on an ongoing basis, an arena of discourse within which the threads of continuity among those diverse lines of research on human development can be woven into a fabric of meaning and under­ standing. Scientists, scholars, and those who attempt to translate their efforts into the practical realities of the care and guidance of infants and children are the audience that we seek to reach. Each requires the oppor­ tunity to see-to the degree that our knowledge in given areas per­ mits-various aspects of development in a coherent, integrated fashion. It is hoped that this series-which brings together research on infant biology, developing infant capacities, animal models, and impact of so­ cial, cultural, and familial forces on development, and the distorted products of such forces under certain circumstances-serves these important social and scientific needs.