RESPIRATION IN SOUTHERN WHALES 383 



of carbon dioxide tension in the whale in contrast to the temporary states reflected in 

 the urine. The average carbon dioxide tension responsible for these contents is about 

 320 mm. of mercury. 



LIQUOR FOLLICULI 

 One sample only was taken from a ripe ovarian follicle and submitted to the same 

 tests. The total carbon dioxide was 69-6 vol. per cent. The combined carbon dioxide 

 was 45 vol. per cent, so that the dissolved carbon dioxide was 24-6 vol. per cent, a 

 figure which approximates to the average content of allantoic fluid. 



BLUBBER 

 In view of the findings mentioned above (Hill) on the high solubility of nitrogen in 

 fat, special attention was paid to the possibilities of extracting the gases from blubber. 

 The spongy connective tissue between the blubber and the muscles, which is particularly 

 plentiful on the throat and belly of the Blue whale in the region of the ventral grooves, 

 was found to be inflated and in a condition which resembled whipped white of egg. 

 Portions of this material were taken and the gases extracted. It was found that the 

 tissue was inflated with almost pure air. The average percentage of oxygen in five ex- 

 periments (five different whales) was 21-33 with a range of 2 1-09-21 -60; the remaining 

 78-67 per cent consisted of nitrogen and inert gases. This is doubtless due to the practice 

 of inflating whales by compressed air after death in order to render them buoyant for 

 towing. The syringe is inserted through the blubber and the air is blown into the space 

 between the blubber and the musculature. There is no evidence that the air has any 

 effect on the gas contents of blood and body fluids except perhaps on the blood in the 

 superficial musculature, since the volumes of oxygen in body fluids have always been 

 found negligible. Occasional deep penetration of the syringe has resulted in an inflation 

 of the abdominal cavity. The percentage of oxygen in the injected air is too high since 

 atmospheric air contains not more than 20-9 per cent. The explanation of this is pro- 

 bably to be found in the great solubility of nitrogen in fat as a result of which more 

 nitrogen than oxygen has dissolved into and diffused away in the blubber before the 

 sample is taken. The gas contents of blubber thus have no significance. The only other 

 convenient source of fat was the peritoneal fat, which is plentiful in whales in good con- 

 dition. But it was considered dangerous to rely on results from this material, as the 

 proximity of the stomach and its fermenting contents might introduce large errors. 



BLOOD 

 Method of collection. For reasons which have been mentioned in other sections, 

 it was desirable to draw samples of blood from parts of the body in which one might 

 expect the blood to be as nearly as possible as it was when the whale died. It was there- 

 fore decided to take samples from the small arteries which are found in profusion 

 running in the blubber on the top of the head. The head was chosen because it is a large 



