Electronic relaxation in solutions of solvated Fe3+, Mn2+(S=5/2) and Cr3+(S=3/2) is controlled by modulation of the quadratic zero field splitting interaction. The modulation is caused by collisions of the hydrated complex with bulk solvent molecules. Theoretical expressions are derived for the electronic transversal and longitudinal relaxation timesT2eandT1eand are used to interpret the E.S.R. data of these ions. The analysis yields results for the zero field splitting constants and for the mean lifetime between collisions. The latter are found to be in the range 4–9 × 10-12s.