276 BEHAVIOR OF THE LOWER ORGANISMS 



writer. They are doubtless at times convenient and may perhaps be 

 used to advantage. 



So far as the terms involve a certain explanation of the phenomena, 

 their use requires that the writer shall accept that explanation for the 

 phenomena in question, otherwise their use gives rise to misconception. 

 This makes many of the terms unavailable, save in a very restricted 

 degree. The study of behavior seems hardly to have reached as yet 

 the stage where a hard and fast nomenclature can be used to advantage. 

 To the present writer, after a long- continued attempt to use some of the 

 systems of nomenclature devised, descriptions of the facts of behavior in 

 the simplest language possible seems a great gain for clear thinking and 

 unambiguous expression. If investigators on the lower organisms would 

 for a considerable time devote themselves to giving in such simple terms 

 a full account of behavior in all its details, paying special attention to 

 the effect of the movements performed on the relation of the organism 

 to the stimulating agent, this would be a great gain for our understanding 

 of the real nature of behavior, and some theories now maintained would 

 quickly disappear. Less attention to nomenclature and definitions, and 

 more to the study of organisms as units, in their relation to the environ- 

 ment, is at the present time the great need in the study of behavior in 

 lower organisms. 



LITERATURE XIV 



A. The local action theory of tropisms: LOEB, 1900, 1897; VERWORN, 1895, 

 1899; DAVENPORT, 1897 ; DRIESCH, 1903 ; RADL, 1903 ; HOLT AND LEE, 1901 ; MEN- 

 DELSSOHN, 1902 a ; CARREY, 1900; BOHN, 1905 ; JENNINGS, 1904 c. 



B. Nomenclature and classification in behavior : PFEFFER, 1904 ; MASSART, 1901 ; 

 BEER, BETHE, AND v. UEXKULL, 1899; NAGEL, 1899; CLAPAREDE, 1905 ; HABER- 



LANDT, 1905; ZlEGLER, 1900; NUEL, 1904; DAVENPORT, 1897 ; ROTHERT, 1901; 



ENGELMANN, 1882 a\ LOEB, 1893, 1900; CARREY, 1900; STRASBURGER, 1878; 

 OLTMANNS, 1892 ; YERKES, 1903 6. 



