No. 607] RHYTHM IN BEHAVIOR OF CBEATUBKS 445 



main illuminated. To all appearances th('\ nrr not oii the 

 wing at the time but settled upon the tree; for I wa- ahh^ 

 to recognize certain points of light whicli 1 especially no- 

 ticed, and which remained in the same situation witli each 

 successive flash. When I disturbed them under such cir- 

 cumstances they flew about at random, each giving out a 

 more rapidly intermittent light. At Labuan, however, I 

 have frequently seen them sliinc with a steady light as 

 they flew along looking like little. >tai-s of the 



second, or even tii'st, magnitude." It' there are ]>eriods 



to the same visnal stimulus, such as the sudih-n tlasli- 

 ing of a single individual. If it is the habit of the in- 

 sects, before again becoming quiescent, to flasli several 

 times in succession, following an appropriate stinudus, it 



light would now and then iilummate a iioilien ol tiie ti-ee, 

 or even the entire tree. Su<'h >yiielininie riiytiiiii in the 

 fl'ashing of fireflies would l)e -miliar in e\ erv way to 

 those instinctive, automatic body nioNcinent- ob-ei ved liy 

 Newman in the case of the " harve>ter>.'* Linhm/inn the 

 swinging of the pendulum, so to speak, two. thi-ei'. or more 

 times, as the case may be, following tlie initial stimulus. 

 As Newman well suggests, it is possible that a trau.smis- 

 sion of stimuli could even Imild up and maintain for some 

 time a synchronous flashing in colonies of fireflies in a tree 

 or field. This flasliing in unison would i^arallel the svn- 

 chronous trilling of the snowy tree ci'ieket-, and would 

 not necessarily violate known natural law< u-o\ eimni:' the 



chiipiim- in nni>on. Siiull- attenii»te(l to -tu<l\- the I'ealily 

 of ^vnellron..u^ ehirpii-- m, a onlnnx of Miowy tree eriekets 

 by statistical method- \' . u'-ji^r statistical fallacy 



