Symposium reports 



86 



COMPARATIVE SPERMATOLOGY. 1970. Edited by B. BACCETTI 



Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome and Academic Press, New York. 576 pp., 24 diagrs., 793 



figs., 14 schemes, 6 tabs. ISBN 12 069950 8. $ 22.50 



This Symposium was held in July 1969 in Rome and Siena, and was attended by 59 parti- 

 cipants from many countries. The book contains the 47 papers read at the Symposium, with the 

 brief discussions following them. The great majority of the papers deal with morphological and 

 ultrastructural features of mature sperm and/or spermatogenetic stages. Phylogenetic and ta- 

 xonomic aspects are considered in several papers. 



Of the three introductory papers that by Franzen on phylogenetic aspects of spermatozoa 

 and spermiogenesis is a review, while that by Fawcett and Phillips on the ultrastructure and 

 development of mammalian spermatozoa, and that by Nicander on the comparative fine 

 structure of vertebrate spermatozoa are partly review and partly research report. The remain- 

 ing 44 papers mainly report on original research. The majority range in length from about 

 8 to 16 pages. 



Taxonomic coverage is very broad, including many invertebrate classes (among which the 

 arthropods, and particularly the insects are best represented) as well as the fishes, amphibians, 

 reptiles, and mammals. Only half a dozen papers deal partly or entirely with chemical and 

 physiological aspects of spermatology. The volume is concluded by a condensed paper by 

 Afzelius entitled "Thoughts on comparative spermatology". 



The book is well illustrated, mainly with numerous very good electron micrographs and 

 photographs printed on glossy paper. There are no indexes. 



87 



MAMMALIAN REPRODUCTION. 1970. Edited by H. GIBIAN and E. J. PLOTZ 



Springer, Berlin. 476 pp., 255 figs., 48 tabs. ISBN 3 540 05066 3 and 387 05066 3. DM 68.—, 



$ 18.70 



This volume embodies the 20 papers presented at a Symposium held in Mosbach (Baden) in 

 April 1970. Of the contributors ten came from the U.S.A. and seven from Western Germany. 

 The papers vary greatly in length. About half are reviews, the other half bring either research 

 reports or a mixture of original research and review. The subjects treated cover a broad range 

 of structural, endocrinological, biochemical, genetic, and immunological aspects of all major 

 phases of the reproductive process in mammals. The discussions held at the Symposium are 

 not recorded. 



We will mention only those contributions considered to be of special interest to our readers. 

 Among the reviews these are the introductory paper by Jost (Paris) presenting an outline of 

 reproductive physiology and its developmental background (29 pp.); a paper by Bedford 

 (New York) on mammalian sperm from ejaculation to syngamy (59 pp.); one by Koester (Gies- 

 sen) on ovum transport (40 pp.); one by Brinster (Philadelphia) on the metabolism of the 

 ovum between conception and nidation (35 pp.); and one by Edwards (Cambridge, England) on 

 genetic aspects of early development (9 pp.). The following research papers may be specially 

 mentioned: one by Elger et al. (Berlin) on the significance of hormones in sex differentiation; 

 one by Beier et al. (Marburg) on endometrial secretion and early development; one by Krieg 

 (Wurzburg) on the immunology of reproduction; and one by Goldman (Philadelphia) on inborn 

 errors of steroidogenesis and steroid action. 



The book is well produced and adequately illustrated. It is regrettable that is has no 

 indexes, even though their composition would have retarded publication. 



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