396 Literary Notices. 



After close attention to the problem of the "sense of direction," observation os 

 the behavior of solitary wasp as they leave and return to the nest and experiments 

 on the social wasps to test their ability to find their way back to the nest after being 

 carried away from it, the authors conclude that there is no special "sense of direc- 

 tion," but that instead the wasps find their way to a particular spot by the aid of 

 memory of the locality. Ordinarily a solitary wasp does not leave its nest until it 

 has carefully examined the surroundings. This it does by walking or flying in 

 constantly enlarging circles about the spot. If by any chance the insect is scared 

 away before this examination is finished it either has difficulty in finding, or is 

 unable to find, its nest. Again, when the surroundings of the nest are changed, 

 the animal is at a loss to locate the spot. These and other observations prove very 

 satisfactorily that the wasps depend upon vision for the locating of a particular 

 spot. Apparently their sense of sight is extremely keen. This suggests the im- 

 portance of a thorough experimental study of this sense in wasps and other insects. 



Thoroughly reliable as well as readable descriptions of the habits of animals 

 are extremely rare. The Peckhams deserve great credit for their contribution to 

 the study of the behavior of wasps, for the work which it demanded was by no 

 means a holiday pastime. 



R. M. Y. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED. 



Hadley, P. B. Observations on Some Influences of Light upon the Larval and Early Adolescent 

 Stages of the American Lobster, Report of the Comm. of Inland Fisheries of Rhode 

 Island, Vol. 36. 1 906. 



Hadley, P. B. Regarding the Rate of Growth of the American Lobster. Report of the Comm. 

 of Inland Fisheries of Rhode Island, Vol. 36. 1906. 



Watson, J. B. The Need of an Experimental Station for the Study of Certain Problems of 

 Animal Behavior. Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 3. 1906. 



Boswell, F. P. Irradiation der Gesichtsempfindung. Zeit. f. Sinnesphysiologie, Yoi. ^l. 1906. 



Sherrington, C. S. Obser\'ations on the Scratch-reflex in the Spinal Dog. Jour, of Physiol., 

 Vol. 34. 1906. 



Sherrington, C. S. On Innervation of Antagonistic Muscles. Proc. Royal Soc, London, Vol. 77. 

 1906. 



Masselon, Ren^. La Melancolie; Etude Medicale et Psychologique. Paris, F. Alcan. 1906. 



Sanford, Edmund C. A Sketch of a Beginner's Course in Psychology. Reprinted from the 

 Pedagogical Seminary, Vol. 13. 1906. 



Blondel, Charles. Les Auto-mutilateurs: etude psycho-pathologique et medico-legale. Paris, 

 J. Rousset. 1906. 



Maxweller, E. Esquisse d'une Sociologie, Brussels, Misch if Thron, Editeurs. 1906. 



