190 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1156 



made precisely the same observations on tlie 

 behavior of colonies of the same species of har- 

 vestmen (Phalangidse) in the neighborhood of 

 Austin, Texas. These colonies are not un- 

 comm.on, nesting in masses on the lower sur- 

 faces of overhanging rocks along the canyons 

 of the Colorado Eiver and its tributaries and in 

 the Edwards Plateau region. The colony de- 

 scribed by Ifewman was unusually large, as I 

 do not recall seeing any that were much more 

 than a foot or a foot and a half in diameter 

 and comprising, perhaps, between two and 

 three hundred individuals. The rhythmic, sim- 

 ultaneous, up and down movement of the crea- 

 tures on their long sensitive legs, when dis- 

 turbed, is very striking. Merely approaching 

 the spot where the Phalangids are congregated 

 is sufficient to set the whole assemblage vi- 

 brating. The stimulus in this case is prob- 

 ably the air-current produced by the sudden 

 approach of the observer and is probably 

 propagated, as ISTewman suggests, by contact 

 among the interlaced legs. In many cases of 

 synchronic behavior, however, other stimuli 

 must be assumed. In fireflies the initiation of 

 the simultaneous flashes must be due to optic 

 stimuli, as it is in people endeavoring to keep 

 in step with one another, but the continuation 

 of the established rhythm would seem to de- 

 pend on a kind of " Einfiihlung." Such is un- 

 doubtedly the impression produced on one who 

 witnesses the rapid wheeling movements of a 

 herd of prong-horned antelopes on our western 

 plains or the flight of certain birds. Some 

 years ago I observed that pelicans flying in 

 single file over the Bay of Panama exhibited a 

 very pronounced synchronism in the beat of 

 their wings. In this case I was led to assume 

 that after the members of a fiock had estab- 

 lished the synchronism, probably by visual 

 stimuli, it was kept up by a fine sense of 

 rhythm on the part of each individual. 



BussET Institution 



W. M. Wheeler 



with any form on which he has worked, he 

 meets at the outset with the difficulty that a 

 large number of papers to which he turns fail 

 to show in their titles the names of the ani- 

 mals that were used. 



In view of this familiar, but none the less 

 unfortunate, state of affairs, I wish to inquire 

 through your columns whether there is any 

 valid objection to the suggestion that authors 

 in some way incorporate in their titles the 

 names of the animals used for their investi- 

 gations. 



In some cases common names would answer, 

 but more often the binomial Latin form woidd 

 be required. In the case of little known 

 forms, and especially in the case of insects, 

 it would be of great help if the family or order 

 were also given. 



Should there be no serious obstacle to the 

 step here suggested, the improvement could 

 easily be inaugurated by the concerted action 

 of the editorial boards of ovlt several biolog- 

 ical journals and those heads of departments 

 and bureaus through whose hands forthcoming 

 manuscripts naturally pass. 



Henry H. Donaldson 

 The Wistae Institute, 

 Philadelphia, Pa., 

 February 3, 1917- 



MORE COMPLETE TITLES 



To THE Editor op Science: When the stu- 

 dent of the structure or the functions of 

 animals needs to consult the literature dealing 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



Milk and Its Hygienic Relations. By Janet 



E. Lane-Claypon, M.D., D.Sc. Longmans, 



Green & Co. 1916. 



This admirable book has been published 

 under the direction of the Medical Research 

 Committee (National Health Insurance, Eng- 

 land). The chief aim of the author " is to 

 present a survey of the existing knowledge 

 upon such aspects of the milk question as 

 hitherto has been inaccessible or difficult to 

 obtain by most of those desiring it." 



The scope of the book includes a considera- 

 tion of the composition, " biological prop- 

 erties," and cellular content of milk ; the nutri- 

 tive value of raw, boiled and dried milk; the 

 presence of organisms liable to cause disease, 

 and milk-borne epidemics; the sanitary pro- 

 duction of milk, types of bacteria, methods of 



