In vivo decay rates for the individual T7 early mRNA species were determined. The physical half-lives, measured at 37 C, range from 1.1 min for gene 0.7 RNA to 4.5 min for gene 0.3 RNA. Physical half-lives, as observed after rifampin inhibition of RNA synthesis and polyacylamide electrophoresis of RNAs, are approximately 30% longer than functional half-lives, as observed by 14C-labeled amino acid uptake into individual T7 early proteins. The different RNA species are synthesized at grossly different rates, 0.3 RNA at four times the rate of 1.0 RNA, 0.7 RNA at twice the rate, and 1.1 and 1.3 RNAs at about the same or a slightly lower rate than 1.0 RNA. Rho-factor-mediated termination of transcription behind genes 0.3, 0.7, and perhaps behind 1.0 is inferred from these data. The in vivo translational utilization of the individual T7 early-message species was found to vary by not more than a factor of 2.