120 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



but he is inclined to question the reports of prolonged 

 and of absolutely unified flashing when it is implied that 

 the prolongation and the unification lies outside of the 

 mental activities of the observers. 



In any event, the results of our own experiments are 

 quite positive; we did get the reports of rhythms from 

 our observers in the majority of cases when there were 

 no physical rhythms presented. The rhythms were both 

 of the visual pattern and of the temporal type with some 

 auditory imagery serving as accompanying ideas. In the 

 first type the pattern was principally extended in space, 

 although repeated in time, while in the second there was 

 mainly a synchronism without visual extension. 



The only criticism then can come from the conditions 

 of the experiment in that the necessary abridgment of 

 factors, such as the reduction in numbers of flashes, their 

 change in time, and the attitude of the observer, has pro- 

 duced an artificial result, or at least a result incompar- 

 able with the natural eifect. We are now proceeding 

 with further modifications in these directions, and we 

 offer the present report temporarily as a suggestion 

 toward a possible solution on the psychological side, 

 so that in the final analysis, if there is to be one, we shall 

 be able to recognize on the physical side the influence 

 of temperature as a regulator of the chemical oxidation 

 in the presence of an enzyme and on the psychological 

 side the influence of the mental functions of the observer 

 in carrying his report to its proper logical conclusion. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



1. AUard, H. A. 



The synchronous flashing of fireflies, Science, 44, 1916, 710. 



2. Allard, H. A. 



Synchronism and synchronic rhythm in tlie behavior of certain 

 creatures, Amer. Natural', 51, 1917, 438-446. 



3. Annandale, N. 



Observations on the habits and natural surroundings of insects, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. of London, 1900. 



4. Barnes, P. T. 



Fireflies flashing in unison, Science, 49, 1919, 188. 



5. Blair, K. G. 



Luminous insects, Nature, 95, 1915, 569; 96, 1915, 411. 



