Lymph flow (JL), lymph protein concentration (CL), and protein output (JP) from the main intestinal lymph duct were determined. The basal JL from the mesenteric pedicle alone was the same as that from the mesenteric pedicle attached with a segment of the nonabsorbing intestine, indicating that the basal JL does not originate from the intestine but is totally from the region of the mesenteric pedicle. The basal CL was 3.5-3.8 g/100 ml. When the intestine was absorbing water, JL increased and CL decreased, but JP increased above the basal JP in the initial 20 min of water absorption and then decreased progressively with time. Furthermore, it was estimated that CL in the "excess lymph" (formed during water absorption) was 1.4 +/- 0.2 g/100 ml in the initial 10 min of water absorption and was zero or nearly so in the later periods. From this and other evidence, it is concluded that under various conditions without net water absorption rat small intestine does not produce lymph and that during water absorption there is no significant increase in capillary permeability or capillary filtration. Therefore, the excess lymph could be mostly derived from the fluid absorbed from the lumen of the intestine.