494 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 691 



a scheme of limb homology that can be 

 generally agreed upon. 



That such a nomenclature is possible for 

 Necturus was demonstrated by the employ- 

 ment of one in the descriptive part of the 

 present paper. The confusion resulting 

 from a lack of such a set of terms was 

 shown by the reading of the first para- 

 graph from a recent paper by Baum {Anat. 

 Am. ) . 



Distribution and Variations of the Deep- 

 sea Stony Corals from off the Coast of 

 the United States: Addison E. Veerill, 

 Tale University. 



In this paper distribution was given of 

 the fourteen species of stony corals {Mad- 

 reporaria) dredged by the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission in deep water, from off Cape Hat- 

 teras to the Newfoundland Banks, with 

 illustrations of some of the more notable 

 variations by means of lantern slides. Sev- 

 eral of the species descend to depths below 

 1,000 fathoms; one was taken in 1,742 

 fathoms. Most of those from the gi'eater 

 depths have a very wide geographical 

 range, some of them being found from the 

 Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, and on 

 both sides of the Atlantic. Among those 

 from the greater depths are the following : 

 Flabellum Goodei, 164 to 1,178 fathoms, 

 from over 100 stations; F. angulatum, 906 

 to 1,742 fathoms, most abundant at 1,396, 

 1,434 and 1,722 fathoms, taken at 14 sta- 

 tions; CaryophylUa communis, from 636 

 to 1,356 fathoms, 13 stations; Desmophyl- 

 lum cristagalli, from 1,054 to 1,060 

 fathom^, 2 stations. 



Sdbits, Eeactions and Mating Instincts of 

 the "Walki^igstick," Aplopxcs mayeri: 

 Chas. R. Stockard, Cornell Medical 

 School. 



The habits of Aplopus on its food-plant 

 Suriana maritima are as protectively 

 adapted as is its singular stick-like appear- 

 ance. In color and form the large female 



resembles the stems of this plant, the males 

 are greenish and inconspicuous among the 

 leafed twigs, while the eggs are peculiarly 

 similar to the seed of Suriana in size and 

 color. This insect is nocturnal, moving 

 only occasionally in the daylight. It walks 

 in a slow stiff manner, often swinging its 

 body from side to side, suggesting the mo- 

 tion of a branch shaken by the wind. To 

 escape its enemies the insect may drop from 

 its position and become lost among the 

 lower branches, or may fall entirely to the 

 ground and lie motionless, feigning death 

 for several minutes. 



Aplopi respond to light and darkness, 

 being more sensitive to the former. When 

 they are blinded by painting their eyes 

 they still respond, though slower than when 

 normal. 



These insects during the day, while in- 

 active, may be made to assume an endless 

 variety of awkward positions, any of which 

 may be maintained for some time. They 

 may actually be piled over one another 

 with their backs down and legs extended 

 in the air as if they were inanimate sticks. 

 This stick-like indifference often causes 

 them to be passed unnoticed by enemies. 



When the animal walks its antennse are 

 circled in front of the head as if feeling 

 the way. On removing the antennae the 

 first pair of legs are used as "feelers," if 

 these are now cut away the legs of the 

 second pair are pressed into service and 

 alternately waved about as "feelers." 

 When such a four-legged antennaless indi- 

 vidual has its eyes blinded it becomes eon- 

 fused and turns in a circle, but improves 

 in its movements with practise. 



A portion of the abdomen of a mature 

 female was attached to a stick supported 

 on wire legs thus forming an imitation 

 female. Males in a dark room were found 

 to mate in a normal manner with this 

 abdomen on the stick. Such an experi- 

 ment makes it evident that a courtship or 



