Chorio-allantoic Grafting Followed by Direct Transplantation in the Chick. ∗

Abstract

The present note calls attention to the possibilities of a new procedure in tissue grafting which promises to prove useful in investigation of problems in development and which should be made available to other workers in this field. The technique combines the method of grafting into the chorio-allantoic membrane as done by Willier 1 and others with that of skin transplantation as described by Danforth and Foster. 2

The writer is indebted to Professor P. D. F. Murray of Sidney for the information 3 that in his numerous experiments in chorioallantoic grafting he has at times included pieces of skin which occasionally produced down differing in color from that of the host. As suggested by Professor Murray such experiments are of much value in the study of potentialities in down production during the period of incubation. But they are limited by the fact that each automatically terminates with the hatching of the host and loss of its allantois.

With the hope of finding a way to overcome this handicap the following experiment was undertaken. Twenty-four White Leghorn eggs were put in the incubator at 12 M. on May 7. On May 9, at 3 P. M., 12 Barred Plymouth Rock eggs were put in the same incubator. On May 16, between 3 and 6 P. M., all of the Plymouth Rock eggs were opened but found to contain only 2 living embryos, one of which showed ectopic viscera and undoubtedly would have died in a day or two. These embryos were taken out in warm salt solution and grafts prepared from each. The transplants were made in the usual manner into the membranesw of 10 Leghorn embryos.