38 



HOPKINS: BIOCUMATIC LAW 



tance as related to feet of altitude or equivalents in degrees of 

 latitude or longitude. 



Studies in the application of these principles show quite con- 

 clusively that the responses to the controlling influences and 

 forces are in accordance with natural law, in that (a) the time 

 of occurrence of a given periodical event in the seasonal activity, 

 or (b) the latitude limits of distribution of an organism, or (c) 

 its altitude limits, are determined primarily by geographical 

 position. Therefore, other things being equal, the variation be- 

 tween two or more geographical positions bears the same propor- 

 tion to the distance between them, that 4 days of time bears to 

 I degree of latitude, 400 feet of altitude, or 5 degrees of longi- 

 tude. These coordinates of the law and their relations one to 

 another are shown in table i . 



APPLICATION OF THE LAW 



The fundamental principle in the application of the law to 

 research and practice is that which relates to variations from a 

 constant.^ 



In the law as outlined the variation from the base should be 

 at the rates mentioned. Therefore, on the basis of equal influ- 

 ence other than that related to geographical position, it is a 

 simple mathematical problem to compute from the records at 

 one place, the date, limit, or temperature constant for any other 

 place. We know, however, that the other controlling influences 

 are rarely, if ever, equal at two or more places and that, there- 

 fore, we must expect a greater or less variation from the con- 

 stants. 



^ The constants of the law are the dates and the altitude and latitude limits 

 that are computed from the records at a given base for any geographical position. 



