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Venous volume, capillary filtration rate and blood flow were determined by plethysmographic methods in the legs of three different groups of women. Groups I and II consisted of women in late pregnancy with and without varices of the legs. Group III consisted of nonpregnant, nulliparous women. Venous volume, with correction for the capillary filtration, is markedly larger in the pregnant group with varices (Group I) than in the two other groups (Groups II and III). Resting blood flow is markedly larger in Group I than in Group II and slightly larger in Group I than in Group III. Also peak blood flow is larger in Group I than in Group II. No significant differences are found in capillary filtration rate. In Groups II and III there is a significant positive correlation between the venous volume and the resting blood flow and peak blood flow. Such a correlation does not exist in the varix group (Group I). The results supports the theory by Haeger (7) that in pregnant women arterio-venous anastomoses contribute to the development of varicose veins.