XXVIII.—The Arrangement of Fibre Follicles in some Mammals, with special reference tothe Ovidæ

Abstract

At the time of his death Dr Duerden was contemplating the preparation of a paper of this nature, and it is felt by Mrs Duerden that had he been able to express his wishes in this connection he would appreciate a record of the conclusions made by him. No one realised more than Dr Duerden himself the gaps which are still present in our knowledge and interpretation of the grouping of follicles and fibres in the mammalia, and this work is certainly not meant to be taken as representing Dr Duerden's final view or those of his colleagues at the Wool Industries Research Association. In view of the unique value of much of the material the present notes are intended, therefore, to form a basis and reference, firstly, for workers engaged in the general development of any mammalian coat from a morphogenic and phylogenetic point of view, and secondly, for those interested particularly in factors concerned in the formation of different types of fleeces in sheep. The conception of the follicle bundle as a discrete and basic genetic unit largely determining the initial form of the wool staple is of the highest importance in studies on the inheritance and developmentof fleece characters.