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An earlier report that there is a high incidence (50 to 60 per cent) of cytotoxic antilymphocyte antibody in the sera of parous ewes is confirmed. This antibody is directed against paternally inherited antigens of the fetus. Antibody could be detected pre partum in four out of 34 primiparous ewes. However, there was no strong association between parity and the incidence of antibody. Antibody was also found in three out of 10 older rams which implies that pregnancy is not the only stimulus for antibody production.

1. 1. Individual components of two of the variants of sheep (Ovis aries) transferrin were isolated. 2. 2. There was one main component with three residues of sialic acid per mole of protein and a faster component with four residues. 3. 3. There was no evidence for pairs of bands with the same number of sialic acid residues, as seen in cattle (Bos taurus). 4. 4. Sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation showed that the bands of a single variant have a molecular weight of 77,000. 5. 5. Finger print studies showed at least 4 peptide differences between the two genetic variants. The amino acid composition was similar to that of cattle transferrin. 6. 6. The results provide evidence that sheep transferrin is a single polypeptide chain.