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HISTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF SEROSAL MEMBRANES IN STUDIES OF EARLY EMBRYONIC MORTALITY IN THE EWE

Summary.: Histological examination of sheep extra-embryonic membranes obtained 18 days post coitum permitted more precise assessment of embryonic viability than did reliance on the macroscopic appearance of the embryo. Thirteen of twenty-seven sets of membranes examined had contained embryos which, although within the normal development range, were of doubtful viability. These thirteen sets of serosal membranes were found histologically to fall into one of two groups. Seven specimens were similar to seven sets of membranes in which a living embryo had been found, while six sets paralleled the remaining degenerating membranes in which there was no recognizable embryo. Histological features of the normal and degenerating serosal membranes are described.