48 



On July 1, these four strains of rotifers were carried to 

 Woods Hole, Mass. Owing to the high temperature diffi- 

 culty was experienced in growing proper food cultures 

 and consequently bv Julv 4 many of the animals had died 

 and those that had survived were in a very had condition 

 and had very few offspring. It is interesting to note that 

 more of the animals in the alcoholic strains died at this 

 time in the twenty-eighth generation than in the control 

 strain. The experiments were discontinued on account of 

 these unfavorable conditions. 



The data in these three tables seem to show that alcohol 

 from i per cent, to 1 per cent, has a decided influence in 

 lowering the rate of reproduction and also in lowering 

 the power of resisting copper sulphate in the individuals 

 of the 1 per cent, alcoholic strains. Presumably the 

 resisting power to copper sulphate of the j per cent, and 

 the | per cent, alcoholic strains was similarly lowered, 

 but this was not determined. 



This decrease of the reproduction rate and the in- 

 creased susceptibility to copper sulphate can be consid- 

 ered as an indication that the "general vitality" of the 

 race had been lowered in that the individuals were much 

 inferior to the control individuals in their ability to cope 

 with adverse conditions and to leave offspring with which 

 to continue the race. 



Since it is shown that alcohol decreases the "general 

 vitality ' ' of these animals the condition of their offspring 

 now remains to be considered. Table IV gives the de- 



