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Nederlandse Broedwogels (1979). A long English summary at the end enables readers unfamiliar with Dutch to extract the maximum possible amount of information from this impressive work. D.W. SNOW TOIVANEN, A. & TOIVANEN, P. (eds) Avian Immunology: Basis and Practice. 2 volumes. Pp. 560. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press & London: Wolfe Scientific. E208.00. ISBN 0-8493-6767-0.'In fairy tales chickens lay golden eggs; for a large part of the world population they represent an important food supply; for immunologists, their importance lies in the possession of the bursa of Fabricius.' So starts the Foreword to a collection of 28 chapters with contributions from 48 well-known authorities providing a comprehensive overview of the immunology of the chicken. Volume 1 starts with the bursa of Fabricius and proceeds through the structure of the avian immune system, describing the ontogeny of the lymphoid organs, T and B lymphocytes, immunoglobulins, nonlymphoid cells, and lymphokines. Volume I1 deals with the cellular interactions involved in immunity, immune tolerance, the involvement of the histocompatibility complex, and the complement system. Having discussed the main features of the avian immune system, the review considers more practical and clinical aspects. These concern the response of the immune system to infectious and non-infectious diseases, and control by immunization. Rightly, the work points out that several milestones in immunology were achieved in the chicken: delineation of the role of the bursa of Fabricius in antibody production and the concept of immunity, identification of B and T cells, the first description of the graft w. host response.Generally, the quality of presentation is good. The few figures that are below standard appear to be the fault of the author of the relevant chapter. The main criticism of the work is illustrated by the opening lines cited above. This is a review of the immunology of the chicken, and not of avian immunology. Perhaps there is nothing to say about other avian species because nothing is known. But, if that is the case, why call the two volumes Avian Immunology?PAT NUTTALL Also received

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Rather than the usual mammalian scheme in which tendon and sheath surfaces provide as little friction as possible, the tendons and sheaths of many bats have a locking segment on the manual and pedal flexor tendon complex. This tendon locking mechanism (TLM) exists opposite the proximal phalanges of each toe and pollex of many bats. Its structure, similar to a ratchet mechanism, assists bats in hanging with little muscular effort. The third digit of the pelvic limb and the pollex of species representing 15 chiropteran families were studied to determine the presence or absence, morphology, and function of the TLM. Most of the species studied have a TLM consisting of a patch of tubercles on the ventral surface of the flexor tendon associated with the proximal phalanx of each pollex or toe. The sheath adjacent to this portion of the flexor tendon has a series of transverse folds or ridges, which, when engaged with the tubercles on the tendon, lock the tendon in place. The TLM is similar in megachiropterans and microchiropterans possessing it. The TLM is absent, however, in some of the microchiropterans studied, most notably in the phyllostomids. Since many birds have a TLM similar to that of bats, it is an excellent example of the convergent evolution of a feature brought about by similar functional pressures on birds and bats.

The auriculotemporal nerve is commonly misrepresented in both illustrations and textual descriptions. Our 85 dissections of the nerve demonstrate that the roots of the "typical" auriculotemporal nelve do not form a tight "buttonhole" loop around the middle meningeal artery. Instead the roots outline an elongated, V-shaped interval with the roots widely separated from one another. At their junction the roots form a short trunk which immediately breaks up in line with the posterior border of the mandible into a spray of branches. The superficial temporal ramus of the auriculotemporal nexve should not be considered as the main continuation of the nerve, but merely as its largest branch. A substantial portion of the nerve makes up its two communicating rami with the facial nerve; these are the strongest and most consistent of the many peripheral communications between trigeminal and facial nerves. Common variations in configuration, branching, and relationships of the nerve are included.Many anatomy texts present stereotyped descriptions of the N . auriculotemporalis of man that frequently neglect pertinent features of its form and branching, misplace emphasis on its distribution, and actually describe and illustrate it erroneously. Our interest came about by casual observations of this nerve during a previous study of arteries of the infratemporal region (Baumel and Beard, '61).Arnold's (1851) concise, yet complete, account of the auriculotemporal nerve is the most accurate of which we are aware.