Small pieces of uterus removed on 9th day. 

 Killed on the 25th day. Uterus closed, glands moderately well developed, 

 and capillaries dilated. A few decidual cells were formed at the ends of the 

 folds of the mucosa. Mammary glands not thickened, but contained milk, 

 which could be expressed from the nipples. 



13) Multiparous rabbit. Small pieces of the uterus removed on the 

 1 0th day. Killed on the 31st day. Uterus almost closed. Glands of the 

 mucosa small, connective tissue dense, with slight congestion of the blood- 

 vessels. Mammary gland in the atrophic stage. 



In those cases in which, after a sterile copulation, no corpora lutea were 

 found there was very little or no formation of decidual cells, thus confirming 

 the opinion expressed in a former paper* that the raised nutrition of the 

 uterus brought about by the formation of the corpus luteum is necessary for 

 the fixation of the ova. Where corpora lutea were developed, the connective 

 tissue cells hypertrophied and formed decidual cells, these often enclosing a 

 large amount of hyaline material. In several cases the blood-vessels were 

 dilated and formed a plexus supplying the surface of the mucosa (fig. 4). 



* Hammond and Marshall, ' Eoy. Soc. Proc.,' B, vol. 87 (1914). 



