45 2 MORRIS M. WELLS. 



in the fishes starvation first initiates an increased rate of meta- 

 bolism which later gives way to a decrease; in mammals starva- 

 tion results in a depression of metabolism which depression 

 continues up to death. 



3. The experiments recorded here tend to show that there is 

 a fundamental similarity in the physiological disorganization 

 caused by lack of oxygen and KCN treatments. The meaning 

 of this similarity was not determined. 



4. There is an apparent contradiction in the results in that, 

 just previous to the breeding season, when fishes in general, 

 possess a high rate of metabolism, the seasonal resistance curve 

 shows a much greater resistance to lack of oxygen and to KCN 

 than at other seasons of the year. This contradiction is yet to 

 be explained. 



VII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

 I am indebted to Professor C. M. Child, of this department, 

 for suggestions during the carrying on of these experiments and 

 the preparation of the paper. 



Child, C. M. 



'15 Senescence and Rejuvenescence. The University of Chicago Press. 

 Hammarsten, Olof. 



'12 A Text Book of Physiological Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 

 Shelford, V. E., and Alice, W. C. 



'13 The Reactions of fishes to gradients of dissolved atmospheric gases. Jour. 



Expt. Zool., Vol. 14, No. 2, Feb., 1913. 

 Wells, M. M. 



'13 The resistance of fishes to different concentrations and combinations of 

 Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen. BIOL. BULL., Vol. 25, No. 6. 



HULL ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY, 

 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. 



