From the literature of 1972, 1973, and early 1974, three research areas are selected for discussion : (1) the existence of smectic order in nematic phases, (2) the tilt angle in smectic C phases, and (3) the rotation of molecules about their long axes. (1) X-ray investigations have shown that there is a short range smectic C-like order in nematic phases in three homologous series in which there is a smectic C phase directly below the nematic phase. This short range order also appears to have a dramatic effect upon the electrical conductance behavior in these phases which have been called skewed cybotactic nematic phases. (2) The C phases in the three homologous series that have skewed cybotactic nematic phases have tilt angles that (a) have little or no temperature dependency and (6) are large, generally greater than 40°. These C phases have been classified as C1 phases. Another type of C phases has been called C2 phases. An example is the C phase of terephthal-bis-butylaniline, in which the tilt angle is (a) strongly temperature dependent (going to 0° at the SC-SA point) and (b) remains relatively small (⩽ 26°). (3) There is no agreement on whether or not the molecules rotate in the smectic H phase, but nevertheless the evidence appears to lead consistently to the conclusion that molecular rotation is not the characteristic difference between highly ordered liquid crystal phases on the one hand and solid crystal phases on the other hand. In nematic and isotropic phases the rotation about the long axis appears to be a hindered rotation. A bibliography of structure relevant literature from 1972, 1973, and early 1974, and some related papers, is included