Technic for Obtaining Spermatozoa for Physio- Logical Dairy Studies and Artificial Insemi-

Semen may be collected from the vagina of the recently bred cow with the hand, by aspiration, or with a sponge. Semen from the vagina is satisfactory for determining whether the bull has ejaculated normal active spermatozoa during the mating, but it is unsatisfactory for use in physiological studies of spermatozoa because it is mixed with the secretions of the cow. Furthermore, collecting semen from the vagina for artificial breeding is wasteful. A method of obtaining semen from the bull by massage of the accessory genital organs has been developed in the Bureau of Dairy Industry's physiological laboratory at Beltsville, Md. It has not been determined, however, what effect the continuous practice of obtaining semen in this way would have on the health and usefulness of the bull.