diff --git a/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/rms.py b/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/rms.py
index 4e00c2b7eb8..639220196de 100644
--- a/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/rms.py
+++ b/package/MDAnalysis/analysis/rms.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
    rmsd = R.rmsd.T   # transpose makes it easier for plotting
-   time = rmsd[1]facebook.com
+   time = rmsd[1]
    fig = plt.figure(figsize=(4,4))
    ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
    ax.plot(time, rmsd[2], 'k-',  label="all")
@@ -351,12 +351,13 @@ def __init__(self, traj, reference=None, select='all',
         self.ref_atoms = self.reference.select_atoms(*self.select['reference'])
         self.traj_atoms = self.universe.select_atoms(*self.select['mobile'])
         if len(self.ref_atoms) != len(self.traj_atoms):
-            logger.exception('SelectionError: ref_atoms, traj_atoms unequal')
-            raise SelectionError("Reference and trajectory atom selections do "
+            errmsg = "Reference and trajectory atom selections do "
                                  "not contain the same number of atoms: "
                                  "N_ref={0:d}, N_traj={1:d}".format(
                                      self.ref_atoms.n_atoms,
-                                     self.traj_atoms.n_atoms))
+                                     self.traj_atoms.n_atoms)
+            logger.exception(errmsg)
+            raise SelectionError(errormsg)
         logger.info("RMS calculation for {0:d} atoms.".format(len(self.ref_atoms)))
         mass_mismatches = (np.absolute(self.ref_atoms.masses - self.traj_atoms.masses) > self.tol_mass)
         if np.any(mass_mismatches):
@@ -366,7 +367,8 @@ def __init__(self, traj, reference=None, select='all',
                 if ar.name != at.name:
                     logger.error("{0!s:>4} {1:3d} {2!s:>3} {3!s:>3} {4:6.3f}  |  {5!s:>4} {6:3d} {7!s:>3} {8!s:>3} {9:6.3f}".format(ar.segid, ar.resid, ar.resname, ar.name, ar.mass,
                                  at.segid, at.resid, at.resname, at.name, at.mass))
-            errmsg = "Inconsistent selections, masses differ by more than {0:f}; mis-matching atoms are shown above.".format( \
+            errmsg = "Inconsistent selections, masses differ by more than"
+                     + "{0:f}; mis-matching atoms are shown above.".format(
                      self.tol_mass)
             logger.error(errmsg)
             raise SelectionError(errmsg)