implantation and embryonic diapause. 



Two papers are of more specific interest to embryologists : that by Enders 

 and Schlafke on comparative aspects of blastocyst-endometrial interaction, 

 and that by Sherman et aZ. on changes in the blastocyst surface at implanta- 

 tion. 



The book is neatly turned out and well illustrated. 



22. 



P.MAULEON et at. , organisers. 1979. IVth WORKSHOP ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND 



MATURATION OF REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS AND FUNCTIONS 



Inst. Natl, de la Rech. Agron., Jouy-en-Josas. Ann. Biol. Anim. Biochim. 



Biophys. vol.19, no.4B. 246 pp., 147 figs., 3 pis., 13 tabs. 



Contents: Organogenesis and sexual differentiation of the gonads (7 pa- 

 pers) ; Meiosis and its regulation (5) ; Steroidogenesis throughout the 

 maturation of the gonad (5) ; Development of gonadotrophin responsiveness 

 and feed-back mechanisms (6) 



This Workshop was held in Luynes (France) in October 1978. The research 

 reports in the first three sections are of general interest to all mammalian 

 developmental biologists, those in the first section more specifically to 

 embryologists . 



All papers are in English. They deal with man, various mammalian species 

 and the chick. The contributors came from France, various other European 

 countries, Israel, the U.S.A., Mexico and Japan. The papers are well illus- 

 trated, often with beautiful light and electron micrographs. 



23. 



H.L.VALLET and I.H.PORTER, eds . 1979. GENETIC MECHANISMS OF SEXUAL 



DEVELOPMENT 



Academic Press, New York, etc. XIV, 497 pp., 154 figs,, 59 tabs., subject 



index. $ 23.00, £ 14.95 



This symposium was held in November 1976 and the publication is therefore 

 long overdue. Although it is predominantly of interest to members of the 

 medical profession, it merits to be briefly reviewed here. The large majority 

 of the 42 contributors are Americans working in biomedical institutes. Most 

 of the 22 papers are progress reports of a strong clinical slant, and only 

 a few describe data obtained in animals. An interesting historical paper by 

 Gordon is followed by an introductory review by Grumbach that bears the same 

 title as the book. 



IMPLANTATION, PLACENTA, FETAL MEMBRANES AND FLUIDS {see also 20,21) 



Textbooks 



24. 



A.LEMERCIER. 1979, UN EXAMPLE DE PLACENTATION CHEZ UN PETIT MAMMIFERE 



COMMUN: LA TAUPE EUROPEENNE , Talpa euvopea L. ( Insectivores ) 



Serv.du Film de Rech. Scient., Paris. 60 pp., numerous illustrations, 



55 colour slides 



This laboratory guide for students is in the form of a loose-leafed text 

 and 65 colour slides. The text is illustrated with good line drawings. Al- 

 though the description of reproduction and placental development in the 

 mole is competent, little attention is given to comparative aspects, so 

 that the student could easily get a wrong impression of mammalian placenta- 

 tion as a whole. 



The colour slides are of good quality but are not labelled, and no men- 

 tion is made of the tissue distortions that occur in them. 



176 



