REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 289 



c. Discussion of Results. 



The results obtained show that the average length of the molting 

 period for series D was 17.1 days; while for series E it was 18.2 days; 

 or in other words, with the larger amount of regeneration in series 

 E as compared with series D, there was correlated an increase in 

 the length of the molting period for Series E of nearly 7 per cent. 



The results of this experiment, therefore, seem to indicate that the 

 relation between the length of the molting period and the amount 

 of regeneration as determined by the degree of injury is that the 

 greater the amount of regeneration the greater the length of the 

 molting period. 



Whether this effect of amount of regeneration as determined by 

 the degree of injury is in a direct ratio to the degree of injury, or 

 whether it varies according to the time of mutilation, must be 

 answered by fourther experimentation. 



5. 



The Influence of the Injury of Mutilation upon the Length 

 OF THE Period Between Molts. 



It is evident that thus far one element involved in the conditions 

 of the experiments has been disregarded; namely, the injury caused 

 by the process of mutilation. 



The facts considered so far have shown that, when the process of 

 regeneration was introduced into the molting period, the act of 

 molting was delayed, and the cause for this increased length of the 

 molting period was ascribed to regeneration. But it might be 

 objected to this conclusion that, instead of the delay in molting 

 being caused by the process of regeneration, possibly it may rather 

 be due to the injuries attending the act of mutilation. It becomes 

 important, therefore, to consider the effect upon the molting period 

 of those mutilations which have not been followed by the regenera- 

 tion of the removed limbs. 



37 



