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During the course of the developnent of most areas of scien tific research certain events occur that serve to bring a particular area into focus. We feel that this symposilHll volume serves that role with regard to the study of the reproductive biology of amphib ians. The collection of vnrks contained in this volume provides an excellent review of a diversity of past contributions to this field of investigation and brings together in one volume the major ap proaches that have been utilized to study amphibian reproductive biology. The work emphasizes recently-completed studies and therefore can be considered to be an up-to-date account of the field. Equally signif icant, however, the contributors to this volume have excelled in pointing out directions for future research that will be of im mense value in integrating the component parts of reproductive bi ology, i.e., genetics, developnental biology, physiology, behavior, and ecology, into an eVOlutionary framework.

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Studies of the Life Histories and Reproduction in North American Plethodontid Salamanders.- Life History Patterns and Reproductive Biology of Neotropical Salamanders.- The Reproductive Biology of Caecilians: An Evolutionary Perspective.- Aspects of the Reproductive Biology of Japanese Anurans.- The Evolution of Courtship Behavior in New World Salamanders with Some Comments on Old World Salamanders.- The Courtship of European Newts: An Evolutionary Perspective.- The Courtship of Frogs.- Long-Range Acoustic Communication in Anurans: An Integrated and Evolutionary Approach.- Acoustic Behavior and Physiology of Vocalization in the European Tree Frog, Hyla arborea (L.).- Auditory Processing of Vocal Signals in Anurans.- Hormonal Influences on Calling and Reproductive Behavior in Anurans.- Systematics and Hybridization in the Rana esculenta Complex.- Reproduction and Mating Behavior in Rana lessonae-Rana esculenta Mixed Populat ns.- Cytotaxonomy and Cytogenetics in European Newt Species.- Concluding Remarks.- Participants.- Systematic Index.

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