ACTIVATION OF THE Ecc By BasEs 155 
NH,OH the limit is nearly at the same point as in our previous 
experiment. 
8. It seemed natural to connect this difference in the 
behavior of NaOH and NH,OH with the difference in the rate 
of their diffusion into the unfertilized egg. If the rate of 
diffusion of NaOH is extremely slow, and that of NH,OH fast, it 
is natural that the maximal rate of oxidation should be reached 
with a lower concentration of NH,OH than of NaOH. We 
determined the consumption of oxygen for the same lot of 
eggs for eight consecutive hours in 50 c.c. sea-water+1.0 c.c. 
N/10 NaOH. Table XXIX gives the result. This shows that 
TABLE XXIXx 
CoONSUMPTICN OF OXYGEN BY UNFERTILIZED Eaes at 18° 1n 50 c.c. 
NorMat Sea-WaterR+1.0c.c. N/10 NaOH 
| Oxygen Coefficient 
Consumed |of Oxidation 
mgm 
GEM OUI raaietaee: ove aros creleiete 0.24 1.00 
2751415 Gli a RID AOD DOE 0.38 EGY 
Sai NO hos ne eae DOr 0.45 1.87 
PE OUI) eieiercic ore clone o.e/e. 2 0.50 2.08 
PSTN OUT 5 Seine oo aoe 0.58 2.42 
GuNPHOUPS sc > aieereo ls sree es 0.72 3.00 
UGE OUT 3 Ae toletie orate oious ois | 0.92 3.84 
i 3.96 
the longer the NaOH acts upon the egg the higher the amount 
of oxygen becomes which is consumed per hour. This would 
agree with the assumption that the NaOH diffuses slowly into 
the egg and that the increase in the rate of oxidations in the 
unfertilized egg is determined by the amount of base which 
has diffused into the egg. 
It was expected that since NH,OH is very soluble in the 
egg, i.e., diffuses rapidly into it, its maximum effect would be 
reached during the first hour. This was found to be true, as 
- Table XXX _ shows. 
