The present volume of PROGRESS IN OPTICS just like its thirteen predecessors, contains review articles covering recent researches in optics and related subjects. The first article, by J. C . Dainty, deals with the statistics of speckle patterns, i.e., with the statistics of the random variation of intensity that is produced when a highly coherent light beam is reflected or transmitted by an optically rough surface. In view of the increasing utilization of laser light it has become imperative to gain a good understanding of speckle phenomena. The article presents the most important aspects of the underlying theory. The second article, by A. Labeyrie, provides a review of modern high resolution techniques employed in optical astronomy. It gives an account of the methods that are being gradually developed for the purpose of overcoming the limitations that the earth's atmosphere imposes on the resolving power for astronomical observations in the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum. An introductory section, dealing briefly with the history of the subject, is followed by an account of the main features of atmospheric turbulance and of its effects on the degradation of optical images. Various aspects of direct stellar interferometry are then discussed. Classic stellar interferometry, originating in the pioneering investigations of Fizeau, Michelson, Anderson and Pease is reviewed and its modern refinements and modifications are described. Other interesting new developments, including Labeyrie's own important contributions in the area of speckle interferometry are then presented. The article also includes accounts of the synthetic aperture technique, of intensity interferometry and of heterodyne interferometry.