Donaldson and Schoemaker, Absorption of Water. 195 



TABLE VII. 



Series VII. To sliow the influence of the length of time elapsing between 

 death and examination, on the weight of the absorbing cord. 



On examining the foregoing table and looking in the first 

 instance at the column showing the average increase in the 

 weight of the absorbing cord, it appears that the smallest num- 

 ber is for the first hour 52^. For each hour after this there 

 is an increase up to the sixth hour inclusive. After this the 

 percentages are irregular. Moreover, in the fourth hour the 

 percentage is 15.5%, while in the sixth hour it is but very 

 slightly more, 15.8%. Accordingly, we infer that the most 

 rapid absorbtion takes place during the first four hours. 



Two features of table VII are to be particularly noted : 

 First, the average weight of the pairs- of frogs for the last four 

 entries in the table is greater than for the first five entries. 

 This greater weight, as well as the longer time that the cords 

 are left after death, should have given us a much greater per- 

 centage increase in weight. That the actual figures fall short 

 of what was to be anticipated is, in our opinion, due to the 

 lateness of the season (from mid-October on to November 5), 

 during which the observations for the last four periods were 

 made. The. results, therefore, for the last entry, frogs of 50.7 

 grms., absorbing for twenty-four hours, give us at the begin- 

 ning of November only 19.6% gain, which is much below 

 what we should anticipate when we compare it with Group 3 in 

 Table I, observed in July. Absorbtion then is demonstrable 

 at the end of an hour and takes place rapidly during the first 

 four hours after, when it nearly reaches the maximum. Be- 



