The SIL Standing Committee on Limnology in Developing Countries has known for many years, that one of the major drawbacks to the teaching of limnology in these countries was the lack of inexpensive and readily available literature on limnology. SIL at the Brazil Congress agreed that the Association should initiate the publication of small affordable booklets suitable for students and researchers in tropical and developing countries. These would cover areas such as identification keys and methods of limnology.
It is with great pleasure that I announce that the first of these Occasional Publications has now been published. Titled, “A guide to limnetic species of Cladocera of African inland waters (Crustacea, Branchipoda)” and prepared by Vladimír KoÍínek of the Department of Hydrobiology, Charles University, Prague. This key will serve as a valuable resource to many limnologists in Africa. The key is based on the morphology of parthenogenetic females and describes 60 species in both a dichotomous text key and a pictorial key. Information on handling Cladocera is also presented. There are over 100 illustrations that help the novice through the keys.
The second publication is a key to the common aquatic snails of Africa based on material, which has been already prepared by the Danish Bilharzia Laboratory, but needs to be compiled and recast for the Occasional Publications project. The professor who had agreed to undertake this assignment has now retired and is no longer available. I would be very glad if some volunteers from the vast SIL membership could take up the challenge.
This announcement would not be complete without acknowledging the input and support of Dr. Mary Burgis. Mary has been the driving force behind the Occasional Publications concept for many years and without her help, the first one would not be out yet. Thanks also go to the Africa and Madagascar Programme of the World Wide Fund for Nature (International), which has agreed to fund the first two of the Occasional Publications.
For information on how to obtain the Cladocera Key or to volunteer to complete the snail key or, indeed, to contribute to the Occasional Publications, please contact the series editor at the following address:
Chris Gordon
Volta Basin Research Project
University of Ghana, Legon
Accra, Ghana
E-mail: chrisgordon@ighmail.com
Phone: ++ 233 21 500880
Fax: ++ 233 21 500467
