INTRODUCTION 



Each volume of the General Embryological Information Service is issued in 

 two parts: Part 1 contains the data on research workers in Europe. The Sub- 

 ject Index of this part refers to the research subjects of European investi- 

 gators only. Part 2 will contain the data on investigators in all countries 

 outside Europe, and will be organised in the same manner as part 1. 



In the research subjects the wording used by the investigators was gener- 

 ally retained, but some changes have been made in order to save space. Repe- 

 titions of words and parts of entries giving too much detail were omitted; 

 phrases such as "research on ..." or "studies of ..." were cancelled; often 

 methods were put in brackets at the end of the entry. Inevitably these conden- 

 sations have caused a certain loss of information, but we feel that clarity 

 is not seriously impaired. 



For the names of higher taxa of experimental animals the following books 

 have been consulted: L. A. Borradaile and F.A. Potts, The Invertebrata (4th 

 ed., 1963), and J.Z.Young, The Life of Vertebrates (2nd ed. , 1962). Lord 

 Rothschild, A Classification of Living Animals (2nd ed. , 1965) was also of 

 much use. 



Generally the highest taxon given at the end of the entry is the class, 

 but in Angiospermae it is the family, in Mammalia^ Reptilia, Amphibia, and 

 Insecta the order, while in Crustacea and Arachnida both the class and the 

 order are listed. 



In volume 17 (1977/78) a total of 3,372 developmental biologists were 

 listed. This is twice the number listed 15 years ago (1963/64), but about 

 the same number as in vol.16 (1975/76). The number of persons listed in the 

 present part of vol.18 (Europe only) again shows some increase over 1977 

 (about 8%) . 



For some years now we have regularly called your attention to the financial 

 situation of the G.E.I.S., which is causing concern due to the fact that the 

 increase in the number of collaborators, however welcome in itself, and the 

 rise in the cost of printing are no longer met by an increasing number of 

 subscriptions; in fact this number is steadily declining. 



We take pleasure in announcing a slight reduction in the Dutch guilder 

 price for the present volume. This could be achieved by simplifying the Sub- 

 ject Index (see page 151) and by producing some of the chapters directly from 

 ready copy. However, the salaries of the Hubrecht Laboratory personnel en- 

 gaged in producing the G.E.I.S. are not taken into account in calculating the 

 subscription price. It is not certain whether in the present economic situa- 

 tion the Hubrecht Laboratory can continue providing this Service for develop- 

 mental biologists. Efforts are being made to obtain support from internation- 

 al organisations, but in any case the continuing interest and support of the 

 international community of developmental biologists, reflected in a rise of 

 the number of subscriptions, remains of paramount importance for the contin- 

 uation of the Service. 



J.Faber 

 B.Z. Salome 



