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mouse. At once, many puzzles in the developmental behavior of pigment cells began to clear up. The neural crest was known to be a very versatile embryonic rudiment, giving rise not only to certain ganglia and the neurilemma of peripheral nerves, but also to the cartilaginous visceral skeleton, and contributing at the same time to the mesenchyme and the meninges, particularly the pia-arachnoid. It is characterized by its mobility and capacity to spread all over the body from its line of origin around the rim of the neural plate, where at first it lies between the prospective central nervous system and the general ectodermal covering of the body. In their movements, the cells are guided by the surrounding tissues, although the tendency to aggregate or to distribute themselves diffusely is of genetic origin. It was only through the discovery of such facts that the peculiar behavior of pigment cells in normal development and after experimental intervention could be understood.

Although there are still large gaps in our knowledge and inconsistencies between the results of different methods of study, it is clear that the various lines of approach to the field of pigment research are gradually closing in. Where interest thus converges from so many different directions, it is a sign that something of importance has been uncovered and that it would be advantageous for those concerned to come together and discuss their common problems. The conference on "The Biology of Normal and Atypical Pigment Cell Growth" held by The New York Academy of Sciences was, therefore, a most timely one in bringing together a large mass of information bearing on the pigment problem. This is now presented in printed form as a permanent record available to those who were unable to attend the conference.

From the Introduction, By Ross G. Harrison (1948)

Contents
(xii + 466 pages)

Foreword. By MYRON GORDON.

Introduction. By R. G. HARRISION.

The Development of Pigment Cells in Vertebrates. By GRAHAM PHILLIPS DUSHANE.

Pigment Cells in Man. By P. MASSON.

A Clinical Study of Pigmented Nevi and melanomas. By GEORGE T. PACK.

Malignant Melanoma in Connecticut. By ELENAOR J. MACDONALD.

Dermatological Investigations of Melanin Pigmentation. By S. WILLIAM BECKER.