5 



INTRODUCTION 



As we mentioned in the first edition, the foundation of a General 

 Embryological Information Service was an experiment on 

 a large scale. Now in publishing the second issue we can state that this 

 international service really meets with general approval. We received so 

 many enthousiastic letters from all over the world and, moreover, so many 

 institutes, not yet represented in the first issue, offered their cooperation that 

 we feel justified to continue this service. 



Comparing the first and the second issue it will be evident that on the one 

 hand the greater part of the investigations in elaboration have not been 

 changed, but that on the other hand a rather important number of investi- 

 gations have been completed and an almost corresponding number of new 

 investigations have been started. It is the lastmentioned group which is of 

 special importance, as it demonstrates the progress of the embryological 

 science and will, therefore, highly interest every embryologist. 



We have seriously weighed the desirability of an annual edition of the 

 G.E.I.S. taking into consideration all the various aspects of this question. 

 A survey of the current scientific work every two or three years only would 

 mean that in the course of such a period the greater part of the 

 investigations would have been completed already for a shorter or longer 

 time. One would moreover be ignorant of the new researches, 

 started in the course of this period. In such a way the G.E.I.S. would not 

 answer its purposes. An annual survey will therefore be 

 necessary. 



It might, however, suffice to mention only those investigations that have 

 been completed in the course of a year, and those started during this period, 

 thus reducing the size of the annual publication considerably. Such a procedure 

 would, however, not give a real reduction in work and even not a marked 

 decrease in price, as the administrative work, which will not be changed, 

 represents the main source of expenses. The suitability of the G.E.I.S. would 

 however decrease markedly, as one would be compelled always to consult 

 a volume and its supplements together. We therefore decided to publish 

 annually a complete survey of the current scientific 

 work. 



Surveying the list of institutes included in the second issue, we can state 

 that the list has been extended considerably, especially as regards the United 

 States and the far East, whereas unfortunately the central part of Europe 

 has been seceded for the greater part. The inclusion of the Japanese and 

 Chinese embryological institutes forms an important contribution to its 

 completeness. A small number of institutes, however, still remains, which 

 we could not yet interest in our common enterprise. We ask the collaborators 

 to support our work by discussing this project with members of the staff 

 of those institutes. 



Practical arrangements 



We have united the alphabetical list of names and addresses and that of 

 names with subjects in preparation in order to get a clearer and more suitable 

 form of publication. 



The list of institutes with composition of scientific staffs has now been 



