METHODS 



177 



animals belonging to different taxonomic groups has ultimately 

 as its main use the elucidation of particular problems about 

 individual species, by providing a picture of the biological 

 surroundings of the animals. The result of this is that writers 

 of ecological papers should aim at making their results as 

 accessible as possible to the man who is working on one group 

 or one species {e.g. some animal of economic importance). 

 Now, it is usually impossible for such a man to pick out what 

 he wants from amongst the great mass of facts contained in an 

 ecological survey paper, with its huge lists of species. If, 

 however, a short index to species or genera, or even families, 

 is included at the end of the paper, it immediately increases its 

 practical value to other biologists about a thousand-fold. 

 Wherever possible, therefore, an index giving page references 

 should be included, thus enabling the information about any 

 one animal to be picked out with the greatest ease and saving 

 of time. 



19. Another method of presenting the results of ecological 

 surveys, which has advantages, is that used by Richards, ^^ and 

 consists in tabulating the lists of species in the following way : 



The best way of describing and recording food-cycles is 

 another important problem to be faced in the publication of 

 ecological work. Simple diagrams like those on pp. 58, 66, 

 can be employed ; these are all right for showing general 

 results, but when we wish to include a large number of species 

 something more is required. Perhaps the most effective 

 method would be to put in on the general diagram the group 

 names, e.g. " aphids," together with a number referring to a 

 list of the actual species in question — a list which would be too 



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