The subject of the present communication arose from an incidental observation made during an attempt to establish a Symptom: Sign Inventory for use with all types of mental patients. For some time past all cases diagnosed by psychiatrists as suffering from depression, whether psychotic or neurotic, have been given this inventory. The observation made was that, within the group diagnosed as psychotic, those over 60 years of age did not appear from the inventory to have the same symptoms as those under 60.