I 



23 



has succeeded in keeping it homogeneous and consistent. After a very valuable 

 introduction in which the general texture of a cell has been discussed and the 

 great importance of methods of fixation and staining has been emphasized, the 

 various organ systems have been treated systematically by discussing their 

 development, cellular structure and function. Each organ has been described in 

 many details with the help of excellent diagrams, sketches and photographs of 

 sections and tridimensional reconstructions either in black and white or in co- 

 lour. The very rich information has been given in a concise and very well orga- 

 nized form, so that students can easily find their way in the text. At the end of 

 each chapter an extensive list of the most important literature has been given. 

 Unfortunately no direct references have been made in the text itself, which would 

 certainly stimulate the reading of the original literature. It might also be 

 suggested that the chapter on nervous tissue will be extended in the next 

 edition, showing more clearly the great variety in neuronal and fiber develop- 

 ment without entering into the field of the general texture of the nervous 

 system. These few suggestions have only been made in order to improve this 

 already excellent textbook, which as one of the best and most up to date guides 

 into this field can warmly be recommended to all medical students in the Anglo- 

 Saxon countries as well in the other countries of Europe and other continents 

 where English is sufficiently taught in the secondary school education. 



P. D. NIEUWKOOP 



"COMPARATIVE EMBRYOLOGY OF THE VERTEBRATES" 



1953 

 by Olin E. Nelsen The Blakiston Company, Inc. 



982 pp. with 2057 Drawings New York — Toronto 



and Photographs grouped as Price: $ 8. — 



380 Illustrations 



In the preface the author emphasizes the necessity of the study of compara- 

 tive anatomy for a successful understanding of comparative embryology. In 

 this handbook the author has tried to treat vertebrate embryology over the 

 entire course of development, and hence into the realm of comparative ana- 

 tomy. The text has been so arranged and illustrated that this book can be used 

 as a book for short and for more extensive courses. Moreover the discussion 

 of the basic embryological principles has been separated from the section deal- 

 ing with the relationships between comparative embryology and comparative 

 anatomy. 



Before the description of the successive periods of development some general 

 terms and concepts are discussed and a classification of the Phylum Chordata 

 is given. 



The entire reproduction system of male and female, their function and hor- 

 monal regulation are described in extenso in order to show the environment in 

 which the origin and development of the sex cells till maturation takes place. 

 The extensive treatment of this first part of the book called "The Period of 

 Preparation" is very valuable and will be appreciated by many teachers and 

 students. Also the following two parts, "The Period of Fertihzation" and 

 "The Development of Primitive Embryonic Body Form" have been treated 

 very comprehensively. The author gives here an excellent synthesis of descrip- 

 tive, comparative and experimental literature which makes these chapters ex- 

 tremely interesting. 



