A study was made of the concentrations and fatty acid compositioias of the various phospholipids in the yolks of fertile unincubated eggs and in the yolks sf eggs that had been incubated for 113,15,17,19, and 21 days. Phosphatidyl choline and phssphatidyl ethanolamine accounted for 69 and 24y0 respectively of the total phospholipids present in the yolk s f the unincubated egg. The remaining 7% was accounted for by small amounts of phosphatidyl serrne, s hingomyelin, and a phospholipid fraction that was tentatively identified as dipRosphatidy l glycerol. Although the percentage of total phospholipids in the total yolk li id did not vary during incubation, there was a pronounced increase in the phosp~atidyl choline : phosphatidyl ethanehrnine ratio as incubation proceeded. The phosphatidyl ethanolamine fraction was the only phospholipid fraction present in the yolk that showed any consistent change in fatty aeid composition during incubation. The concentratisn of docasahexaenoic acid in the fatty acids of the yolk phosphatidyl ethanolamine decreased from 8% on day 0 to l.6Y0 on day 21. I t is suggested that the developin embryo preferentially absorbs from the yolk a phosphatidyl ethanolarnine fraction that is relatively rich in docosahexaenoic acid.