SUMMARY Gonadectomized female C57BL/6J mice were caged with males to determine the effect of male stimuli on release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Concentrations of hypophysial and plasma FSH were significantly higher after 3 days of exposure to males when compared with controls maintained in the absence of a male. Hypophysial and plasma concentrations of LH were also higher in females caged with males, but not significantly so. Ovariectomized females were given 0·01 μg. oestradiol benzoate daily for 4 days in a second experiment and the effect of cohabitation re-evaluated. There were no significant effects of exposure to males on either FSH or LH after the oestradiol injections. Therefore the presence of males enhances synthesis and release of FSH in gonadectomized females. In addition, the results of the second experiment suggest that oestrogen interferes with this response in some way, possibly blocking the neural pathway utilized by male stimuli.