Physiology of Insect Development

PHYSIOLOGY OF INSECT DEVELOPMENT. Frank L. Campbell, Ed. Chicago, Univ. of Chicago Press, 1959. 167 pp. $4.00. The Physiology of Insect Development, edited by Frank L. Campbell, is one of ten volumes covering the "Developmental Biology Conference Series of 1956," organized by Paul Weiss and held under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. The purpose of this series was a critical examination and evaluation of the contributions from various fields of research to the understanding of fundamental problems in developmental biology, with the hope that a new orientation and new ideas might arise. On the basis of this book, it appears that the conference on the physiology of insect development fell short of the proposed ideal, following more the pattern of a symposium, but with unrestrained discussions prompted by the material that the various specialists presented. The topics reviewed included insect embryology, larval development, tissue culture, metamorphosis, diapause, histolysis, tumors, and regeneration. Although the participants engaged in the discussions with enthusiasm, few new concepts seemed to emerge. The second session on embryology came closest to attaining the desired goal of the conference. It is unfortunate that the editor of this volume chose to present it entirely in dialogue form. Even with pruning, the resulting text is often rambling, disorganized, teleological, and lacking in accuracy. This book may serve some purpose as a record of events occurring at the conference or as a stimulus for additional research along certain lines. It cannot be recommended as either a reference or textbook.