terone in stimulating reptilian oxidative metabolism. This is interesting since oestrogen has many important biological actions opposite to those of testosterone. There are only a few reports on the effects of oestrogens on oxidative metabolism of lower vertebrates. Hoar 8 injected goldfish with stilbesterol and observed a marked stimulation of oxidative metabolism. He offered the suggestion that the steroid may increase in some way the reactivity of 963 neuromuscular mechanisms thus promoting locomotor activity which indirectly results in an increased demand for oxygen. But this possibility has not been explored further. It is possible that the action of oestrogen on reptilian oxidative metabolism may be brought about in several ways viz, by stimulating metabolic pathways thereby increasing the substrate concentration or by acting on the respiratory chain.

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