Location of sperms in the oviduct of the domestic fowl with special reference to storage of sperms in the vaginal gland

　鳥類は崎乳類と異なり交尾後かなりの期間卵管内に精子を保持していることはよく知られている.この研究は鶏の交尾後の卵管内の精子の分布と局在ならびに滞溜期間を卵管の切片標本によって組織学的に調べた.観察は受精後一定間隔毎の自然交尾および各種の方法による人工受精鶏の卵管によって行われた.
　調べた受精後約4週間以内の卵管30例はすべて精子を含んでいた.卵管内に多量の精子が長期間認められるところは卵管上部のカラザ部と卵管下部の腫起始部(腔関口より下方約1cmの間)の2部分であった.詳しい精子の位置はカラザ部では主に粘膜ヒダの間隙やカラザ分泌腺の腺腔であり，腫起始部ではこの部に特徴的に存在する大型の管状腺(股腺)の腺腔内であった. この所見は従来の卵管の内谷物からの塗抹標本による精子の分布の所見と一致するのみならず，さらに卵管の組織学的機造の面から精子の局在を明かにしたことになる.
　一般に腫腺がカラザ部より，より多量に且つ長期lζ 精子を保持していた. このことは従来の精子の貯溜郎と考えられていたカラザ部に対し，臆腺が一次的貯溜所の役割lを果しているように見える.

The distribution and location of sperms in the fertile oviduct of the domestic fowl was observed. For this purpose, section preparations were made from the oviduct at varying intervals of time after the last mating or artificial insemination. The results obtained are summarized as follows.

1. Sperms were distributed constantly in abundance and observed for a long time after insemination both in the chalaziferous portion and at the beginning of the vagina. The sperms were actually located in the grooves of the mucosal folds and the chalaziferous glands of the chalaziferous portion and in the lumina of the vaginal glands at the beginning of the vagina. The chalaziferous portion had been described by VAN ORIMMELEN as location of sperms, but the vaginal glands were found by the present author as such for the first time.
2. The vaginal glands were large simple tubular ones, about 1 cm long, situated in the lamina propria of the mucosal folds, far from the vagi nal orifice. They see med to be special glands characterized by the presence of cholesterin-ester-like lipid.
3. More sperms were stored in the vaginal glands for a longer time than in the chalaziferous portion. Sperms were found in the chalaziferous portion 2 or 3 weeks after insemination and in the vaginal gland on the 27th day after insemination, although it was not clear whether they were active or dead.
4. The perms stored in the crypts of the chalaziferous portion were agglutinated in the depths of the grooves, forming bundle-like clump , shortly after insemination. They became scattered with the lapse of time after insemination. The sperms stored in the vaginal glands formed packed masses, which were not disintegrated for a Long time.
5. The sperms forming masses had generally a normal structure, but those distributed independently had an abnormal one, lacking tail or acrosome.
6. The migration of sperms into the vaginal glands was voluntary. This was confirmed by using various experimental methods of insemination. In other words, the vaginal glands seemed to have some factor which favored the survival of sperms. From these results, it is concluded that the vaginal glands may act as a preliminary reservoir for sperms until the sperms reach the infundibulum, where they are finally stored.