418 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



combusted in the time-intervals of the two experiments, 

 may be fairly closely determined. It is clearly to be 

 remembered that this is not the metabolism rate for a 

 single lobster of 1,000 grams, but the average metabolism 

 rate of four lobsters roughly aggregating 1,000 grams in 

 weight, and proportionately reduced for purposes of com- 

 parison to 1,000 grams. 



The consumptions are as follows : — 



Consumption of Food in Grams per Kilogram op Lobster. 



Average Total 



Time Organic 

 Interval Matter Protein Fat Glycogen 



Alcoholic 

 Extractives Undetermined 



32 days 10-99 4-62 5-09 1-08 



1-26 0-97 



213 days ... 98-02 62-73 11-94 3-25 



611 1507 



From this the daily consumption comes out as 



follows : — 





Daily Food Consumption per Kilogram 



of Lobster. 



Total Protein Fat Glycogen 



Alcoholic 

 Extractives Undetermined 



1st Batch ... 0-34 0-14 0-16 003 



004 003 



2nd Batch ... 0-46 0-29 006 0-01 



003 0-07 



A contrast of the shorter experiment with the longer 

 one shows that proportionately more fat and carbohydrate 

 are oxidised in the early stages, while in the later stages 

 of inanition the consumption is mainly protein, although, 

 as shown by the preceding table, some fat is still present. 



Summary. 



1. Lobsters provided daily with a sufficient supply of 



fresh sea-water can be preserved alive without food 

 during a period of over seven months. 



2. The live body- weight of such lobsters does not diminish 



during such a prolonged period of inanition. But 

 while the actual weight of inorganic matter remains 

 constant, the total dry weight and total organic weight 



