DESICCATION AND CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCTION. 271 



rates of both the experimental animals and controls decreased 

 after 48 hours of desiccation without food, while the fed controls 

 showed only slight variations. Water starvation undoubtedly 

 increases the depression of food starvation, but thi> tails to explain 

 the decrease in respiratory rates of animals not affected by 

 starvation. 



In work on pithed frogs, the author has observed that handling 

 often produced retlex movements, but after the- frogs had lost 

 < op-iderable v.ater these reflex movements did not occur, and 

 furthermore, uere not induced when the -ide.- of the body or feet 

 \\ere pint lied. This suggests the possibility that after the 

 ner\t - lia\e lost a certain percentage of \\ater. the passage of the 

 nervous impulse i- retarded or inhibited. It tin- be true, in part 

 or \\ hole, the t respiratory rate should immediately prei 



the disappearance of reflex movements, but no data are available 

 mi thi- point. Dung (1901) found that t ves of a frog 



traii-mitted more slowly and the latent period of the muscles 

 incrr . -ed \\ith water losses from 9 to v per tent, of the body 

 \\eijjit, so that the decrease in rcspirai ;e i- \\hat might be 



expected it this were true. 



I mil more data are available, it is ditiuult to suggest the 

 eau-al factors, but the effect will probabh be lound to be in part 

 cau-ed by accumulation of waste products due to poor elimination 

 and also to inadequate distribution of food and o.xygen to the 

 cells. It is al-o highly probable that the dc< lease in water 

 content ha- a direct action in slowing do\\ n i ertain of the oxida- 

 ti\e |n . I '< leased metabolism from any <>r all of these 



cau-e- \\ould ap|>ear in the expcrimem -ndia ted. 



VI. SUMMAK\. 



i. Desiccation i- followed by marked change- in the physic- 

 al states of cei tain animals. 



j. .1 Ljr/o//;;/ ( ;.v mnipcstris Binney, Pi- utinostis Green, 



.li r/.N zrylltts I.e ( "onte, and larva. 1 of 1' cm-brio niolitor Linn show a 

 definite, po>iti\e. >cnrelation between de-i( cation and carbon 

 dioxide production. 



3. The al >\ e-named animals show a gradual increase in carbon 

 dioxide pi . uluct ion when desiccated to less than one half of the 

 pos-iMe \ital limit. Continued de.-it C.IH..II i- lollowed by a 



