Time Records for Physiology, Ecology 

 and Climatology.* 



By 

 Riichiro Koketsu. 



In almost all cases, whether of practical life or scientific 

 study, we are accustomed to use standard time for recording 

 time relations. But this method of measuring time is artificial 

 and unnatural, since it has no direct meaning as regards the 

 time relations between the sun and natural phenomena on the 

 earth's surface. By using this artificial method of measuring 

 time many practical difficulties are avoided. Many places have 

 the same time by this system, even when situated on different 

 meridians. This is of great practical value, especially in the 

 preparation and use of railway and steamship schedules, but 

 standard time is unsuited to such physiological studies as those 

 dealing with the daily march of plant transpiration, etc. 



Moreover, several European nations and the United States 

 of America have recently employed a so-called daylight-saving 

 plan, setting their clocks one hour faster than standard time 

 for the warmer half of the year. The result of such an arrange- 

 ment is to introduce still more confusion than is brought-about 

 by the use of standard time. No mattar what artificial ar- 

 rangements for time records may be used for practical human 

 affairs, solar time is the natural one to use in connection with 

 physiological and climatological studies. 



* It is the writer's privilege to express bis gratitude to professor B. E. Livingston 

 of the Johns Hopkins University, who was kind enough to look over and correct 

 the manuscript. 



