Activity records of five chaffinches held under constant light and temperature. The bird shown in panel I (top) was exposed to a light intensity of 5 lux. The birds shown in panels II-V were exposed to an order of magnitude dimmer light. Here Aschoff’s focus is on the relationships between the free-running period (τ) and the two major components of the actogram, activity (α) and rest (ρ). Quoting Aschoff: “It may be asked whether, under constant conditions, the variability of the whole period τ is simply the summation of the variabilities of α and ρ or whether τ is more or less stable than its two components.” Aschoff was also working out the best way to assess the precision of τ. The figure is taken from chapter one of the book “Biochronometry,” edited by Michael Menaker, which is a record of the proceedings of a symposium held at Friday Harbor, Washington in September 1969, published by the National Academy of Sciences.