1903.] The Acquirement of Secondary Sexual Characters. 



grown bird, which had been castrated when from 6 — 8 weeks old, 

 showed on the left side a spherodial mass of testicular substance, 2 cm. 

 in diameter, lying in front of the upper part of the kidney, and into 

 the lower end of which the vas deferens is directly traceable. Hana - - 

 ing in the mid line from a loose " mesorchium " is a spheroidal graft 

 1*5 cm. in diameter. On the right side there is a bi-lobecl mass 2 '3 cm. 

 in the chief vertical diameter, with the lower end of which the right vas 

 is directly connected ; closely adherent to the front of the upper lobe 

 of this, though slightly movable over it, is a spheroidal mass 0*6 cm. 

 in diameter. A further oval nodule 0*7 cm. in chief diameter is closely 

 adherent to the surface of a coil of the small intestine in the neighbour- 

 hood of the liver • a scraping from this graft when cut through in the 

 recent state showed large numbers of spermatozoa. Lastly there is a 

 graft of about the same dimensions intimately adherent to the under 

 surface of the liver itself. The external characters acquired by this 

 bird were fully male throughout. 



It may be remarked, in passing, that such grafts clo not bear 

 classifying with glandular tumours or adenomata, since they do not 

 grow independently of the general requirements of the body. For the 

 whole sum of a series of such grafts and hyperplastic remnants does 

 not exceed the volume of the two fully developed testicles. In this 

 the remnants behave like those of thyroid tissue left experimentally 

 after partial excision of the thyroid gland ; or as do the dormant 

 accessory thyroids after the complete removal of a goitre, when the 

 accessory gland after attaining a certain size ceases to increase further • 

 or the process, again, resembles the reproduction and hyperplasia of 

 hepatic tissue which follows partial excision of the liver, of a fourth or 

 even half its bulk.* 



In the most perfect cases of reproduction, each gland attains its full 

 normal size. A bird was castrated when quite young, 6 — 8 weeks 

 old. Six months later, the comb and wattles presented a medium degree 

 of development ; the spurs were very small. Xine months after the date 

 of operation, the spurs were still small, and the general male characters 

 ill developed. Twelve months after the operation, the spurs were short 

 but stout. Seventeen months after the operation, the comb and wattles 

 were thoroughly male, the neck- and saddle-hackles fully developed, and 

 the spurs long, stout and sharp. 



The bird was killed 21 months after the date of the operation. Each 

 testis was found to be of normal form and full size ; the epididymis 

 well pronounced, and without retention cysts. Each vas was in every 

 respect normal and filled with white secretion, which microscopically 

 showed countless actively moving spermatozoa. The history, as above 

 given, shows a marked delay in the development of the male characters, 



* Poufick, ' Ceutralblatt f . Med. Wiss.,' 1894 ; Von Meister, ' Ceutralblatt f . 

 Allg. Path, imd Anat. Path.,' 1891. 



