SUMMARY1. The role played by anions in salivary secretion has been studied in experiments on the isolated, perfused mandibular gland of the rabbit, in which perfusate Cland/or HCO3-were replaced by other anions.2. Replacement of Cl-with Br-had no significant effect on salivary secretion rate, but replacement with the other anions tested caused secretary rate to fall, by 38 % (I-), 50 % (NO3-)4 61 % (isethionate, ise-), and 66 % (CH3SO4-), respectively.3. Replacement of perfusate Cl-with ise-or CH3SO4-caused the salivary HCO3-concentration to rise up to 4-fold. Replacement with Br-or I-seemed to have little effect on salivary HCO3-concentration but, in contrast to ise-, Br-and I-entered the saliva in concentrations comparable to those of Cl-during control perfusion.4. In glands perfused with HCO3-and ise-, the addition of methazolamide, an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase, caused a further 60 % drop in secretary rate, but the saliva remained rich in HCO3-. 5. Replacement of perfusate HCO3-with Cl-or ise-had no effect on salivary secretion or composition.6. Replacement of both HCO3-and Cl-in the perfusate with ise-reduced salivary secretion to less than 2 % of control levels.7. In control glands (i.e. perfused with both HC03-and CO-), administration of furosemide, an inhibitor of Na+/Cl-co-transport, reduced the secretion rate and increased salivary HCO3-in a manner indistinguishable from that seen when perfusate Cl-was replaced with ise-.8. In control perfused glands, administration of SITS (4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-disulphonic acid stilbene), an inhibitor of Cl-/HCO3-antiports, did not cause any change in salivary HCO3-concentration. Unexpectedly, it induced a significant increase in salivary secretary rate. 9. The results show that salivary secretion depends on two independent transport systems. One is a Cl--dependent, furosemide-sensitive system, probably a Na+/Clsymport. The other is an HCO3--dependent, methazolamide-sensitive system, and is probably an Na+/H+ antiport.