The anatomy of the middle ear is outlined for lizards in general and described in detail for Crot... more The anatomy of the middle ear is outlined for lizards in general and described in detail for Crotaphytus collaris (Iguanidae). By use of the alternating potentials of the cochlea, the general function of the middle ear in the reception of aerial sounds was determined by comparing the ear's sensitivity when the middle ear mechanism was intact with the sensitivity remaining when the columellar shaft was severed, thus eliminating the connection between the stapedial footplate and the more peripheral parts. This comparison was made under two conditions, with the sound applied in the usual way at the external auditory meatus and with the sound introduced through a tube sealed over the oval window. The loss of transmission observed under the first condition is complicated by the presence in the sound path of the nonfunctioning tympanic membrane and by an interaction of sound waves reaching both round and oval windows of the cochlea, but the second condition, in which these complications are avoided, reflects the true performance of the middle ear as a mechanical transformer. This transformer action was measured as 35 db on the average for tones between 300 and 4000 Hz, which is the region of best hearing for this lizard.Further analysis of the operation of the tympanic mechanism was carried out by measurements of sensitivity before and after severing the connection between the internal process and the quadrate bone. These observations showed that the internal process makes little or no contribution to the ear's sensitivity. Other experiments performed with mechanical stimulation showed that the columellar system acts as a reduction lever, and the measurements gave a general indication of the amount of this lever action.The pressure increase provided by the columellar lever, together with a still greater increase produced by the areal ratio between the effective surface of the tympanic membrane and the surface of the columellar footplate, can account in large part at least for the total transformer action. This action makes it possible for acoustic energy to be conveyed with great efficiency from the air to the relatively dense and stiff sensory elements of the cochlea. This problem of the matching of impedances between two media, and its solution by the use of a mechanical transformer, has long been studied in mammals, and especially in the cat, and the solution provided by the lizard's middle ear seems altogether as satisfactory as that provided by the structurally different ossicular mechanism of the mammals.
These notes on some Egyptian lacertid lizards contribute to faunal data for the planning of biodi... more These notes on some Egyptian lacertid lizards contribute to faunal data for the planning of biodiversity conservation. Mesalina bahaeldini curatorum n. subsp. is described from Suez, characterized by coloration and larger (fewer) body scales. Range extensions are documented for Acanthodactylus aegyptius, Mesalina olivieri, and M. rubropunctata. The previously reported occurrence of A. opheodurus in Sinai is doubted. The fact that the M. b. curatorum types were collected in the 1820s demonstrates the importance of museum collections.
Abstract From material in the Hebrew University, Cyrtodactylus scaber (Gekkonidae) is reported fo... more Abstract From material in the Hebrew University, Cyrtodactylus scaber (Gekkonidae) is reported for the first time from Jordan, and the occurrence there of Bunopus blanfordii (Gekkonidae) and Acanthodactylus pardalis (Laceridae) is confirmed. Coluber elegantissimus (Colubridae) is re-instated in Jordan’s herpetofaunal list.
ABSTRACT Gekkoninae, laying rigid, precisely mensurable eggs in invariable clutches, served to ex... more ABSTRACT Gekkoninae, laying rigid, precisely mensurable eggs in invariable clutches, served to examine the relations between egg shape, egg size and mother size, at intra—and interspecific levels. Ellipticity (ratio width/length) and volume were calculated from linear measurements of 82 eggs obtained in captivity from geckos of eleven Near-Eastern taxa. Clutch volume, apportioned to one or two eggs, was interspecifically correlated to maternal length. Eggs varied in size, intra—and interspecifically, generally retaining near-uniform ellipticity but some exceedingly large eggs were more elongate. In Ptyodactylus hasselquistii guttatus the eggs, flexible when laid, are pushed by the mother into near-spherical shape; hatchling length is correlated to egg diameter. Gecko clutches constitute as much mass, relative to maternal mass, as in many other lizard groups.
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content")... more Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content")... more Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
TAPROBANICA: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity, Aug 2, 2011
A splitter's systematics of writing: scientific writing and writing English are separate issues a... more A splitter's systematics of writing: scientific writing and writing English are separate issues and this has implications Publishing is an essential component of scientific activity and an increasing number of well-known forces, but including also editors, press us to publish much . Recently, refinement of some of these forces coerces at least some of us to publish not merely in peer-reviewed journals but in those that are hardest to penetrate. My personal opinion that this is to the detriment of science does not help. Publishing well is difficult. Here I try to analyze part of the difficulty and to conclude partial remedies. The English language, and especially "American" (USAian), has become, or is becoming, the world's language of science. This is due to two successive historical situations: the size and geographical spread of the past British Empire, and the size and scientific productivity of the USA. Certainly, having a global language is advantageous for science. But that this language is English, is unfortunate. English is relatively difficult to learn, because there is no regular correspondence of spelling with pronunciation: "Now you read the red book that I read yesterday" -and this is a moderate example. This drawback is claimed to be offset by the famous richness of the English vocabulary. The latter is due in part to the language's dual origin. Additionally, linguistic richness goes hand in hand with national culture; not everybody has horsestallion-gelding-mare-foal-colt-filly. Piquantly, English has no word for the German verb gönnen, the opposite of grudge (=begrudge), i.e., feeling happy with somebody else's good fortune. Anyway, we are stuck with writing our papers in English. Writing a scientific paper is a challenge, even after problems of contents have been settled. Help is available from many books (my favorite is by Trelease, 1969; but see comparative book review by Baker, 1969), guideline brochures, articles, websites of publishers and very detailed Instructions for Authors in some of the journals. In biology, many editors recommend, or even declare as adopted, the CBE (Council of Biology Editors) Style Manual (CBE Style Manual Committee, 1994) but few impose its simplest rules. Most of all this material radiates an attitude that scientific writing and writing English constitute one problem. In this spirit, a long scholarly editorial in an upper-class journal recently admonished, especially young Americans, to write more carefully . Rather than quote and repeat here that review of sloppy and faulty English in science papers (that is worth reading), I endeavor to base my argument below on additional points. I consider scientific writing and writing English to be separate issues that sometimes clash. A notable example is, when X moved several times from A to B, the English teacher urges, "Don't monotonously repeat yourself. You have at your disposal walk, go, march, step, pace, stride, rush and others". In contrast, the scientific writing guide says, "If X did the same thing repeatedly, use the same verb. Keep the uniformity obvious, also in consideration of non-native readers." Most of the specific characteristics of scientific writing have nothing to do with English; they apply in any language. And some counter the ideals of elegant writing, in any language. They are intended to enhance communication, also for non-native readers. Foremost among these are plain language (as exemplified above); avoidance of verbosity (drop any phrase or word that does not add information; "very quickly" says no more than "quickly"); and avoidance of redundancy (said once is enough). These function in part through promoting brevity. Brevity in itself is good for the reader and therefore for the author and it alleviates the costs of publication. Several rules of scientific writing are desirable everywhere although commonly taken lightly, but are absolutely necessary for the high-fidelity communication needed in science. These include clarity and lack of ambiguity. General words should be replaced with specific ones. Not "as he went" -either "when he went" or "because he went". Not "while he went" -either "when he went" or "although he went" (This one may vary among languages.). In this context I particularly negate the use of three punctuation marks. The slash or diagonal has too many meanings: A/B can mean (1) A divided by B. ( ) A, which is part of B. (3) B, which is part of A. (4) A and B. (e.g., males and females). (5) A or B. (6) In "and/or" (prohibited but not
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 1969
... S of Kalat, Baluchi-stan Pasni, Baluchistan Saradoo, 2S mi. S of Panjgur, BaluchistanShahi-Tu... more ... S of Kalat, Baluchi-stan Pasni, Baluchistan Saradoo, 2S mi. S of Panjgur, BaluchistanShahi-Tump near Turbat, Baluchistan Shahi River, Kalat, Baluchistan Zallaq, 5 mi. ... WEST PAKISTAN (1): MCZ 54409, S, Shahi-Tiimp at Turbat, Baluchistan, 21 March 1955, Field. ...
BRILL) announces that at its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM), held today, all propos... more BRILL) announces that at its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM), held today, all proposals were approved.
The anatomy of the middle ear is outlined for lizards in general and described in detail for Crot... more The anatomy of the middle ear is outlined for lizards in general and described in detail for Crotaphytus collaris (Iguanidae). By use of the alternating potentials of the cochlea, the general function of the middle ear in the reception of aerial sounds was determined by comparing the ear's sensitivity when the middle ear mechanism was intact with the sensitivity remaining when the columellar shaft was severed, thus eliminating the connection between the stapedial footplate and the more peripheral parts. This comparison was made under two conditions, with the sound applied in the usual way at the external auditory meatus and with the sound introduced through a tube sealed over the oval window. The loss of transmission observed under the first condition is complicated by the presence in the sound path of the nonfunctioning tympanic membrane and by an interaction of sound waves reaching both round and oval windows of the cochlea, but the second condition, in which these complications are avoided, reflects the true performance of the middle ear as a mechanical transformer. This transformer action was measured as 35 db on the average for tones between 300 and 4000 Hz, which is the region of best hearing for this lizard.Further analysis of the operation of the tympanic mechanism was carried out by measurements of sensitivity before and after severing the connection between the internal process and the quadrate bone. These observations showed that the internal process makes little or no contribution to the ear's sensitivity. Other experiments performed with mechanical stimulation showed that the columellar system acts as a reduction lever, and the measurements gave a general indication of the amount of this lever action.The pressure increase provided by the columellar lever, together with a still greater increase produced by the areal ratio between the effective surface of the tympanic membrane and the surface of the columellar footplate, can account in large part at least for the total transformer action. This action makes it possible for acoustic energy to be conveyed with great efficiency from the air to the relatively dense and stiff sensory elements of the cochlea. This problem of the matching of impedances between two media, and its solution by the use of a mechanical transformer, has long been studied in mammals, and especially in the cat, and the solution provided by the lizard's middle ear seems altogether as satisfactory as that provided by the structurally different ossicular mechanism of the mammals.
These notes on some Egyptian lacertid lizards contribute to faunal data for the planning of biodi... more These notes on some Egyptian lacertid lizards contribute to faunal data for the planning of biodiversity conservation. Mesalina bahaeldini curatorum n. subsp. is described from Suez, characterized by coloration and larger (fewer) body scales. Range extensions are documented for Acanthodactylus aegyptius, Mesalina olivieri, and M. rubropunctata. The previously reported occurrence of A. opheodurus in Sinai is doubted. The fact that the M. b. curatorum types were collected in the 1820s demonstrates the importance of museum collections.
Abstract From material in the Hebrew University, Cyrtodactylus scaber (Gekkonidae) is reported fo... more Abstract From material in the Hebrew University, Cyrtodactylus scaber (Gekkonidae) is reported for the first time from Jordan, and the occurrence there of Bunopus blanfordii (Gekkonidae) and Acanthodactylus pardalis (Laceridae) is confirmed. Coluber elegantissimus (Colubridae) is re-instated in Jordan’s herpetofaunal list.
ABSTRACT Gekkoninae, laying rigid, precisely mensurable eggs in invariable clutches, served to ex... more ABSTRACT Gekkoninae, laying rigid, precisely mensurable eggs in invariable clutches, served to examine the relations between egg shape, egg size and mother size, at intra—and interspecific levels. Ellipticity (ratio width/length) and volume were calculated from linear measurements of 82 eggs obtained in captivity from geckos of eleven Near-Eastern taxa. Clutch volume, apportioned to one or two eggs, was interspecifically correlated to maternal length. Eggs varied in size, intra—and interspecifically, generally retaining near-uniform ellipticity but some exceedingly large eggs were more elongate. In Ptyodactylus hasselquistii guttatus the eggs, flexible when laid, are pushed by the mother into near-spherical shape; hatchling length is correlated to egg diameter. Gecko clutches constitute as much mass, relative to maternal mass, as in many other lizard groups.
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content")... more Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content")... more Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
TAPROBANICA: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity, Aug 2, 2011
A splitter's systematics of writing: scientific writing and writing English are separate issues a... more A splitter's systematics of writing: scientific writing and writing English are separate issues and this has implications Publishing is an essential component of scientific activity and an increasing number of well-known forces, but including also editors, press us to publish much . Recently, refinement of some of these forces coerces at least some of us to publish not merely in peer-reviewed journals but in those that are hardest to penetrate. My personal opinion that this is to the detriment of science does not help. Publishing well is difficult. Here I try to analyze part of the difficulty and to conclude partial remedies. The English language, and especially "American" (USAian), has become, or is becoming, the world's language of science. This is due to two successive historical situations: the size and geographical spread of the past British Empire, and the size and scientific productivity of the USA. Certainly, having a global language is advantageous for science. But that this language is English, is unfortunate. English is relatively difficult to learn, because there is no regular correspondence of spelling with pronunciation: "Now you read the red book that I read yesterday" -and this is a moderate example. This drawback is claimed to be offset by the famous richness of the English vocabulary. The latter is due in part to the language's dual origin. Additionally, linguistic richness goes hand in hand with national culture; not everybody has horsestallion-gelding-mare-foal-colt-filly. Piquantly, English has no word for the German verb gönnen, the opposite of grudge (=begrudge), i.e., feeling happy with somebody else's good fortune. Anyway, we are stuck with writing our papers in English. Writing a scientific paper is a challenge, even after problems of contents have been settled. Help is available from many books (my favorite is by Trelease, 1969; but see comparative book review by Baker, 1969), guideline brochures, articles, websites of publishers and very detailed Instructions for Authors in some of the journals. In biology, many editors recommend, or even declare as adopted, the CBE (Council of Biology Editors) Style Manual (CBE Style Manual Committee, 1994) but few impose its simplest rules. Most of all this material radiates an attitude that scientific writing and writing English constitute one problem. In this spirit, a long scholarly editorial in an upper-class journal recently admonished, especially young Americans, to write more carefully . Rather than quote and repeat here that review of sloppy and faulty English in science papers (that is worth reading), I endeavor to base my argument below on additional points. I consider scientific writing and writing English to be separate issues that sometimes clash. A notable example is, when X moved several times from A to B, the English teacher urges, "Don't monotonously repeat yourself. You have at your disposal walk, go, march, step, pace, stride, rush and others". In contrast, the scientific writing guide says, "If X did the same thing repeatedly, use the same verb. Keep the uniformity obvious, also in consideration of non-native readers." Most of the specific characteristics of scientific writing have nothing to do with English; they apply in any language. And some counter the ideals of elegant writing, in any language. They are intended to enhance communication, also for non-native readers. Foremost among these are plain language (as exemplified above); avoidance of verbosity (drop any phrase or word that does not add information; "very quickly" says no more than "quickly"); and avoidance of redundancy (said once is enough). These function in part through promoting brevity. Brevity in itself is good for the reader and therefore for the author and it alleviates the costs of publication. Several rules of scientific writing are desirable everywhere although commonly taken lightly, but are absolutely necessary for the high-fidelity communication needed in science. These include clarity and lack of ambiguity. General words should be replaced with specific ones. Not "as he went" -either "when he went" or "because he went". Not "while he went" -either "when he went" or "although he went" (This one may vary among languages.). In this context I particularly negate the use of three punctuation marks. The slash or diagonal has too many meanings: A/B can mean (1) A divided by B. ( ) A, which is part of B. (3) B, which is part of A. (4) A and B. (e.g., males and females). (5) A or B. (6) In "and/or" (prohibited but not
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 1969
... S of Kalat, Baluchi-stan Pasni, Baluchistan Saradoo, 2S mi. S of Panjgur, BaluchistanShahi-Tu... more ... S of Kalat, Baluchi-stan Pasni, Baluchistan Saradoo, 2S mi. S of Panjgur, BaluchistanShahi-Tump near Turbat, Baluchistan Shahi River, Kalat, Baluchistan Zallaq, 5 mi. ... WEST PAKISTAN (1): MCZ 54409, S, Shahi-Tiimp at Turbat, Baluchistan, 21 March 1955, Field. ...
BRILL) announces that at its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM), held today, all propos... more BRILL) announces that at its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM), held today, all proposals were approved.
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