134 TJRINE OF CHELONIANS. 



400 grains contained — 



Water . . . . . . . . . 322.52 



Solid constituents ....... 77.48 



The estimate of the solid parts is below the truth, because some of the ammonia 

 must necessarily have been driven off during the process of drying. 



Urine of a Gopher {Testudo polypliemus) , which was kept without food and drink 

 for 28 days, was as follows : — 



Weight of Gopher, June 16th . . . . . 18,368 grs. 



" " July 11th ..... 16,922 " 



Loss of weight in 25 days . . . . . . 1,446 " 



Loss of weight each hour, 2 j-y^- = yeVj of the original weight. 



Amount of urine . . . . . . . 2 fluidounces. 



" of fluid portion . . . . . . I J " 



" of semi-solid portion . . . . • i " 



Specific gravity of fluid portion ..... 1008.9 



The semi-solid portion was very compact, and composed almost entirely of the 

 urate 'of ammonia. 



Weight of the fluid portion . . . . , .764 grs. 



" " semi-solid portion ..... 236 " 



Whole amount of urine ....... 1000 " 



Amount of solid constituents, uric acid and urate of ammonia, in 236 



grs. of semi-solid matters ...... '^'^^o 



Amount of uric acid in this . . . . . .37.46 



The urate of ammonia must unavoidably have lost some of its ammonia during 

 evaporation. 



Amount of solid constituents in 764 grs. of the fluid portion of the urine 21.71 

 Solid matters in 1000 grains of urine ..... 64.41 grs. 



1000 grains contained — ■ 



Water ......... 935.59 



Urate of ammonia . . . . . . .42.70 



Extractive matters, and urea in small amount . . . .15.72 



Urates of soda and potassa and mucus . . . . . 5.99 



When the extractive matters were treated with nitric acid, effervescence took 

 place, and crystals of the nitrate of urea made their appearance, under the micro- 

 scope, in small numbers. Hippuric acid was present in the urine of this animal in 

 small amount. The urine of all Gophers, which I have thus far examined, resembled 

 in all respects that of those just described. 



The urine of Chelonians was frequently tested for grape sugar. This substance 

 was absent from the urine of all Chelonians, in a normal condition, except in the 

 case of a Gopher, and its presence in this individual might be accounted for by a 

 suppression of the respiration consequent upon several severe blows upon its head. 



Whenever the respiration was suspended, by placing the animals in hydrogen 

 and carbonic acid gases, or by passing a ligature around the windpipe, sugar 

 accumulated in the blood, was eliminated by the kidneys, and appeared in the 

 urine. 



