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Other publications received
126
Book reviews
have been better omitted because it repeats (often verbatim) information and ideas already set down elsewhere. The contributions on mealybugs (O. Roivainen), piesmids (G. Proeseler), beetles (J. P. Fulton, H. A. Scott and R. Gamez), mites (two chapters, one by J. T. Slykhuis and the other by Y. C. Paliwal), nematodes (C. E. Taylor) and fungi (D. S. Teakle) all provide comprehensive, up-to-date and readable accounts and most of them deal with types of vector for which there is no other recent review. V. Muniyappa provides descriptions of 68 diseases known, and six suspected, to be caused by whiteflytransmitted agents (some no doubt by the same one). Many of the diseases have devastating effects in tropical and subtropical countries, and their study has been shamefully neglected until recently, but more is in fact known about the causal agents of some of them than is stated. Relatively few agents are known to be transmitted by psyllids (G. H. Kaloostian), membracids (J. N. Simons), thrips (T. N. Ananthakrishnan) and flies (T. A. Zitter and J. H. Tsai) and these articles are necessarily brief, reflecting the paucity of information. However, almost half of the chapter on thrips is devoted to gall formation, which seems outside the scope of the book. The above-mentioned chapters deal almost exclusively with transmission of viruses, spiroplasmas, mycoplasma-like and rickettsia-like organisms, whose dependence
on the vector for transmission in nature is usually obligate. Three further chapters deal with fungi and bacteria, most of which do not depend entirely on vectors for their transmission. Nevertheless, insect transmission of plant pathogenic bacteria (M. D. Harrison, J. W. Brewer and L. D. Merrill) is evidently a vast topic: the table of bacterial species and associated vectors occupies 52 pages and exceeds the length of the rest of the chapter by 100% TThe part played by insects in transmitting plant pathogenic fungi has also been much underestimated but the subject receives a thorough treatment by G. N. Agrios; the specific topic of 'bark beetles, Ceratocystis ulmi and Dutch elm disease' is accorded a chapter to itself (F. W. Holmes). Lastly, in a chapter on the devastating lethal yellowing disease of coconut palm (whose causal agent is unknown although suspected to be a mycoplasma-like organism), J. H. Tsai describes the prodigious efforts, so far unsuccessful, to discover the vector. The book is, in general, well produced, although perhaps too liberally sprinkled with spelling errors and with occasional stray sentences that seem to have survived the editing process. Nevertheless, the excellent quality of most of the articles makes the volume essential reading for those engaged in research with vectors of plant disease agents. A. F. MURANT
Other publications received Black's Agricultural Dictionary, by D. B. Dalai-Clayton. ISBN 0 7136 2130 3. (xii+499 pp; £12.00). London: Adam and Charles Black. 1981. Agricultural Botany, 1. Dicotyledonous Crops, by N. T. Gill and K. C. Vear. (3rd
edn). ISBN 0 7156 1191 7 Pbk. (268 pp; £8.50). London: Duckworth. 1980. Agricultural Botany. 2. Monocotyledonous Crops, by N. T. Gill and K. C. Vear (3rd edn). Paper ISBN 0 7156 1192 5 (259 pp; £8.50). London: Duckworth. 1980.
Book reviews
have been better omitted because it repeats (often verbatim) information and ideas already set down elsewhere. The contributions on mealybugs (O. Roivainen), piesmids (G. Proeseler), beetles (J. P. Fulton, H. A. Scott and R. Gamez), mites (two chapters, one by J. T. Slykhuis and the other by Y. C. Paliwal), nematodes (C. E. Taylor) and fungi (D. S. Teakle) all provide comprehensive, up-to-date and readable accounts and most of them deal with types of vector for which there is no other recent review. V. Muniyappa provides descriptions of 68 diseases known, and six suspected, to be caused by whiteflytransmitted agents (some no doubt by the same one). Many of the diseases have devastating effects in tropical and subtropical countries, and their study has been shamefully neglected until recently, but more is in fact known about the causal agents of some of them than is stated. Relatively few agents are known to be transmitted by psyllids (G. H. Kaloostian), membracids (J. N. Simons), thrips (T. N. Ananthakrishnan) and flies (T. A. Zitter and J. H. Tsai) and these articles are necessarily brief, reflecting the paucity of information. However, almost half of the chapter on thrips is devoted to gall formation, which seems outside the scope of the book. The above-mentioned chapters deal almost exclusively with transmission of viruses, spiroplasmas, mycoplasma-like and rickettsia-like organisms, whose dependence
on the vector for transmission in nature is usually obligate. Three further chapters deal with fungi and bacteria, most of which do not depend entirely on vectors for their transmission. Nevertheless, insect transmission of plant pathogenic bacteria (M. D. Harrison, J. W. Brewer and L. D. Merrill) is evidently a vast topic: the table of bacterial species and associated vectors occupies 52 pages and exceeds the length of the rest of the chapter by 100% TThe part played by insects in transmitting plant pathogenic fungi has also been much underestimated but the subject receives a thorough treatment by G. N. Agrios; the specific topic of 'bark beetles, Ceratocystis ulmi and Dutch elm disease' is accorded a chapter to itself (F. W. Holmes). Lastly, in a chapter on the devastating lethal yellowing disease of coconut palm (whose causal agent is unknown although suspected to be a mycoplasma-like organism), J. H. Tsai describes the prodigious efforts, so far unsuccessful, to discover the vector. The book is, in general, well produced, although perhaps too liberally sprinkled with spelling errors and with occasional stray sentences that seem to have survived the editing process. Nevertheless, the excellent quality of most of the articles makes the volume essential reading for those engaged in research with vectors of plant disease agents. A. F. MURANT
Other publications received Black's Agricultural Dictionary, by D. B. Dalai-Clayton. ISBN 0 7136 2130 3. (xii+499 pp; £12.00). London: Adam and Charles Black. 1981. Agricultural Botany, 1. Dicotyledonous Crops, by N. T. Gill and K. C. Vear. (3rd
edn). ISBN 0 7156 1191 7 Pbk. (268 pp; £8.50). London: Duckworth. 1980. Agricultural Botany. 2. Monocotyledonous Crops, by N. T. Gill and K. C. Vear (3rd edn). Paper ISBN 0 7156 1192 5 (259 pp; £8.50). London: Duckworth. 1980.