628 
duced by the administration per rectum of 
a solution of NaCO, and NaCl. 
From the foregoing outline it will be seen 
that this book is in no sense the conventional 
restatement of pre-existing data and current 
opinions. On the contrary, it is a highly orig- 
inal thesis. From those hide-bound critics, 
who resent whatever is unorthodox, it will 
probably elicit more dissent than approval. 
This has always been the price exacted by 
such critics from those who are ahead of their 
time. They objected to Fischer’s preceding 
work on “ Edema” on the ground that “there 
are some facts which it fails to explain.” 
They will find that the same criticism can be 
made of the present monograph. There are 
indeed some points in the book upon which 
one must hope that the author will later bring 
forward fuller evidence. Nevertheless, if, as 
seems but fair, a new idea is rather to be ap- 
proved for the points which it illumines than 
condemned for those which it leaves in ob- 
seurity, this work should be weleomed and 
studied. It holds out suggestions which may 
prove of great practical therapeutic usefulness. 
On the theoretic side there is a wide range of 
phenomena, previously obscure, upon which 
it throws a brilliant light. 
YANDELL HENDERSON 
An Experimental Study of the Death-Feign- 
ing of Belostoma (—Zaitha Aucct.) flu- 
mineum Say and Nepa apiculata Uhler. By 
Henry H. P. Severty, Ph.D., Professor of 
Entomology, College of Hawaii, and 
Harry C. Ssvertn, M.A., Professor of 
Entomology, South Dakota State College 
of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Cam- 
bridge, Boston, Mass., Henry Holt and 
Company. 1911. Pp. iii+ 47, with one 
plate. 
This excellent piece of experimental work 
forms one of the series of “ Behavior Mono- 
graphs,” that are being published in connec- 
tion with The Journal of Animal Behavior, 
being Number 3, Serial Number 3, Volume I. 
There is, perhaps, no more curious and in- 
teresting form of instinctive response than 
that represented by the death-feigning reac- 
SCIENCE 
[N.8. Vou. XXXV. No. 903 
tion among insects. It has been a matter of 
considerable discussion among students of 
animal activities for many years. There has 
been no piece of work of this nature published 
for some time which so thoroughly treats of 
this peculiar form of behavior, by the experi- 
mental method—unless we consider that of 
Holmes on Ranatra. 
The major headings of the table of con- 
tents will largely indicate the nature of the 
monograph: I., Introduction; IJI., General 
Characteristics of the Death-Feint; III., 
Duration of Successive Death-Feints; IV., 
The Effect of Dryness and Moisture on the 
Duration of the Death-Feint; V., The Effect 
of Temperature on the Duration of the Death- 
Feint; WVI., The Effect of Light on the 
Duration of the Death-Feint; VII., The Ef- 
fect of Mutilation on the Death-Feint; VIII., 
The Origin and Development of the Death- 
Feint; IX., The Psychic Aspect of the Death- 
Feint; X., Summary. 
If. It is shown that the “ death-feigning ” 
postures of Belostoma are decidedly character- 
istic. However, the positions assumed during 
the feint are unlike those of the dead insect. 
The response may be elicited by simple con- 
tact; as, for instance, when it is dipped out of 
the water with the net; or when it is picked 
out of the aquarium by hand. Some individ- 
uals do not feign death readily; in such cases, 
repeated touching of the posterior part of the 
abdomen will cause the organism to respond 
with the death-feigning reaction. Nepa feigns 
death either in the water or out of it. Here 
again contact seems to be the important stim- 
ulus. Nepa will even feign death when feed- 
ing, the creature “keeping the styliform 
mandibles and maxille sunk into the prey.” 
Detailed descriptions are given of the posi- 
tions of the various appendages during the 
feint, both in the case of Belostoma and 
Nepa. While the former assumes a character- 
istic posture, Nepa will feign death with the 
appendages in the same position as taken just 
previous to the death-feint. During the 
feigning period, the muscles of Belostoma are 
in a condition of “extreme tetanus.” Nepa 
