Influence of anaesthesia by carbon dioxide and ether on locomotor activity inDrosophila melanogaster

Summary Locomotor activity of Drosophila melanogaster was investigated in 2 recently caught unrelated wild stocks. It is strongly affected by anaesthesia with either carbon dioxide or ether. Both anaesthetics had opposite effects. Ether produces a longlasting decrease in activity. Carbondioxide causes an increase, of locomotor activity, but smaller and of shorter duration than the effect of ether.