Editor's column: Synoptic publishing

The future of the paper-based scientific journal seems to lie in synoptic publishing. Synoptic publishing is a system the chief components of which are the synoptic article and the back-up structure. The synoptic article is not new in essence - for many decades there has been development towards greater selectivity of material within articles and towards synoptic expression. The back-up structure, however, has not been developed to any appreciable extent. There are examples of back-up structures in the form of special microfiche serials distributed among libraries and of full texts in miniprint appended to the synoptic article. Adequate full-text depositories ('open files'), however, are poorly developed and can be instituted only upon agreement far above the level of ordinary research institutions. The back-up material, largely camera-ready copy, needs strict editing as early as the author's level. Acceptance for deposition should follow the norms of acceptance for publication, with the assistance of referees.     

Editor's column: Directories as scientific catalysts

International funding of scientific activities is mostly of catalyst size only. Systematic efforts to track down the catalysing situations in these activities are made by the funding organizations. Great attention is devoted to meetings, while the catalysts of current activities between meetings are neglected. Regular primary publications are the closest counterparts in the current work of meetings but are out of size and inconvenient in structure for catalytic support. Circulars, newsletters and annotated directories (many hybrids occur) are very important catalysts of more manageable size. Taken together they represent considerable amounts of largely concealed labour and costs. Standards are badly needed for making the organization of information elements in directories efficient. Each entry in a directory should add a research profile to the scientists' identity and address. Directories may remain a jungle product, but scientists' considerable efforts in producing them merit a reconsideration of the organization of their contents and the provision of advice for their production and distribution.     

Editor's column: Palaeontological and stratigraphical newsletters

Newsletters and annotated directories are important sources of information in science. Most newsletters concentrating on individual research in progress are not formally published but circularized. Reporting on results or findings in circularized newsletters ('non-publications') often means misplacing the material and almost always non-availability through secondary services. The circularized newsletters are mostly very efficient means of information among the established specialists on the mailing-lists. but the information seldom reaches newcomers and non-specialists. In order to make their existence known in somewhat wider circles, Lethaia offers space for onepage presentations of newsletters relevant to palaeontology and stratigraphy.     

Hawk-moth scale analysis and pollination specialization in the epilithic Malagasy endemic Aerangis ellisii (Reichenb. fil.) Schltr. (Orchidaceae)

The pollination biology of the epilithic endemic Aerangis ellisii (Reichenb. fil.) Schltr. (Orchidaceae) was studied on an inselberg in the Antananarivo region, central Madagascar. The flowers exhibit long nectariferous spurs indicative of hawk-moth pollination, the mechanism evidently involving pollinia transfer via the frons and palpi of the vectors. Analysis of hawk-moth scales on naturally pollinated stigmas showed that the principal pollinators were Agrius conuolvuli (Linnaeus) and Panogena lingens (Butler). Proboscis morphology of long-tongued Malagasy Sphingidae in relation to nectar position and spur morphology in A. ellisii also indicated that A. conuolvuli and P. lingens were best suited to interact with the plant's floral adaptation. Aerangis ellisii seems to display a relatively moderate specialization versus the Malagasy hawk-moth guild since its nectar is accessible even to those long-proboscis hawk-moth species which are not able to act as pollinators.