historical introduction of earlier editions, a basic manual of military small arms arranged in order of country forming the latter part. The manual follows the trend in earlier editions of grafting information on new weapons onto existing chapters. I t is disappointing that this format has not undergone any great revision and as a result some recently developed weapons are dealt with in a sketchy manner.

When all points are considered and comparisons drawn however, it must be said that Small Arms of the World is still the firearms expert's bible.

MICHAEL HAROLD

WHO IS SPEAKING ?

Voice Identification: Theory and Legal Applications Oscar Tosi (University Park Press, Baltimore, 1979; 176pp., Index, £11.95)

This book written by Professor Tosi of the Institute of Voice Identification, Michigan State University, is a comprehensive review of the theories and methods of voice identification. I t covers speech science and all methods of voice identification including that wrongly described as "voiceprint". The author describes the "aural and spectrographic examination of speech samples" and points to its value for voice identification as well as its limitations.

There is a full citation of the eighty or more American court cases in which voice identification evidence has been considered, and of the nine State and Federal appeals. Though there have only been the tentative beginnings of the use of voice identification procedures in British courts there is no doubt that sooner or later these will come and will have to be evaluated.

The book is confessedly directed to a wide audience. I t provides therefore an exposition of the subject which would serve as introduction to the forward- looking police officer, lawyer or scientist taking up the study.

I- n

THE SECRET OF BATHPOOL PARK

The Capture of the Black Panther Barry Hawkes (Harrap, London, 1978, 268pp., Index, £5.95)

The vast police search for Donald Neilson, the hooded gunman who terrorised sub-postmasters throughout the Midlands and North of England in the nineteen-seventies was said to be the most comprehensive ever undertaken. For this reason alone an account by an experienced journalist and crime reporter must make interesting reading. The police successes and mistakes in covering the case are discussed against the background of a full description of the five murders, the kidnapping of Lesley Whittle, victim of the fifth, and the murderer's detailed and graphic confession in court. Forensic science contri- buted its share mainly of ballistic evidence, and the contribution of the Regional Crime Squads is assessed, but the final capture of this most wanted man fell to two village policemen. The exceptional planning ability of the accused and the report of the psychiatrist who spent many hours discussing these matters with Neilson in prison make this a fascinating medico-legal study.

Neilson's case is bound to attract much further investigation. In the mean- time this casebook provides a valuable account of what must be reckoned as one of the causes cklhbres of the century.

T.D

THE SEARCH FOR SAMENESS

Identifikation Horst Hunger & Dieter Leopold (Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1978, 511pp., Index, $44.00)

This thorough volume on identification in forensic medicine is the product of thirteen mainly academic writers under the editorship of Professors Hunger of Erfurt and Leopold of Leipzig. The text is in German and is illustrated partly by line drawings and partly by photographic plates. There are many statistical tables. There is much emphasis upon the ageing, sexing and identifi- cation of bone, bone fragments and skeletal material and an interesting discus- sion of the techniques of' sxperimposition of photographs of a deceased person upon the skull, and a similar process involving X-rays. Forensic odontology is well represented and there is discussion of bite marks and bite mechanisms. The final section of the book deals with the problems associated with civil catastrophe, the organisation of the investigation of such mass disasters as aircraft crashes and the documentation required to record what is discovered on the site. There is a full collection of about 1,300 references to the literature which understandably tends to be centred on continental sources though it is - not by any means restricted to these.

For those with an ability to read German this is obviously a careful, pains- taking and almost encyclopaedic work. The standard of production and printing remains high as is customary with all that issues from the Springer press. The book is cloth covered and a pleasure to handle.

C. R. LEWIS

WHEN YOU DESTROY A BLADE OF GRASS

The Toxicology of Paraquat, Diquat and Morfamquat Aurelio Pasi (Hans Huber, Berne, 1978; 291pp., Index, Fr. 38)

At a time when much of the world's population is underfed, it has become incumbent upon society to produce as much food as is possible. The use of herbicides such as paraquat and its related compounds over the last ten years has greatly aided in the attainment of this goal. However, as with many achievements of our society, the use of these herbicides has been accompanied by their misuse, which is usually of an accidental nature but which may also be deliberate as in the case of suicide and occasionally homicide. In this publication Dr. Pasi has set out to reference the literature which relates to the development and formulation of these herbicides, their epidemiology as applied to man, their hazardous nature as they relate to occupational exposure, their clinical toxicology, their toxicity in experimental animals and their mode of action as both phytotoxic agents and in cases of poisoning in humans.

Much of the information describing the action of these herbicides on the gastro-intestinal tract, on renal and liver function, the cardiovascular system but especially the lungs, should be of use to the forensic pathologist: the action of paraquat and its related compounds on other organs of the body is also thoroughly discussed and referenced.

As might be expected, a large portion of this book is devoted to the mode of action of these herbicides in man, which is discussed from the point of view of the clinical biochemist. While it is apparent that much work is being carried out in this area, this is not something in which the forensic scientist would be expected to be involved. However, a knowledge of the clinical treatment for poisoning with paraquat and its surrogates is of importance and this text discusses the role of dialysis, haemoperfusion (the presently preferred treat-