A study of the rates of hydrolysis of 3-Me-2-butyl bromide and methanesulfonate in water leads to values of AC,* of -80 and -40cal deg-' mole-', respectively. The product was about 85-95 % t-pentanol, the remainder being olefin. The value of AC,' for the solvolysis of the methanesulfonate in D,O was -44 cal deg-' mole-'. The kinetic solvent isotope effect (k.s.i.e.) for the latter was unusually low (k.s.i.e. = 1.047 at 5 OC and 1.025 at 25 "C). Deuteration at C-3 led to a reduction in the rate of hydrolysis by a factor of about 2.25. This is consistent with an activation process involving "hydrogen participation" as previously reported by Winstein and Takahashi for solvolysis of the corresponding tosylate in aceticacid. In contrast to the latter work, the reaction in water appears to be uncomplicated.