Hormones and Heredity: A Discussion of the Evolution of Adaptations and the Evolution of SpeciesCunningham, J. T. (Joseph Thomas)
Science
Hormones and Heredity: A Discussion of the Evolution of Adaptations and the Evolution of Species
Cunningham, J. T. (Joseph Thomas)
Endocrinology; Heredity; Hormones; Mendel's law
The White Leghorn cock was killed and dissected on May 13, 1911, nine
months after castration. I found an oval body of dark, dull brown colour
loose among the intestines: this was evidently the left testis which was
separated from its natural attachment and lost in the abdomen at the time
of the operation. I examined the natural sites of the testes: on the right
side there was a small testis of considerable size, about half an inch in
diameter. When a portion of this was teased up and examined under the
microscope moving spermatozoa were seen, but they were not in swarms as in
a normal testis, but scattered among numerous cells. On the left side was
a much smaller testis, in the tissue of which I with difficulty detected a
few slowly moving spermatozoa. The vasa deferentia were seen as white
convoluted threads on the peritoneum, but contained no spermatozoa.
On July 29, 1911, a little more than eleven months after the operation,
I examined and killed the second of these castrated cocks, the speckled
mongrel-bred bird. I measured the comb and wattles while it was alive, in
case there might be reduction in the size of these appendages when the
bird was killed. The comb was 1-1/3 inches high by 2-3/8 inches in length.
The spurs were 1 inch long, curved and pointed. Saddle hackles short,
hanging only a little below the end of the wing. Neck hackles well
developed, similar to those of an entire cock. Longest tail feather 15-5/8
inches, blue-black in colour.
I had no entire cock of same breed, but measured the entire White Leghorn
for comparison. Comb 1-3/4 inches high by 3-3/4 inches in length. (It is
to be remembered that the comb and wattles are especially large in
Leghorns.) Wattle 1-1/4 inches in vertical length. Spur 1 inch long,
stouter and less pointed than in the capon. Longest tail feather 12 inches
long.
When killed the capon was found to be very fat: there were masses of fat
around the intestines and under the peritoneum, which made it impossible
to make out details such as ureter and vas deferens properly. I found a
white nodule about half an inch in diameter attached to mesentery. The
liquid pressed from this was swarming with spermatozoa in active motion.
Two other masses about the same size or a little larger were found on the
sites of the original testes. These also were full of mobile spermatozoa,
and must have grown from portions of the testes left behind at castration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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