Influence of growth rate retardation on time budgets and energetics of Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea and Common Tern S. hirundo chicks

Time budgets of free-living chicks of Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea and Common Terns S. hirundo throughout development are presented with special reference to changes in time allocation when growth rate varies. Chicks of both species were inactive most of the time observed (87%). Time allocated to the different behaviours changed during development and was generally better correlated with body mass than age. Slower growing nestlings were brooded more and allocated more time to quiescence and less time to locomotion, preening, begging and attacking (the latter two significant only for the Arctic Tern). The energetic implications of variation in time budgets with age and growth rate were considered. Parental brooding resulted in an average energy saving of nearly 40% of an individual nestling's thermoregulatory costs. Whereas thermoregulatory costs remained nearly unchanged in Arctic Tern chicks, these were negatively correlated with growth rate in Common Terns. Tentatively, we estimated a 30% reduction in a nestling's total energy requirement for a 50% reduction in average growth rate for both species.     

Chemical Forms of Nickel and Cobalt in Phloem of Ricinus communis

Investigations were performed to study the chemical form in which nickel and cobalt are transported in sieve tubes. Ricinus communis plants were used since they allow easy collection of relatively pure phloem sap. In the experiments labelled nickel or cobalt were given to the nutrient solution. The tapped phloem exudate was separated by gel filtration on Sephadex or by paper electrophoresis. Nickel and cobalt were bound to complexing organic compounds with a molecular weight in the range of 1000—5000. The overall charge of the nickel complex was negative, and the bulk of cobalt also appeared to complex to a compound with negative overall charge.