Sir Everard Home on corpora lutea. 61 
lutea are formed in a state of virginity, is proved both in 
the human species and the hog tribe, as will be seen in the 
annexed drawings. In a young woman of twenty years of 
age with a perfect hymen, one of the ovaria was found by 
Mr. Bauer to contain a corpus luteum, in the cavity of 
which there was an ovum which had nearly arrived at its full 
size ; the second covering or chorion had already formed, by 
means of which the ovum had a slight adhesion to the inner 
surface of the corpus luteum. [Plate III. fig. 4.3 When this 
ovum was examined after it had been removed from its situ- 
ation, [Plate III. fig 5,[ its figure was the same as that 
found in the uterus and described in my former paper ; it only 
differed in being smaller in the proportion of to -^5, 
in the whole being transparent, and in the chorion not having 
extended itself completely over the anterior surface of the 
ovum. The Fallopian tube on that side was fuller than the 
opposite. The fimbriae were spread out, and unusually vas- 
cular ; so that every preparation was made for the reception 
of the ovum into the tube. No sexual intercourse had taken 
place. [Plate III. fig. 3.3 
I have met with corpora lutea in virgins at 14; and know 
of two instances of girls having children still earlier, one at 
13, the other at 12. 
Sir John Sebright, whose knowledge respecting pigeons 
is well known, informs me, that when mated, they lay eggs 
earlier than when kept from the male; they do not lay 
a greater number of eggs, but they lay them at all seasons* 
while the others lay only in the spring. 
In the cow, the age of puberty is considered to be two 
