THE CONTRACTILITY OF THE CAUDA EPIDIDYMIDIS OF THE MOUSE, ITS SPONTANEOUS ACTIVITY IN VITRO AND THE EFFECTS OF OXYTOCIN JOS\l=E'\HIB

and a Knisely Quartz rod apparatus for transillumination, recorded spon-taneous peristaltic contractions and segmentation movements in vivo in the corpus epididymidis of the rat. Similar results were reported for the body and head of the epididymis in the rat and hamster by Risley & Turbyfill (1957). In roller tube cultures, Battaglia (1958) recorded spontaneous movements in the caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis of the rat. In the rabbit in vivo using an abdominal chamber technique, Cross (1955) observed peristaltic and pendular movements in the tubules of the caput and corpus epididymidis, and segmentation movements of the smaller tubules of the cauda. Oxytocin had no clear effect on epididymal motility. Bielanski & Ewi (1964) recorded spontaneous contractions in the rabbit epididymis in vitro. Oxytocin reduced the frequency of the contractions. Knight (1972) recorded the pressure in the ductus deferens of the ram in vivo and did not find spontaneous contractions of the epididymis. The intravenous injection of oxytocin elicited epididymal contractions