The records of 666 casualty collared doves examined at a wildlife hospital in south-west England over a period of five years were reviewed. Signs of metabolic bone disease were recorded in 51.2 per cent of the juvenile birds but in only 9.6 per cent of the adults. The incidence of the condition was highest between December and February and decreased almost to zero between June and August. Histological lesions in 11 of the juvenile doves were consistent with vitamin D deficiency, possibly as a result of inadequate exposure to uvb light during the short winter days.

Ion transport and metabolism in the posterior midgut before, during and after the molt to the fifth instar of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta were investigated. In situ measurements reveal that the transepithelial potential difference of the posterior midgut falls during the molting process. This finding was confirmed by in vitro experiments in which it was demonstrated that both the transepithelial potential and the short-circuit current are lower in molting fourth instars compared with feeding fourth instars. The short-circuit current increases after ecdysis, with a maximal rate being achieved approximately 4 h after the molt. Resumption of feeding after the molt is not necessary to initiate this increase in active ion transport. The metabolic organization of the tissue also changes during the molting process. The maximal activities of glycolytic enzymes and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, an enzyme of lipid ss-oxidation, decrease during the molting process and increase after ecdysis. Although citrate synthase activity, an index of maximal aerobic capacity, decreases during the molt and increases again after ecdysis, tissue respiration is the same in feeding fourth instars and molting larvae. This result indicates that a greater percentage of maximal aerobic capacity is used during molting and that energy may be diverted to cell proliferation and differentiation and away from the support of active ion transport at this time.