tion and mixing of cells, culture of reaggregates in vitro; isochronous and heterochronous 

 combinations. 



Symposium reports 



36. 



J. H. S. BLAXTER, ed. 1974. THE EARLY LIFE HISTORY OF FISH 



Springer, Berlin, etc. XII,765 pp., 299 figs., 170 tabs., combined taxonomic and subject 



index. DM98.00, $40.00 



This international symposium was held in May, 1973 at Oban, Scotland. It is mainly of 

 interest to fish ecologists, population biologists, and taxonomists. However, among the 

 62 papers there are at least 10 that are of potential interest to fish embryologists. 



Two of these are to be found in the section on feeding and metabolism (nitrogenous 

 wastes, nucleic acids in yolk sac), four in the section on physiological ecology (effects of 

 various physical and chemical factors, respiratory system), and four in the section on 

 developmental events (brain growth, effects of temperature and salinity, gynogenesis). 

 The concluding section on the rearing of fish contains six papers, among which one deals 

 with artificial insemination in trout. Other sections deal with population studies, distribu- 

 tion of eggs and larvae, behaviour, and taxonomy. 



The book is well produced in photo-offset and sturdily bound. 



DEVELOPMENT OF MAMMALS AND MAN (general) (see also 57,60,64,120) 



Treatises 



37. 



J. A. DAVIS and J. DOBBING, eds. 1974. SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS OF PAEDIA- 

 TRICS 



Heinemann, London. XVI,836 pp., 613 figs., 145 tabs., subject index. £ 13.00 



Although this multi-author treatise was written to provide a scientific background for 

 the postgraduate study of paediatrics, large parts of it may be of value to mammalian 

 embryologists generally. The authors are mostly English specialists but there are several 

 from other countries. The book contains a wealth of data hitherto widely scattered in the 

 literature. It was impossible to make the coverage as balanced and comprehensive as 

 originally intended, but this may be remedied in future editions. The treatment is 

 authoritative and modern, and as up to date as can be expected in a book of this size. The 

 literature references are occasionally selective but many chapters have long bibliographies. 



The 51 chapters are arranged in four sections as follows: I. Nature and nurture (5 

 chapters on genetics and nutrition); II. Climacterics (6 chs. on fetal growth, perinatal 

 events, and puberty); III. Growth and development of systems (34 chs.); and IV. Special 

 topics (6 chs. on paediatric epidemiology, fetal and neonatal pharmacology, and miscel- 

 laneous subjects). In section III equal attention is devoted to the structure and function 

 of organ systems. Although teratogenesis is not treated in its own right, abnormalities are 

 discussed for many systems. The majority of the chapters range in length from ca. 10 to 

 20 pages, with some going up to 30 pages or more. 



The book is magnificently produced and profusely illustrated; the numerous light and 

 electron micrographs are of superb quality. 



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