(1) The Big Stone Gap shale is a northward extension of the Chattanooga shale of the type area. (2) The Big Stone Gap shale shows the same tripartite division as the Chattanooga shale of the type area, except that all three units are considerably thicker. (3) In passing from Lafollette to Big Stone Gap the middle gray shale member thickens up, replacing the uppermost part of the underlying black shale member. (4) The contact between the lower black shale and the gray shale is not a stratigraphic but an environmental break since the uppermost part of the lower black shale in the south interfingers with the gray shale which replaces it to the north. Thus both the gray shale and the replaced black shale are of the same age, differing only in the conditions of their deposition. (5) The lower black shale thickens by underlap in passing to the north, so that the lower black shale at Chattanooga is only the uppermost part of the lower black shale member. As stated above, this uppermost part is of the same age as the middle gray shale member in southwestern Virginia. (6) In Tennessee an unconformity separates the upper black shale from the underlying gray shale member. This unconformity has not been demonstrated in southwestern Virginia. The completed study will appear in a later paper. J. H. SWARTZ UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA NOTES ON HELODERMA SUSPECTUM AND IGUANA TUBERCULATA ON April 2, 1923, the writer received a poisonous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, from Wheelock, Robertson County, Texas. This village lies in the southeast part of the county on no highway and about twelve niles from the nearest railroad. This animal had been killed by a farmhand as it was crawling about on his land, and was brought by a student to the lepartment of biology of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. The finding of this reptile in Robertson County so far from its native home is indeed interesting. Ditmars,1 Gadow,2 Heger, Hornaday and Pratt, limit the distribution 1 Ditmars, R. L., "Reptiles of the World," 1922. 2 Gadow, H., "Amphibia and Reptilia," Cambridge Natural History, Volume 8. 3 Hegner, R. W., "College Zoology," revised edition, 926. • Hornaday, W. T., "The American Natural History," 904. s Pratt, H. S., "Manual of the Vertebrates of the 'nited States," 1923. of these animals to Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. Only one other occurrence of the Gila Monster in Texas is recorded in the literature available to the writer. Cope lists a specimen taken at Fort McDowell, Texas. This single find was referred to by Strecker who comments somewhat skeptically on the report and states that he made careful search in favorable localities for these reptiles, but failed to find them in Texas. Any attempt to explain how this lizard found its way to Wheelock, some four or five hundred miles from its native haunts, would be mere guesswork. The writer has lately received from Mr. L. T. Hunter, county agent, Childress County, Texas, another most interesting find-the common Iguana, Iguana tuberculata. This reptile was killed on a roadside near Childress and was sent to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas on December 20, 1926. Childress County lies close to the eastern border of the Panhandle of Texas, touching the southwest corner of Oklahoma. This find is even more remarkable than the former, since the iguana was much farther from its native home-tropical America. The specimen measures three feet, nine and one half inches in length and apparently is only partly grown. Gadow states that Iguana tuberculata attains a length of five or six feet. Ditmars, Gadow, Hegner and Hornaday give the distribution as Central and South America and the West Indies, where it lives in trees. How such a reptile could find its way from its tropical and arboreal habitat in the jungles to the almost treeless plains of Childress, Texas, is an interesting speculation. PENNOYER F. ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS, COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS A PROTEST AGAINST CRYPTIC TITLES AND INDIRECT LABELING OF FIGURES IT is the usual thing to lodge complaints when established conventions are violated; but the writer wishes to point out that there are at least two conventions relating to form in scientific articles that could be violated with profit. This note sets forth a complaint against convention. Many authors are prone to introduce their works to the scientific world in more or less uncertain terms. They handicap them with titles that are often cryptic in the extreme. For example, what does "A New Insect from Utopia" mean? Any one who has had 6 Cope, E. D., "The Crocodilians, Lizards and Snakes of North America," Report U. S. National Museum, 1898. 7 Strecker, J. K., "Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas," 1915. experience in assembling a bibliography of a particular field will appreciate this sort of thing. A title, especially of a supposedly scientific paper, should be concise. However, precision or conciseness in writing a title for a paper should not fall before undue brevity. The writer certainly would not advocate a return to medievalism in such matters; but titles can be clear and at the same time brief. With the title cited above as a horrible example compare "Musca domestica, a New Dipteran Insect from Utopia." A good title, then, should be as brief as possible and should convey a definite idea of the contents of the subjoined matter, and should always be used with general papers as well as with papers of a taxonomic nature. Not very long ago a very excellent paper of considerable length and illustrated by well-drawn figures in a half-dozen or more plates came to me. This paper was a zoological thesis from one of the major universities of the country. As it happened to be along a line of especial interest to the writer, it was read with care. But the ease of reading and the degree of pleasure and profit enjoyed were seriously marred by the fact that the figures on the various plates were labeled with abbreviations and that one had to turn to a distant page to find the key to these abbreviations. It would have been bad enough had the key been on the page facing the plate, or at the bottom of the plate itself. Often, to make such a bad matter worse, the terms are not alphabetically arranged-they may even be omitted by error in some cases. Needless to say, a study of such plates involves a great deal of time, patience, labor and even temper. In many instances, unless such papers are of immediate interest, they go unread in so far as a careful examination of the plates is concerned. In the plates above mentioned, it was noticed that there would have been plenty of room to spell the labels out in full directly on the face of the plates, thus doing away with the necessity for a key, and at the same time effecting a saving of labor and space in production and a saving of time and labor in the ultimate consumption. The artistic qualities of the drawings would not suffer in the least by such a procedure; on the other hand, accuracy and availability would be greatly enhanced. The present system of indirect labeling of plates is archaic and absolutely unscientific. It should be changed to a system of direct labeling on the figures, together with any necessary explanatory matter (not a key) on the page facing the plate. Direct labeling can easily be carried out in all cases except possibly in those rare instances where the details are exceptionally small and numerous. In such cases the key should face the plate and it should be arranged in an alphabetical fashion. It is to be hoped that those editors responsible for matter of form such as the above in scientific serials will effect changes looking toward improvement. C. T. HURST DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, QUOTATIONS IN SCIENCE I note that attention is again called to the need of indicating in public addresses the be ginning and the closing of a quotation. The terms "quote" and "unquote" are suggested by Mr. Arnold. Some years ago I knew a very intelligent young woman who used to inform us that her "bright sayings"-some of them-were not original, by raising both hands above her head with the first and second fingers pointing upward. Her fingers were her "quotation marks" and were very easily understood. I have many times since thought that some such signs or signals would be useful for public speakers who wish to indicate when their quotation ends but do not care to say, "the quotation ends here." Probably both hands are not needed for the signal, but both for speaker and for audience some conventional sign would, it seems to me, be worth adopting. NORWICH UNIVERSITY S. FRANCIS HOWARD THE METRIC SYSTEM I READ with interest the letter of H. J. Page, of the Rothamsted Experiment Station, England, in SCIENCE for June 3, frankly confessing the great advantages of the Metric System over our stupid and inaccurate Anglo-American system of weights and measures, but explaining his use of the Anglo-Ameri can term of "quarter," &c., because his paper was intended for the agriculturists and not for scientists I beg leave to commend to him the method adopted by the Journal of the American Medical Association by which one does not need the searching of diction aries, etc. In the text of this admirable Journal all weights measures, etc., are given in the Metric System followed immediately in a parenthesis, by the Anglo-America equivalent. This is gradually educating the publi to the Metric System. I hope and believe that the day of its adoption drawing near. PHILADELPHIA, PA. QUOTATIONS W. W. KEEN A BRITISH COLONIAL RESEARCH THE report of the Committee on Scientific an Research Services, which is published this morning marks an important step forward in the scientific use of British Colonial resources. The recommendations have been adopted by the Colonial Conference, and ideas which have been in the air for some time have now become definite proposals. There is still, of course, a great deal to be done. The committee have worked under great pressure, and a further committee will have to be set up to work out details. The colonial governments have to give their consent and arrange their contributions to the central pool. But the main principles that there should be a chain of research stations, like Trinidad and Amami, throughout the Empire, with a central directing council in London, controlling a mobile reserve of men of science, and that there should be an Imperial Scientific Service transcending colonial boundaries, have been accepted by the spokesmen of five-and-twenty colonial governments. The present plans are only for agricultural research. Medicine and forestry have been left to the recently constituted Medical Research Committee and to next year's Empire Forestry Conference. But this report has the added interest that its underlying principles apply to all branches of scientific work. It brings out three points that are very little appreciated-how small a sum the colonial governments spend at present on agricultural research as compared with other governments; how valuable the trade of the colonies is to Great Britain; and how closely the prosperity of that trade is dependent upon agricultural progress. It is perhaps not surprising to hear that the United States already spends on agricultural research over $21,000,000 a year, and that the figure is growing. It is more surprising to learn that, though entomology is one of the most important and most highly organized branches of science in the colonies, their combined expenditure on it is little more than half the £100,000 a year that the government of Egypt spends. Henceforth it is proposed that the Imperial government and the colonial governments between them shall find £175,000 a year for agricultural research. That is considerably more than is being spent in uncoordinated ways to-day. But the Empire Marketing Board has an appropriation for research, and the money found by the Imperial government is likely to prove an excellent investment for the taxpayers at home. The complementary character of the trade between Great Britain and the Crown colonies makes an increase in their purchasing power particularly advantageous to industry here. On the other hand the colonial governments stand to gain out of all proportion to their contributions, for, while these contributions will be based on their revenue, the services they will receive will be limited only by their needs and by the resources of the whole system. They will be able to command first-rate men of science without having to find their salaries, because, if the conditions of service envisaged by the committee are created, the varied and well-rewarded career which the Colonial Agricultural Research Service will offer will enable it to attract the finest talent. The advantage will be greatest to the poorest colonies, for there is no natural connection between a colony's financial strength and the urgency of its need for scientific help. Moreover work well done in one colony is more often than not of value to other colonies, and the arrangements for more efficient intelligence service will make this more than ever obvious. Thus both in the science of soils and in plant genetics-"where," says the committee, "no organization of any kind at present exists"—the gain of one colony is likely to prove the gain of all. For this reason, if for no others, the proposals are plainly of interest to those Dominion. governments who have similar questions of their own; and there is every reason for believing that what is now being set on foot for the Crown colonies will come in time to cover the whole Empire.-The London Times. SCIENTIFIC BOOKS A Bibliography of American Natural History. The Pioneer Century, 1769-1865. By MAX MEISEL. Vol. II. Brooklyn, The Premier Publishing Company, xii + 741 pp. THIS, the second volume of Mr. Max Meisel's interesting and valuable contributions to the bibliography of the natural sciences in the United States, is in reality a history of the rise and development of the biological sciences in the first half of the last century in this country. It includes also the earth sciences and the exploring expeditions which were often concerned with technical scientific matters as well as with geographical and military or naval affairs. The multiplication of organizations, such as scientific societies and academies, and of various enterprises, such as museums, botanical and zoological gardens, institutes, state surveys, and exploring expeditions, was remarkable in the various parts of the United States from 1800 to 1844. Whereas, from 1769 to 1800 only ten such enterprises were founded, in the period from 1800 to 1844 one hundred and twenty were started on their career. Of these, sixteen were U. S. Government Exploring Expeditions. State geological and natural history surveys followed with the rise of state consciousness. The first state geological survey was that established in North Carolina in 1823. Other states followed in rapid suc cession, South Carolina in 1824, Massachusetts in 1830, Tennessee in 1831, Maryland in 1833, Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia in 1835, Georgia, Maine, New York and Pennsylvania in 1836, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio in 1837, Rhode Island in 1838, New Hampshire, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin in 1839, and Vermont in 1844. Three botanical gardens were opened in the first decade of the last century. The major line of activity was, however, very largely the formation of local scientific societies, academies, institutes and museums. These were the natural outgrowth of local enterprise and ambition and were obviously the most practical type in a period when travel was both expensive and time-consuming. While there are these marked developments of state and local enterprises, there is at the same time a noticeable absence of federal activities, aside from exploring expeditions which usually utilized the federal army or navy personnel and guidance; and of national societies. Two notable exceptions to this are the American Philosophical Society (1769) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1780). In the period from 1769 to 1844, and mainly after 1800, no less than 65 societies, lyceums, institutes, and the like, with state, county, city, or institutional designations in their names, were formed. Many of these were short-lived, a few now continue to function abreast of the times, and a number of others seem to have acquired the status of ancient and honorable desuetude. The close of this period saw the dawn of national solidarity in scientific matters with the formation of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists (1840), out of which grew the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Institution for the Promotion of Science (1840), the predecessor of the Smithsonian Institution. Scientific journals and publishing enterprises also multiplied in this period. Fourteen such serials, not professedly attached to institutions, were established between 1800 and 1844. Of these all but one, The American Journal of Science, have vanished, often after a brief career. They lacked the environing conditions and institutional continuity to enable them to survive in the struggle for pabulum and patronage. The bibliographer and librarian will find in this volume a valuable record of the fugitive publications of the early expeditions, the state surveys and the ephemeral societies and lyceums which sprang up throughout the Republic in its early days from Portland to Little Rock. The investigator will find here accurate citations of all papers on subjects in natural history in practically all of the serials issued by the scientific agencies in the United States published prior to 1845. The historian of this scientific age will find here, in so far as names and titles can express it, an epitome of the pioneer days of American science. CHARLES A. KOFOID UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ARTICLES EFFECT OF SHORT ALTERNATING PERIODS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS ON PLANT GROWTH IN earlier papers dating from 1920, it has been shown that the relative length of the day and night may profoundly affect the course of development of plants. With many species flowering and fruiting may be hastened or retarded by appropriate regulation of the daily period of illumination. In some plants flowering is favored by relatively short days, while in others reproductive activity is induced by long days. Thus it was found that plants normally flowering during the fall or winter may be readily caused to flower in midsummer by excluding the early morning or late afternoon light for a few hours each day. When, however, these plants were darkened for a like number of hours during the middle of the day the vegetative period was not materially shortened. In this respect the plants behaved about the same as if they had remained in the light throughout the day. It appears that with the same total number of hours of daily illumination two shorter periods of light do not produce the same effect as a single uninterrupted light period. The view has been previously expressed that the length of day effect is not due simply to the total quantity of light energy received by the plant and additional evidence in support of this view is seen in the results of recent experiments having to do with the response of plants to variations in the distribution of a given number of hours of illumination through the 24-hour period. Considerable work will be required to complete these studies but it seems desirable to report briefly at this time some of the results thus far obtained. It has been previously shown that in June plantings of the Biloxi variety of soybeans the normal vegetative period at Washington is 80 to 90 days while exposure to a daylight period of 8 to 12 hours may induce flowering in 20 to 25 days. Similar plantings were darkened daily from 10 a. m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p. m. As compared with the full length of day of summer this treatment not only failed to hasten flowering but actually delayed it by two weeks. On the other hand, when these and other plants of similar behavior were exposed to the full daylight period, but on alternate days only, the vegetative period was materially shortened, although not to the extent effected by a short daily illumination period. Experiments were next undertaken with uniform, relatively short alternating periods of light and darkness, using for the purpose small light-proof compartments, with 1,000watt Mazda lamps as the light source. Excess radiant heat energy from the lamps was prevented from reaching the plants by interposing a 2-inch screen of rapidly flowing clear water. Light intensities of 2,000-4,000 foot candles at normal temperatures were thus provided. Special timing devices were used for automatically turning the lights on and off at the proper intervals. As a standard of comparison for the shorter intervals, 12 hours of illumination alternating with 12 hours of darkening was used and in some instances continuous illumination also was employed. In addition to Biloxi soybeans, the Mandarin which readily flowers in the long days of June (at Washington) and the Peking variety, normally flowering under a somewhat shorter day, were included in the tests. With a 6-hour alternation of light and darkness the vegetative period of Mandarin was increased from 22 days (12-hour controls) to 34 days and the height was increased from 25 inches to 45 inches. Neither the Peking nor the Biloxi showed flower buds at the end of 51 days although their respective heights were 42 and 40 inches. The 12-hour controls flowered in 23 and 43 days, respectively, and their heights were 29 and 51 inches. In Rudbeckia bicolor, a plant in which flowering is favored by very long days, the vegetative period was reduced from 45 days to 37 days by the 6-hour alternation and the number of blossoms was considerably increased although the average size of the blossoms was reduced. In these tests the mean daily temperature ranged from 69° to 72°, with extreme daily ranges seldom departing from the mean by more than 5 degrees and without important differences between the two compartments. With a 4-hour alternation of light and darkness Mandarin and Peking soybeans gave similar results. Experiments were then made with alternating light and darkness intervals of 1 hour, 1 minute, and 15 seconds, respectively. In several tests running from 36 to 53 days the Mandarin flowered after considerable delay under the 1-hour alternation, as measured by the vegetative period under the 12-hour interval, but failed to flower under the two shorter intervals. Biloxi soybeans failed to flower under any of the short alternations. In contrast with the effect on soybeans, reproductive activity was materially hastened in Rudbeckia bicolor by the short alternations of light and darkness. Moreover, the vegetative period was about the same as under continuous illumination. In one test the vegetative period under the short alternations and under continuous light ranged from 31 to 37 days, as compared with 56 days under the 12-hour alternation. The average height of the plants was 40 inches under continuous illumination and 20 inches under each of the light-darkness alternations. Summing up, it is apparent that with the plants in which flowering is favored by short days as well as with those in which the opposite is true, the general effect of the relatively short alternations of light and darkness on reproductive activity is much the same as that produced by long days or continuous illumination. There is no suggestion of a short-day effect. However, the short light-darkness alternations may bring about more or less serious nutritional disturbances and growth relations are markedly affected. A striking feature of these tests with soybeans and Rudbeckia and with Cosmos sulphureus has been the chlorotic, weak, spindling type of growth produced by the short light-darkness alternations, which is especially marked under the 1-minute interval. These effects seem to increase with decrease in the duration of the alternation until a climax is reached with the 1-minute interval. Curiously enough, the type of growth is much improved again with the 15-second interval. Evidently, assimilation and other functions may be much disturbed under relatively short alternations of light and darkness. In this connection it is of interest to note that Warburg (Biochem. Zeitschr., v. 100, 1919, p. 230-270), working with Chlorella under very short illumination intervals, did not obtain the normal average rate of assimilation found for continuous illumination till the alternations were reduced to a length of about .004 second. Under the 1-minute interval in our tests with soybeans leaf development was poor, the leaves being reduced in size, chlorotic and showing large splotches of dead tissue. The stems were slender and weak. Cosmos showed much the same characteristics in leaf and stem. Larger plants of Rudbeckia showed somewhat less leaf injury but small seedlings were unable to survive at all under the 1-minute interval. Taking 100 to represent the average dry weight of the aboveground parts of Rudbeckia under the 1-minute interval, in a typical case, the corresponding values for the 15-seconds, 1-hour and 12-hour intervals were 150, 175, and 250, respectively. Similarly, with 100 as the dry weight of tops produced by Biloxi soybeans at the end of 21 days under the 1-minute interval, the corresponding values for the other intervals were 190, 280, 280, respectively, and 310 for continuous illumination. Similar, though somewhat larger, differences under the different exposures were obtained with Cosmos. Interesting contrasts in relative growth of root and top were shown by the soybeans and cosmos under the different light exposures. In the soybeans root development was very poor under the 1-minute and 15-seconds exposures, the |