No. 485] THE FUNCTIONS OF THE 



297 



3.00 P. M. Rate of respiration oO prv minntc 



3.20 " " " " ru " 



3.45 " " " " .-,() 



4.00 " " " 10 " 



The spouting continiKMl ;it tlic rate of alioiit once per minute. 

 The resting periods wviv coiisidcraMy ](iiin(.r than in the j)re- 

 ceding hours and the activity was less violent. The fi>li cvidcntlv 

 was becoming sluggish. Returninu- ;i( to oI).s(tv(" tlic 



I found the respiration obviously mucli slower and rapidlv dimin- 

 ishing in frequency. Before I could determine the rate the 

 respiratory motions suddenly became very irregular and spasmodic 

 and then the action of the spiracle abruptly stopped. I waited, 

 perhaps half a minute, and then, fearing a premature end to the 

 experiment, T turned into the afjiiarium a stream of water, wasln"n(: 

 it about the head of the fisli. Witliin a nn'nute feeble an<l -low 

 respiratory movements began, slmr/h/ jollnim/ hi/ four r'Kjorous 

 spoutingsin rapid succcssiiw. Iie-piration (juickly Ix'came >tr()nL^er 

 and its rate increased ra])idly, reach inn- is per niimu*' at 4 . L'2 o'clock. 

 The rate of spouthig, at the same time, was 1..') per mimite. an 

 increase of about 50^:; over the rate at l.OO o'clock. 



At 4.29 the fish was taken out of the water and left lyin- on the 

 table top. For several minutes it strni^^^led viuonm^ly, hut at 

 the end of eight minutes the respiratory motions had ceased and 



limp. The heart, however, was lu-atin- strongly. TlH-n ' the 

 animal was put into well aerated s.-a water. At first no sign of 

 retiu-m-ug activity a])i)eare.l. The spiracle was wide open and 

 motionless. I therefore began kneading the gills and flirected a 

 stream of water into the spiracle. Almost immediately very weak, 

 slow and irregular spiracular motions began, and in the course 

 of two minutes regular res])iratory movements were in ])r()gress, 

 although still weak and very slow. The s])iracl<> <lid not close 



This was not regarde.l as sp..uting. The action of the >|,iracle 

 rap-'dly <puVkene<l and siren-rhened, and about four minutes 



spouting wlii<-h was then occurring fre<|uently. ^I'he count was 



