12 Papers from the Marine Biological Laboratory at Tortugas. 



where a is the rate of 17.5° C, and c is the temperature coefficient. The 

 actual equation is, however, of the form y — a -\- x{c + 1). 



ilf 



■3 s; I s c 



31-iS c 



35 07C 



3fe.05 C 



37 02.C 

 ____ 



._,,^..y^J^J^Jv^^^^A^J^JuvJvJvMv^J^^ 



Record No. i c. 



In this connection it is interesting to observe that Knowlton and StarHng 

 (19 1 2) find that in the excised hearts of dogs and cats the increase in the 

 rate of pulsation between 24° and 40° C. is in a straight line, the increase 

 in rate being arithmetically proportional to the increment of temperature. 

 They also comment upon the inadequacy of Snyder's hypothesis to meet 

 the conditions of their determinations, and this is the more remarkable 

 because many physiological reactions do unquestionably follow Snyder's 

 law. 



A relation which may possibly be of some significance in this connection 

 is that the kinetic energy of the sea-water increases, as does the absolute 

 temperature, the increment of increase being arithmetically proportional 

 to the temperature increment, thus increasing in a simple linear ratio, as 

 does the rate of pulsation. The kinetic energy increases, however, at a 

 much lower rate than does the rate of nerve-conduction. Thus, between 

 17.5° and 35° C. the rate of nerve-conduction has increased in an arith- 

 metical ratio from 54.5 to about 140, or to 2.568 times its initial rate. 



The kinetic energy has in the same temperature interval increased from 

 Kto 



273 + 35 ^ 

 273 + 17-5 



or from i to 1.06. Thus the rate of nerve-conduction has increased from 



