Toxicon. VoL 20. No. 3, pp. 669-670, I9ß2.

0041-0101 Ja2/030669-02 503.001'0

lhinted in Great Bäum.

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REVIEWS

DFG-Forschungsbericht. Methoden der Toxizitätsprüfung an Fischm,195 pp . Boppard : H. Boldt-Verlag (1980). (InGerman .)

TOXICITY tests are as aeoessary as they are problematic. Noaseary, as, e.g . environmental pollution has to bemeasured is terms of toleration by living organisms; problematic, as ethical standards and animal protectionregulations have to be observed. Hero fishes play an important role . This discussion report of the German ScienceFoundation (DFG) is concerned with many aspects: experimental fishes (properspecies testing methods, externalparameters (like salt contents and experimental devices. Special questions like international rules and forensicquestions are discussed as well as comparisons between toxicities in fishes and mammals. I estimate this as a mostvaluable contribution to the controversial discussion on toxicity testing .

G. HABERMEHL

EVERSHED, R. P., MORGAN, E. D. eIId CAMMAERlS,M. C. Identification of the trail pheromone of the ant Myrmicarubs L, and related spxies. Naturwissmschafim 68, 374-376 (1981

THE biochemistry ofant defense secretions becomes more complicated as dd'ense secretions and pheromones arestored in thesame vesicles and used beside each other. Theauthors have investigated eight European Myrmica app.,seven of them inhabiting the British Isles (Myrnsca rubs, ruginodis, scabrinodis, sabukti, sulcinodis, schmcki andIobtcornis), the other living ~the continent, M. rugulosa. GC/MS analysis showed the substance to be 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyraâne. The same compound had been found earfier in the tropical leafcutter Atta sexdms rubropilosa.

G. HABERI~HL

CHAMBERS, P. L. endKLINGER,W.,(Eda) Furtherstudiesin the assessment of toxicactions . Archs Toxicol., suppl4,507 pp. (1980}

THE present aupplemeat includes the papers which were presented during the meeting ofthe European Society ofToxicology held in Dresden, 11-13 June, 1979. The main subject, the assessment oftoxic action, has been dividedinto four chapters dealing with the testing for mutagenicity and carcinogenicity, for an influence on theirnmunological system, for nephrotoxicity and for embryotoxicity, which is followed by a great number of freecommunications.

Although toxins ofnatural origin are not covered by this aupplemeat, the various aspects of testing drugs andother compounds, like metals or synthetic chemicals, are of great importance in the rapidly changing field oftoxicology and likewise toxicology .

D. MEas