in succession. Each of these chapters has a general introduction and then proceeds to 

 characterise one or more, sometimes many species. Apart from the illustrations, docu- 

 mented information is provided for each species on some or all of the following topics: 

 egg, larva, postlarva, food and feeding, rearing, growth rate, behaviour, and distribution. 

 Strictly oceanic species and descriptions of young and fry are excluded. 



The book has a host of careful line drawings and a bibliography of close to 600 titles. 



Textbooks 



31. 



P. CHIBON. 1977. EMBRYOLOGIE CAUSALE DES VERTEBRES 



Presses Univ. de France. Serie Le Biologiste. 224 pp., 54 figs., subject index 



This little book was probably written for advanced undergraduate students. It presents 

 a highly selective outline of classical vertebrate experimental embryology, with rather 

 much emphasis on the work of French embryologists. This is supplemented by chapters 

 on the analysis of cell proliferation (the author's own speciality) and on cell death in 

 morphogenesis. 



The book is well organised and clearly written. There are some odd omissions, how- 

 ever, such as mesoderm induction prior to gastrulation and the role of the apical ecto- 

 dermal ridge in limb development. The definition of'morphogenetic field" is rather nar- 

 row, while other basic concepts such as epigenesis and morphogenesis are not defined at 

 all. 



The line drawings and diagrams are helpful, but the few photographic illustrations are 

 not very well reproduced. The bibliography is restricted to some 20 titles. The index is 

 grossly inadequate. 



32. 



L. HAMILTON. 1976. FROM EGG TO ADOLESCENT, Xenopus - a model for devel- 

 opment 

 English Univ. Press, London. XII, 78 pp., 34 figs., subject index. £ 3.45 



It is difficult to form a judgement of this book because one would have to see it 

 through the eyes of those for whom it is intended: English sixth formers and beginning 

 students. It will certainly convey to them something of the excitement of scientific dis- 

 covery; on the other hand it is perhaps too unbalanced and at the same time sometimes 

 too difficult in its treatment to convey a really integrated mental picture. Embryology is 

 a difficult subject, and it depends so much on correct (particularly spatial) mental images 

 that the book may fall short particularly due to its pictorial limitations. 



Apart from this, the style is not always clear and there are some odd inaccuracies. I 

 suspect many embryologists would agree that Xenopus is probably not unique among 

 anurans in having internal prospective mesoderm. Some subjects get an inordinate share 

 of attention (for instance cleavage), while others are not treated in sufficient depth to 

 give proper understanding. Many more difficult words could have been explained in the 

 glossary. 



The 40-odd literature references are well selected and the appendix describing some 

 simple operations is very good. The line drawings are good and the electron micrographs 

 are well reproduced. 



33. 



W. W. MATHEWS. 1976. ATLAS OF DESCRIPTIVE EMBRYOLOGY. 2nd edit. 



MacmiUan, New York; Collier Macmillan, London, X, 195 pp., 180 figs. £ 6.00 (paper) 



The first edition of this atlas was reviewed in Gen. Embryol. Inform. Serv. 15, 1, 1973. 

 No major changes have been made but 16 drawings and 27 excellent photomicrographs 

 have been added. Gametogenesis has been extended to non-mammalian forms. 



210 



