Evening star., 1951-09-19
Fighting Worms Found
On Marshall Islands
Leap Several Inches Into Air
In Attempts to Escape
BY Thomos R. Henry

Fighting. jumping earthworms are
among the animal curiosities on the
Arno atoll in the Marshall Islands re-
ported to the Pacific Science Board of
the National Research Council.
The report is by DR.. Joe T. Marshall.
jr. OF the University of Arizona, who
conducted the survey Of the animal life
OF this area-one Of many surveys being
carried out under the councils direction.
When snapped up by birds or by the
small lizards Of the atoll, DR.. Marshall
says, these earthworms put UP q real
fight. They seem to be quite muscular,
although similar in appearance to famil-
lar earthworms. In their efforts to
escape, they will leap" several inches
into the air.
The earthwormS, DR.. Marshall ex-
plains, form a considerable item in the
diet OF the emoias. one family of small
lizards, but it Is about all q reptile can
do to overcome its prey. The worms
must be swallowed gradually.
Weird Creatures.
Some Of the Arno lizards are rather
weird creatures. such as the big tree
eeckos, which are active only at night
in trees and can be detected by their
red eye-shine" when a hashlight is
turned on the foliage.
Closely related to them is what the
Arno natives call "the terrible lizard"
1t is a relatively large creature but, so
far as DR.. Marshall could determine,
unusually gentle. 1t is capable, how
ever, Of putting up a strenuous fight
when cornered.
The Arno atoll DR.. Marshall found
is one of the few places where the "law
OF the jungle" does not obtain. because
there is plenty of food for all-from
man to worm. Vegetation is eaten by
various insects and lizards eat a few
insects, but nothing preys on the lizards.
Rats eat some vegetation but nothing
eats the rats-not even the cats, except
near houses.
Food is about the last thing the few
islanders need worry about. There are
so many pigs and chickens that they
run wild, with almost nobody attempting
to capture them, and the food resources
of the sea are untapped.
Exploring phosphorus atoms are
throwing new light on schizophrenia-
the strange mental condition in which
the mind seems to be split-which sell
dom permanently is cured, and which
takes up more beds in mental insti-
tutions than any other malady.
Up to now it has been impossible to
find specific physical differences between
schizophrenicS and normal individuals
A few have been claimed. but they have
not stood up under test. The disease
might be considered one of the mind
alone.
Now the radiophosphorus isotopes are
showing the presence Of substances in
the blood which do not occur In the
blood Of normal people. according to the
experiments OF two Swedish psychia-
tristS reported in the Quarterly Review
Of Psychology and Neurology.
The isotopes can be introduced into
several phosphorus compounds ordinar-
lily found in the blood. These act a.
labels. They reveal the presence, say Drs.
Axe Orstrom and Odvar Skaug, Of
hitherto unknown compounds. two Of
which have been isolated. One can be
partially identified. The other has de.
fed chemical analysis.
Other Experiments.
In other Swedish experiments Rreatef
than normal amounts Of copper ware
found in the blood serum Of schiEo-
phrenia victims. This might be due %
some mild infection, which also would
AFFECT the amount Of Iron present. The
Swedish workers. according to the
Quarterly Review report. are still divided
on the significance of the fndinx and
it has not been possible consistently to
reproduce the results.
Rather consistent in schizophrenics.
according to another report from DR..
K. M. Bowman and his associates of
Los Angeles, is higher uptake of radio
active iodine together with consistently
lower basal metabolism This indicates
that while the thyroid gland Is more
hungry Tor iodine, the essential thyroid
element. 1t does not perform so well the
junction for which it was intended.