strains, genetic maps, and many other aspects of those species that are of greatest genetic 

 interest. No strict format is adhered to and the coverage is rather uneven. Nevertheless an 

 enormous amount of information is amassed here and still more is made accessible 

 through references. 



Apart from a chapter on molluscs, vol. 3 is entirely devoted to insects: one blattid 

 species, two lepidopterans, one coleopteran, three hymenopterans, and ten dipterans. 

 Eleven chapters are devoted to Drosophila melanogaster alone and five to other species of 

 this genus. (It is odd that no reference whatsoever is made in the text to homeotic 

 mutations in Drosophila .) 



The chapters in vol. 4 that are of greatest interest to our readers are those on 

 amphibians (one on the axolotl, one on Rana, and two on Xenopus) and on birds. The 

 fishes are represented by the platyfish, the medaka and the guppy. The section on 

 mammals covers no less than 12 species apart from man, among them six rodents and 

 four carnivores (sheep, swine and cattle are missing). Six chapters are devoted to human 

 genetics. 



The books contain a great deal of tabular material and many useful figures. They are 

 well produced and sturdily bound. 



DEVELOPMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY (incl. endocrinology, immunology, behaviour, etc.) 



(see also 36,46,59,60,68,69,90,106,107) 



Textbooks 



114. 



D. B. VILLEE. 1975. HUMAN ENDOCRINOLOGY; a developmental approach 



Saunders, Philadelphia, etc. XIV, 479 pp., 95 figs., 17 tabs., subject index. $ 16.75 



This book was written primarily for students of human endocrinology but could be 

 very useful for those interested in human development. It is based on an interesting idea: 

 that of presenting human development "as a sequence of events regulated in part by 

 genetic expression, in part by nutritional milieu, and in part by the circulating hor- 

 mones". The treatment thus emphasises such aspects as differentiation, growth, homeo- 

 stasis, and maturation (particularly skeletal and sexual). The book is well written and 

 entirely up to date, incorporating many new biochemical data. 



The 14 chapters follow the chronological sequence from fertilisation till senescence. 

 The "feto-placental unit" receives detailed attention, as do the endocrine and metabolic 

 changes and disorders in the newborn, and abnormaUties of sexual differentiation. 



The book is well produced and illustrated. All chapters are concluded by good reading 

 lists of annotated book titles and often additional recent primary publications. 



Monographs 



115. 



T. W. BETZ. 1975. PARTIAL DECAPITATION OF CHICKEN EMBRYOS 



Periodica, Copenhagen. Acta Endocr. Suppl. 198 to vol. 79. 28 pp. 



Description of simple and efficient operation simulating adenohypophysectomy; evalu- 

 ation in comparison with other methods. 



116. 



D. B. CHEEK. 1975. FETAL AND POSTNATAL CELLULAR GROWTH, hormones and 



nutrition 



Wiley, New York, etc. XXII, 538 pp., 250 figs., 141 tabs., subject index. S 33.60, £ 16.80 



This book will appeal most to members of the medical profession. It was written by 

 the chief author together with 27 colleagues with whom he collaborates in various groups 

 in the U.S.A. The book clearly brings out the significance of research on the fetal rhesus 



213 



