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ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 17, 1

behavioural actions of drugs . The very title of the book,Psychopharmacology, rather than behavioural pharma-cology reflects an emphasis in this field which has de-tracted from the development of an integrated scienceconcerned with the behavioural actions of drugs . Thechapters dealing with principles of psychology andethology invoke mental, emotional and motivationalcauses of behaviour, which are thought to be acted on bydrugs, producing behavioural changes . The mechanismsknown to control behaviour (e.g . neural, biochemical,hormonal, eliciting stimulus, behavioural consequences)aren't treated as appropriate causes with which drugscan interact . Some readers may be disappointed that abetter case isn't made for the unique contributionsethology can make to this field. Among the most im-portant contributions are the selection of functionallysignificant behaviour classes of special relevance for aparticular species, and the interpretation of behaviouralchanges produced by drugs in terms of evolutionaryfunction. That a single behaviour pattern can be asuitable preparation for analysing drug action, muchas an isolated tissue preparation is used to analyse drugmechanisms, is generally overlooked . It is not enoughto make multiple observations or construct models ofmotivational mechanisms . Analysis in terms of evolution-ary or causal significance is required .

Among the best articles are those concerned withbasic principles of pharmacology (M . Weatherall), thehallucinogens (E . Jacobsen), psychological factors in thecontrolled evaluation of therapy (C. R. B. Joyce) andsocial and epidemiological aspects of psychopharma-cology (R. Blum) . These chapters deal with circumscribedspecialities with authority and clarity . Joyce's chapter isparticularly well written and stands as an excellent primerfor anyone interested in clinical drug evaluation .

All things considered, this book makes a useful steptowards bridging the conceptual gaps separating theseveral disciplines concerned with the behavioural actionsof drugs.

T. THOMPSON

ness to move among these animals and interact withthem in order to better understand their behaviouralpatterns.

Because of the difficulties inherent in studies conductedin the natural habitat of wild animals, experimentalassumptions, definitions and conclusions must be ap-proached circumspectly. In some cases, the definitionsare based on implicit assumptions which need to betested by many more continuous observations of identi-fied animals . Examples of such problems for furtherinvestigation are territoriality, pair formation and thepossibility of a relationship between the current socialstructure and the determination of the location of`rookeries' and `hauling grounds', The authors are wellaware of some of these unanswered questions . Let us hopethey are given the opportunity to answer them .

The same need for more data is seen in the quanti-fication procedures used by the authors to determine themale to female proportionality during the reproductiveseason. There are some minor discrepancies betweenTable I and Figure 23, and the discussion of these in thetext . In view of the difficulties in getting accurate in-formation and the wide range of the recorded male tofemale ratios, one wonders about the usefulness of thecalculations made . One does not at all wonder, however,about the usefulness of the study . It stands as a worth-while initiator of what should be a series of valuablecontributions to the literature .

ETHEL TOBACH

Nerve Cells and Insect Behavior. Second Edition . ByKENNETH D. ROEDER. Harvard University Press .London: Oxford University Press (1967) . Price 52/6d .Many behaviour workers feel that we shall only arrive

at a satisfying `explanation' of a piece of behaviour whenwe can account for its onset, performance and cessationin terms of neuronal events . The trouble is that there arefew people broad-minded enough in their approach, notto lose sight of the behaviour when investigating theneurophysiology.

Professor Roeder is one such person and his work onthe acoustic system of moths and the role it plays in thepredator/prey relationship between bats and moths is aclassic of its type. This work is fully described in hisbook and this revised edition contains two new chapterswhich bring the story up to date, including an explan-ation for second-order units within the moth's thoracicganglia. But although the core of the book is based uponRoeder's own work with moths, cockroaches and mantidsit is far more than just this . The opening chapters containan excellent statement of the general problems of in-vestigating behaviour, and throughout Roeder neverloses sight of adaptiveness in evolution as well asmechanism.

The author has an attractive, clear style and he com-municates an infectious enthusiasm for his subject .Amongst its other qualities, this book serves admirablyas an introduction to neurophysiology for behaviourstudents .

The Natural History and Behavior of the California SeaLion . By RICHARD S . PETERSON and GEORGE A. BAR-THOLOMEW . Special Pubi . No. 1, Am. Soc. Mammal-ogists . (1967) . Price $3.50 .

We welcome the news that the American Society ofMammalogists has begun a series of `papers of mono-graphic scope concerned with some aspect of the biologyof mammals' . That the first of the series is an account ofthe `natural history and behaviour' of an animal whichhas not been extensively studied fills one with greatexpectations . There is a need for studies which combinethe traditions of natural history with the sophisticatedtechniques now available to the investigator of behaviourand its physiological substrate. The authors have givenus ample proof of their expertise in both areas in thisreport, as well as in previous writings . The organizationof the material follows the practices of most biologically-orientated studies. The data gathered are testimony tothe serious integrity of the authors, shown by their readi-

AUBREY MANNING