THERMAL INCREMENTS FOR PULSATION-FREQUENCY IN "ACCESSORY HEARTS" OF NOTONECTA

Abstract

The frequencies of pulsation of the "accessory hearts" in the isolated swimming-legs of Notonecta were studied in relation to temperature, with the idea that in such organs central nervous control is impossible, and that in an isolated system irreversibly proceeding toward death it might be expected that further evidence would be found regarding the supposed specific significance of critical thermal increments. A number of values of µ are found, commonly 8,200; 16,200; or 32,200; less frequently 11,400; 19,800; and 24,500. These values are definitely contrasted with that (12,300) typical for heart beat frequencies in arthropods. They exhibit interrelationships of the sorts already found in other cases. There occur also sharp irreversible changes in frequency of pulsation, which may or may not be accompanied by change of increment. The net result is held to be confirmatory of the interpretation of thermal relations proposed in earlier papers.