with the operations of the nervous system. The following contri- 

 butions seem to be of particular significance to developmental 

 biologists: Thorn on structuralism and biology; Wolpert on posi- 

 tional information; Elsdale on inherently precise morphogenetic 

 processes in fibroblast cultures; Waddington on form and infor- 

 mation (with brief comments by Thorn and Wolpert); and Arbib on 

 organizational principles for theoretical neurophysiology. 



PLANT DEVELOPMENT (general ) (see also 1,98,121,124) 

 Treatises 



11. 



T.T.KOZLOWSKI, ed. 1972. SEED BIOLOGY, Vol.1 Importance, devel- 

 opment, and germination 



Academic Press, New York, etc. Physiological Ecology, a series 

 of Monographs, Texts, and Treatises. XIV, 4l6 pp., 212 figs., 

 4 tabs., author and subject indexes. $ 24.00 



We mention this book because it contains three chapters that 

 may be of great interest to plant developmental biologists gen- 

 erally. All of them are well organized and have extensive bibli- 

 ographies . 



The chapters in question are that on the development of gymno- 

 sperm seeds by Singh and Johri (55 PP«)» that on the development 

 of angiosperm seeds by Bhatnagar and Johri (72 pp.), and that on 

 seed germination and morphogenesis by Berlyn (90 pp.). In all 

 three the emphasis is on morphology and cytology, but histochem- 

 ical aspects are also considered. Seed development is broadly 

 defined, starting with the pre-pollination ovule and including 

 the fertilization process. Most of the chapter by Berlyn is 

 taken up by a detailed description of germination in Zea and 

 Pinus, in which much attention is given to the establishment of 

 the primary plant body with its shoot and root apices. 



The three chapters are profusely illustrated, the first two 

 mainly with excellent line drawings, the third also with photo- 

 micrographs and electron micrographs. The bibliographies are up 

 to date until 1969/70. Vol.11 contains, among other things, 

 chapters on the environmental control of germination and on the 

 metabolism of germinating seeds. 



Textbooks 



12. 



F. A. L.CLOWES. 1972. MORPHOGENESIS OF THE SHOOT APEX 



Oxford Univ. Press, London. Oxford Biology Readers 23. 16 pp., 



15 figs. 20p (paper) 



Very apt summary of current state of problems, in simple but 

 stimulating style; good photographs and drawings using various 

 shades of colour; reading list; meant for high-school and begin- 

 ning University students. 



13. 



R.KANDELER. 1972. ENTWICKLUNGSPHYSIOLOGIE DER PFLANZEN 



De Gruyter, Berlin, etc. Sammlung Goschen Bd.7001. 160 pp., 50 



figs., subject index. DM 14. 80 (paper) 



This concise introductory text is meant for advanced students 

 and for biologists who desire a rapid orientation in the field o. 

 plant development. Selected classical and modern findings are 

 synthesized with didactic clarity. The treatment starts at the 



190 



