The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-10
ANIMALS AND SUN SPOT'S.
The Connection Between the TIVE, 40
cording to simroth's Theory.
From the Umsehdt

From the Umschdu-
n. Simroth has attempted TO explain sue
cessiye glacial periods and climatic altera-
tions by changes Of latitude caused ny o
very slow oscillation Of thee earth. to the ex
tent Of 80 or 10 degrees In each direction
around it's longest axis, which meets tno
surface in Ecuador and Sumatra. rms
cause assumed by simroth for the penduls-
ton is the oblique impact Of . former sstei-
lite, coming from the west southwest, upon
the earth in the region OF the Sudan. With
this "pendulation theory" 10 associated tne
hypothesis that all animal life originated
near the 10 degree meridian THE equator
OF the pendulstion ads). which passes
through central Europe and the sudan, ana
ono of It's consequences ts =. Intricate cen-
nection between sun spots q the geo
graphical distribution Of animals. such 2
connection has long been assumed to exist
tin regard to visitations Of locusts. Tor ex-
ample), but the assumption has found favor
with few ~goologists. According TO the theory
the period Of ~fuctustion IN animal ife
should be the mean sun spot period OF eleven
years, although the interval which actually
interyenes between successive sun spot
maxims varies from six to seventeen years
In 1907. in accordance with the theory. many
species Of animals appeared In unaccus-
lQuiCu pIoCCb VI III uIAuooosh AeAeS
The following examples. with many others,
are mentioned by Slmroth In q recent arti-
Gle. Siberian pine Jays locked Into Ger
many In great numbers In 1907. - they had
done In 1896. The cause commonly assumed
for the migration OF these birds h esfailure
OF the Siberian CROP Of pine nuts =. ilch are
their principal food. SimrotA - b o con.
trary attributes the migratioA 20 increase
in the number OF birds resulting from an
unusually abundant crop Of pine nuts In the
preceding year, In support OF this view he
cites the very heavy crop Of seed produced
by German conifers In 1908 and the remark
ably large numbers Of squirrels seen In 1907.
Asiatlc prairie hens also appeared In Eu-
rope In 1907. TAeir last previous appear
ance wa In it5s, approximately two sun
spot periods earlier. In 1907 n woodwork
of the Nati0sai Museum In Washington was
seriously injured by termites. A similar
attack had been made eleven or twelve
years before. In the spring Of 1908 about
$1,000 pounds Of shad were taken from a
Prussian lake which had yielded on equally
surprising harvest In 1897. In 1907 huge
warns OF wasps. thistle moths and dragon
flies appeared In Germany and loousts In
Hungary. Simroth attributes TO sun spots
ever the unusual numbers Of the white vari-
ETY. Of the common great slug tLuriaI maxi
nusl. Without regard to the pendulation
theory the occurrence Of go many phenom-
ena Of this nature In 1907 Is very remarkable,
but In the same year many species were
unusually scarce. The numbers Of every
species vary from year to ear. owing
doubtless to climatic influences. Simroth
draws from the phenomena q number Of
conclusions. OF which the following are the
most interesting:
In the equatorial phase Of pendulation.
through which Europe Is now passing. vari-
Gus organisms return both from the east
te. g.. Siberian jays and prairie hens) and
from the west 10. g., come American mol
lusks and plants) to the tenth east meridian.
Both the migration and the multiplication
OF species are connected with the eleven
year sun spot period.
The warm period, through which Europe
Is now passing, occasions . great increase
OF animal life.