Ventromedial hypothalamic lesions in weanling female rats have been reported to result in a greater reduction of growth than placement of such lesions in older animals (Bernardis & Skelton, 1966). The present report deals with a parallel study in male rats of corresponding ages.Male Holtzman rats received bilateral electrolytic lesions at the age of 26 days (Group 1), 59 days (Group 3), 75 days (Group 5) and 140 days (Group 7). Nonlesioned rats of the same age served as controls (Groups 2, 4, 6 and 8). The methods used were identical with those in the study on female rats. Table 1 shows that, while the body weight of 26-day-old rats was unaffected when compared with controls of the same age, the rats lesioned at older ages (Groups 3, 5 and 7) weighed significantly more than their controls after 6 weeks. In contrast, linear growth (body length, tail length) was reduced most in Group 1, less in Groups 3 and 5, and was unaffected in Group 7. It was slightly less (10 %) in males than in females (15%, Bernardis & Skelton, 1966). It is possible that the greater effect of ventromedial lesions in weanling rats is attributable to a greater vulnerability of the smaller brains in these animals. In terms of Lee's (1929) index, all rats were equally obese when compared with their respective controls, although only the rats of Groups 5 and 7 showed significant hyperphagia. The obesity in the weanling rats is in accord¬ ance with carcass fat determinations made by Han, Lin, Chu, Mu & Liu (1965). Since it is known that growth hormone (GH) has a lipolytic effect (Knobil & Hotchkiss, 1964) it is conceivable that a deficiency of this hormone at an early age results in a greater accumulation of adipose tissue than in non-deficient rats. The reduction in the number of the pituitary acidophils which are known to elaborate GH was signifi¬ cant and similar in Groups 1, 3 and 5 but insignificant in Group 7 when compared with their respective controls. This reduction was less in the weanling male (36 %) than in the weanling female (48 %) animals. The greatest reduction in organ weight occurred in the rats of Group 1. It is noteworthy that the heart (Beznak, 1960) and kidney (Astarabadi, 1963) are sensitive to GH and that the adrenals are thought to