The Fight for Fluoridation

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF FISHES. Volume 2, BEHAVIOR. Margaret E. Brown, Ed. New York, Academic Press Inc., 1957. xi, 526 pp. $14.00. The second volume of the series Physiology of Fishes deals with a wide variety of subjects under the common heading of Behavior. This misleading title is unfortunate, but the contents are a very pleasant surprise. Included are chapters dealing with: nerve system (central and autonomic); various organs of special sense, such as the eye, acoustico-lateralis system, as well as the gustatory and olfactory senses; swim bladder; electric and luminous organs; pigments; color changes; physiological genetics; water quality requirements; behavior, including conditioned responses, ethological analysis, reproductive and parental behavior. Many of these subjects have lain fallow overly long and thus have sorely needed review by competent workers. The material is well presented and often so superbly summarizes the field that the curious reader will be stimulated to pursue further the provocative ideas. Further, the material is not limited to academia but both explains and suggests practical methods to fisheries, biologists, and conservationists. In the remarkable selection of the authors for the various chapters, the editor has given us an impressive list of authorities whose high caliber and precision of writing unquestionably make this volume among the best of the many dealing with fishes which have appeared in the last few years. The severest criticism which may be applied to this work is, as indicated above, the unfortunate choice of the sub-title. This volume is enthusiastically recommended.