RECOVERY FROM ANAEROBIOSIH 



235 



TABLE 25 (Continued) 



Dependency of the Recovery Time on the Length of the Preceding 

 Period of Anaerobiosis in Insects. 



Species 



Time of 

 anaerobiosis 



Time 

 required 



for 

 recovery 



Source 



was shortened if the flies were subjected to carbon diox- 

 ide at the end of the period of oxygen deprivation. He 

 immobilized his animals in a stream of hydrogen for 2 

 minutes. One batch was then brought for 1 minute into 

 60 per cent carbon dioxide and these recovered after 

 2.7 ± 1.03 min. in air, while the control flies needed 4.7 

 ± 1.14 minutes. The ditference of 2 minutes is considered 

 significant. 



According to the same author the time necessary for 

 recovery varies in different species of Drosophila and 

 even in mutants of the same species. 



As far as the present writer is aware, all the experi- 

 ments concerning the time required for the resumption 

 of movement were performed with animals that are rather 

 sensitive to the absence of oxygen. A comparative study 

 with animals showing greater resistance would probably 

 yield different results. Casual observations (von Brand, 

 unpublished) on larval Eustrongylides showed that this 

 worm resumes movement in about 30 minutes, after 18 

 hours without oxygen, in marked contrast with the long 

 recovery periods found in many insects, {cf. Table 25). 



