JvyE 2, 190.5.] 



SCIENCE. 



Tlie Evoltifion of Cdor Characters: R. M. 



Strong, University of Chicago. 



Color characters are piirely relative 

 means of distinguishing various individuals 

 or groups of animals, and their significance 

 varies according to the experience and 

 knowledge of the observer. In birds, color 

 characters are all connected by series of 

 transitional stages which appear perfectly 

 continuous even after careful analysis, and 

 the most highly developed characters may 

 be found in incipient stages not ordinarily 

 observable. A study of the colors of birds 

 has led the Avriter to believe strongly in 

 an orthogenetic theory of evolution of color 

 characters by continuous variation in birds. 



Some Observations on the Literal Fauna 

 of Pacific Grove, Cal.: C. M. Child, Uni- 

 versity of Chicago. 



The Entomological Ecology of the Indian- 

 corn Plant: S. A. Forbes, University of 

 Illinois. 



This paper consists of material in pure 

 ecology selected from the mass of matter 

 accumulated in the course of several years' 

 study of the corn insects from the economic 

 point of view. It deals with adaptive rela- 

 tions of the corn insects to their food plant 

 and to one another ; classifies adaptations of 

 insects to their food as structural, physio- 

 logical, psychological, local, biographical 

 and numerical, giving illustrations of each 

 class; discusses the adjustment by natural 

 selection of the life histories of insects de- 

 pendent upon the same plant ; analyzes ex- 

 amples of competition among such in- 

 sects ; refers to the agency of natural selec- 

 tion in transforming competitions from 

 the simultaneous to the serial order; and 

 theorizes the whole siabject by reference to 

 the general principle of a community of 

 interest between a phytophagous insect and 

 its food plants. 



TAe Fauna of MayficlcVs Cave: Arthi;i{ 

 BanTxV, Indiana University. 

 j\layfield's Cave is a small cave near 

 Bloomington, Ind., which presents typical 

 cave conditions having a nearly constant 

 temperature and conditions of light shad- 

 ing from twilight to absolute darkness. 

 Eighty-seven species of animals were taken 

 in this cave as against 68 heretofore known 

 from all of the Indiana eaves. Of the 87 

 species but 21 are permanent residents and 

 only 8 are found in caves exclusively. 

 Species including diptera, lepidoptera (2 

 species), arachnida and the bats hibernate 

 in the cave in considerable numbers. Each 

 cave inhabitant sustains a certain definite 

 relation to the light, some living only in ab- 

 solute darkness, others in dim twilight, etc. 

 Aside from conditions of light and temper- 

 ature, the distribution of cave animals is 

 influenced by moisture, the presence of 

 organic matter which serves as food and the 

 presence of means of concealment. Some 

 of the highly modified and truly cavern- 

 icolous forms are occasionally found out- 

 side of caves in springs, about Avells, in 

 drains and in similar situations. Change 

 of seasons has little influence upon cave 

 life. Species which are only temporary 

 residents and some of the less highly 

 specialized of the permanent residents are 

 young and local cave forms, while the 

 highly specialized cave inhabitants such as 

 the blind fish, blind cray-fish and the blind 

 earabids are old and Avidely distributed 

 cave forms. The nearest relatives of cave 

 forms are nocturnal or are dark or shade- 

 loving species, while the food and habits of 

 cave species are exactly similar to the food 

 and habits of their near relatives living in 

 other situations. The habit of hiding un- 

 der loose stones and other debris persists 

 in many cave forms where the habit is ap- 

 parently altogether useless. Cambarus 

 bartoni living in the cave possesses less 



