Incorporation of 3H-thymidine by rabbit corneal epithelium during the course of a one-hour incubation in vitro varies according to the time of day, suggesting a diurnal rhythm of mitotic activity. Adrenergic decentralization of the cornea does not affect this rhythm. Furthermore, there is no diurnal variation in the basal or sympathomimetically-stimulated cyclic AMP production by freshly excised rabbit corneas, incubated in vitro. Therefore, the diurnal rhythm of corneal epithelial mitotsis in the rabbit is not paced by catecholamines.