of the Salmon, in Fresh Water. 



TABLE IX. Continued. 

 UPPER- WATEII FISH. 



153 



These observations indicate that there is no great storage of phos- 

 phorus in the liver, and no marked diminution in the amount as the season 

 advances. The liver cannot be regarded as the source of the phosphorus 

 for the ovaries, and it is rather to the bones that we must look for any 

 supply of this element over and above that yielded by the muscles 

 which may be necessary for the growth of the ovaries. 



Considering the conditions of the observations the balance between 

 the phosphorus lost from the muscle and that gained by the ovaries is 

 fairly close, and would seem to indicate that the phosphorus stored in 

 the muscle is sufficient to yield the phosphorus gained by the ovaries. 



It is not to be expected that the loss of phosphorus from the 

 muscle should exceed that required by the ovaries, as is the case with 

 the fats and proteids, for here no question of supply of energy is involved. 



In its diet of marine fishes the salmon has an abundant supply of 

 phosphorus, e.g., in the phosphates of the bones, and it is of interest to 

 notice that in the intestinal mucus numerous opaque yellow nodules 

 are to be seen, which are composed of crystals of carbonate of lime 

 stained with bile pigments. Whether these are lime salts from which 

 the phosphorus has been removed we have no information. 



EXCHANGE OF PHOSPHORUS BETWEEN MUSCLE AND TESTES. 



Of the phosphorus exchange in the male, Miescher-Ruesch writes as 

 follows (loc. cit. p. 2 1 6): "The ripening of the testes in the male does not 

 require so large an amount of albumin and fat as in the ovary of the 

 female ; but instead of this, according to my investigations, just as 

 much more phosphates for the construction of the various constituents 

 of the spermatozoa rich in phosphorus. If we take the weight of the 

 ripe testis at 5 per cent, of the weight of the body, with 25 per cent, 

 dry solids with 11-3 per cent, phosphoric acid, we get 0-141 per cent, of 

 the body weight in phosphoric acid which the growing testis must take 

 from the blood, more than a half the amount contained in the ripe ovary 

 of a female ol the same size." 



He does not in this paper further consider the source of this 

 phosphorus, though, as pointed out on p. 148, he deals with this question 

 in his later work. 



To study the exchanges of phosphorus between muscle and testes, the 

 phosphorus as lecithin, i.e. the phosphorus in the ether extract, and the 

 phosphorus not as lecithin was determined in six typical male fish, 

 three from the estuaries and three from the upper waters throughout 

 the season. 



