This experiment was made to observe the relations between the number of ova and the litter size in different strains of mice.
The mice used were CFW, CF#1, C3H, C57BL, SS, AA and KK strains, approximately 90-120 days of age, which had been raised under the same conditions since birth. The number of ova discharged by ovulation was calculated from the ova in the ampulla of the uterine tube of mice in which the vaginal plugs were observed. The average number of the ova, the litter size and the survival rate of the young (the proportion of the newborn youngs to the number of ova) were compared among the different strains of mice.
The results obtained were as follows.
1) In the each. strain of mice, when the number of ova in the left ampulla and the right ampulla of the uterine tube were compared, there was no statistically significant differences between the number of ova in the left ampulla and the right ampulla of the uterine tube.
2) The strains which showed a larger number of ova were CFW, CF#1 and SS (average range 11-13) ; a medium value was shown in C3H, AA and KK (average range 10.0-10.7) ; and a small value was shown in C57BL (average value 8.8) . There were statistically significant differences in this number among CFW and C3H, C57BL, SS, AA, KK ; among CF#1 and C3H, C57BL, SS, AA, KK ; and between SS and C57BL.
3) The strains which showed a large litter size were CFW and CF#1 (average range 10-12) ; a medium value was shown in SS, AA and C57BL (average range 7.4-7.9) ; and a small value was shown in C3H and KK (average range 4.7-5.2) . There were statistically significant differences in this number among CFW and C3H, C57BL, SS, AA, KK ; among CF#1 and C3H, C57BL, SS, AA, KK ; among SS and C3H, KK, among AA and C3H, KK ; and among C57BL and C3H, KK.
4) The survival rate of young was 83-93 per cent in CFW and C57BL; 70-77 per cent in CF#1, SS and AA; and 43-50 per cent in C3H and KK.
5) From these results, it was found that there was no parallel relationship between the number of ovaand the litter size in the different strains of mice and it was concluded that the litter size was determined not only by the number of ova dis charged from the ovary of the dam, but also by the many other factors. The factors determining the litter size were discussed.
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