Book Description

This guide includes the nest and eggs of 285 species found in the 26 states east of the Mississippi River. Descriptions of breeding range and time, habitat, and nests and eggs are enhanced by 222 color photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not Many Like This Out There
This is a highly recommended book for identifying bird's nests.It's amazing to see all the different types of nests that birds make.These creatures have true workmanship.It must have been a great challenge forthe photographer(s) to find and photograph all the different neststhroughout this fascinating book.You don't see many books out there onthe market like this, so I recommend it.

Unique and excellent resource for birders.
This book has information which to my knowledge cannot be found anywhere else.The photographs of nests and eggs must be seen to be appreciated.It is not difficult to identify a bird on the basis of its nest or eggusing this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Hardbound. This second volume in the series covers such topics as DNA fingerprinting of fishes, the cytochromes P450 in fish, the molecular biology of bacterial fish diseases, and new insights into the origins of the diversity and distribution of fish antifreeze proteins. The book will be of great value to fisheries scientists, animal biochemists, physiologists and endocrinologists, and aquaculturists. It will provide researchers and students alike with a pertinent information source from theoretical and experimental angles. ... Read more

Book Description

Hardbound. This monograph is essentially an atlas, illustrated by 375 figures (mainly photomicrographs) presenting the most common and significant textures of the metamorphic-metasomatic rocks from many important regions of the world.The book as a whole covers the wide spectrum of metamorphic processes and the basic relation of metamorphic processes and textures is emphasised.

Metamorphism-metasomatism is seen as an integral system where every textural intergrowth is the result of a particular process.In addition, principles of comparative anatomy (widely accepted in bioscience) are applied in metamorphic petrology and conclusions are reached inductively, based on textural analysis.The comparative anatomy approach aims at finding ideas and principles that will attempt to unify diverse, textural patterns of an evolving system (as rocks are) and integrate them into concepts of wide application.

Emphasis is put on the significance of crystalloblaste ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Wry, Charming Book
This is more than a "how-to," beginner's guide to beekeeping: it is a homage to a remarkable creature. The author's comprehensive knowledge and admiration for the fuzzy little guys is evident on every page. His advice is practical and free of mushy sentiment. A lovely book.

Beekeeping A Practical Guide
Mr. Bonney's Book was an easy read. I read it in 3 evenings. The 'Practical Guide' is just that - a 'Road Map'. I appreciated Mr. Bonney's opinions and lack of wishy-washy caveats. I did not find the short-falls another reviewer found.

I appreciate the Tables that present the Data and capsulize that Data or Information. For example, I finished the Book, went on line, Yahooed 'Beekeeping', found some vendors and successfully prepared a 'general' or 'ballpark' budget based on recommended hive dimensions, clothing and so on - in less than 30 minutes!

My demeanor is such that I prefer to make my own decisions and Mr. Bonney clearly stated when he held a view where others differed. This is not a 'my way or the highway' Book.

Good starter book, but lacking detail.
A very good starter book, but still needs more precise detail. For example, warns of swarms and to watch for, but does not say "what" to watch for. Assumes reader knows something about bees and their habits. I do not. Am a beginner from the word go, and need more information than this books holds. However, a good addition to the home collection.

Excellent for presenting the realities of beekeeping.
"Beekeeping - a practical guide" is is exactly what it says it is. It presents the facts of beekeeping in a way that fascinate you with the wonders of the hobby and mixes in the pitfalls that would, stated alone, send you away disappointed if you are are a beginner like me. By the time you finish reading the book and have weighed all of the information, the truly interested reader will be looking for another book to expand on all of the points Richard Bonney presents and also planning thier first colony. Good Luck. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the definitive book on the seabirds of the world, describing virtually all the known species.Illustrated in color. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

State of the art
This book is fantastic, and it has really set the standards for identification guides to come. Furthermore it has a size that makes it possible for you to bring it with you in the field.

The book has absolutely everything you need to know about seabirds. It is written in a very logical way and the plates are very good. The first 23 pages are an introduction to the subject, an overview of the glossary etc. Pages that makes it possible for you to understand the describtions of the birds later in the book - even if you are a beginner.

After the introduction there is 88 plates with drawings of all the seabirds in the world, including subspecies. All the plates are in colour and has been drawn from field notes and photos. The paintings are great and they will be a very good help when you are out there doing the birding.

After the section with the plates there is describtions of all the birds. After the describtions there are distribution maps. The describtions are very good, but the maps could have been slightly bigger, in order to give the reader a better chance to find out the (more or less) exact distribution of the species.

I haven't seen any books on seabirds that are compareable to this on. It is the state of the art when it comes to seabirds and fieldguides. You simply need this book if you are into seabirds. Buy it!

The definitive guide to Seabirds.
The definitive guide to Seabirds, including excellent coverage of gulls. Global coverage.

Highly influencial bird guide
Before Peter Harrison: "Hmm, that was some kind of sea-gull wasn't it?"
After Peter Harrison: "By Jove, what a fine example of a juvenile female intermediate-morph Pomarine Jaeger!"

-- Alexander Pasmur ... Read more

Book Description

Describing all of Colombia's birds, Steven Hilty and William Brown bring together information on one of the world's largest avifaunas-nearly 1,700 species. Over half of all the species of birds in South America are included, thus making the book useful in regions adjacent to Colombia, as well as in the country itself. The primary purpose of the work is to enable observers to identify the birds of the region, but it also provides detailed species accounts and will serve as an important handbook and reference volume. Fifty-six lavish color plates, thirteen halftone plates, and ninety-nine line drawings in the text illustrate over 85% of the species, including most of the resident birds. Notes on the facing-page of each place, and range maps of 1,475 species, facilitate identification.

Written with the field observer in mind, the text gives special attention to comparisons of similar species, transcriptions of voices, and comments on behavior, status, and habitat. It also provides ranges, breeding data, and references. Notes outline taxonomic problems and briefly describe species that eventually may be found in Colombia. Introductory chapters and photographs highlight Colombia's geography, climate, and vegetation, and discuss migration and conservation questions, and the history of Colombian ornithology. Appendices contain a large bibliography, a section on birding locations, and coverage of two of Colombia's far-flung island territories, Isla San Andrés and Providencia. Maps depicting vegetation zones, political boundaries, national parks, and the most text localities are included. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

¡Qué belleza!
Es un libro que no debe faltar en la biblioteca de ningún ornitólogo. Describe casi la totalidad de especies de aves del país con más especies de aves en el mundo. Excelente.

An example for every Field Guide
This work is all a bird watcher could wish for. The splendid paintings by Tudor add to the very helpful in-depth descriptions. Completed by nearly 1500 distribution maps there's nothing left to wish, except go out there and see them. I used it when birding in Peru and I could still determine nearly all the birds I saw.
It's an example for every bird field guide.

Made birding in Amazonia easy
Since no definitive bird guide is available for the Amazon region and Brazil in general, I was forced to choose between this guide and the Birds of Venezuela. I ended up with Hilty and Brown's book by sheer coincidence, and I was not at all disappointed. The text and information is superb throughout, and I was able to identify several species on habitat description alone. For example, the authors clearly describe the preference of many taxa for varzea (seasonally flooded) or terra firme forests, which made a fleeting glimpse more of a certainty, and the range descriptions were invaluable. If I have only one very minor criticism, it is that I have never found plates in black and white particularly helpful, and since several artists were employed, there were differences in visual interpretation in several groups (e.g. the Picidae). However, these are minor detractions from an outstanding volume.

Native peoples laud volume
In my linguistic work with a native people of Colombia I have found Hilty & Brown to be an invaluable resource for my learning of vocabulary and for adding countless items to the dictionary. The research done for this book is accurate. For example, when the authors say a given species is found in the area where our indigenous friends live, our friends verify that time after time.

The best for Neotropical South American birds
This is currently the best field guide for the Amazon Basin, and anywhere in Colombia. As the worlds #1 bird nation, this bird guide gives you a good insight into the birds of tropical South America, with national maps and still-adequate recomendations of where to see birds. The guide includes illustrations of most of the birds of Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, all of which lack comprehensive bird guides. Venezuela has a guide, but not as detailed as this one for the Amazon basin. You can't go wrong with this if visiting Neotropical South America in search of birds. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Gosh some of those dragonflies look like Apache helicopters!
Two things that the other reviewers might not have covered:
1. It only contains dragonflies from North America.
*sarcasm on*
This is truuuly indispensable to someone living in Australia.
*sarcasm off*
2. The size. It is a lot smaller than I expected at only 4.5 x 7".
3. If you're more interested in general dragonfly facts, get the other book "Dragonflies of the world" instead, for it contains fascinating information on dragonfly flight behaviour, larval stages, camoflage, temperature regulation, etc.

It is what it says it is. Good value!
This book will not make you an expert on dragonflies. It does give you sufficient information on them to help understand what you see when you view them in the field. And it helps you identify the most common ones in the USA and Canada.

A few pages in the front of the book give brief background information on dragonflies, and on equipment and strategies for observing them in the field. Then you go to page after page of species descriptions. Important identification information is given for each species, and at least one (sometimes more when appropriate) photo. The photos are usually of good quality both as photos and as identification aids.

A key in the inside cover of the book helps you pick out characteristics of a dragonfly you are observing, and the key then points you to the appropriate pages in the book using a color tab system.

I compared copies in hand of this book, and its chief competitor, DRAGONFLIES THROUGH BINOCULARS. I felt this book would be more useful in the field, so I ordered this one from Amazon.com, not the binoculars book. That's the best testimony I can give. I've since read and begun to use the book, and I am happy with my choice.

Only downside to this book is that it may tempt you to order one of the larger, more in-depth books on dragonflies, which are quite expensive!

Perfect for the newbie
Clear and beautiful photos with helpful information make it easy to ID dragonflies. If you want to use it as field guide or as picture book this is the one to have.

What is that funny looking bug?
Maybe I first noticed Dragonflies one of those summers I attended Girl Scout camp and I saw a pretty blue-winged insect shimmering over the lake where we went for our daily swim. Or maybe I saw my first fly when I sat on a creek bank waiting for the catfish to bite. I saw them so often when I was a child growing up in the rural South and Midwest, that I took them for granted. Not until the great Henry Mitchell, a local gardener and columnist with the Washington Post (and author of many books on gardening) wrote about his horse troughs and Dragonfiles did I sit up and say, "You mean there's more than one kind??"

Mr. Mitchell taught me that Dragonfiles can drown in deep water if they try to take a drink, and that Dragonflies, Damselflies and Butterflies all need shallow water. That's why you see them hovering over mud puddles and why every bird bath needs a shallow spot. In Mr. Mitchell's garden, the Dragonflies drank from the leaves on his water lillies. If you plant water lillies, you will see a Dragonfly or two or three.

The BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO DRAGONFLIES is destined to help me help my granddaughters develop an appreciation of Dragonfiles and Damselflies. According to authors Nikula, Sones, and Stokes, the major differences between the two are wing shapes, wing positions, eye positions, overall appearance and flight style. Some of the photos even depict Dragonflies that might be confused with Butterflies. We are going to learn about: 'Cruisers', 'Spiketails', 'Clubtails', 'Petaltails'
and a whole lot more. Seems that pretty neon blue insect I've seen hovering over the pond may be a 'Pond Damsel.'

Each of the illustrated "Identification" pages in DRAGONFLIES contains a photograph and text description of the fly and a map of Northern America depicting the range of the insect in question. Each map shows the entire country plus Canada. The pages of the book are color coded by family type so you can link the Dragonfly or Damselfly to it's family. Get this book and enjoy the summer fun.

A great guide
This handy little book should prove very useful to dragonfly and damselfly watchers. The pictures are large and show more detail than some of the larger, more extensive dragonfly guides. Though not as many species are covered as in, Dragonflies Through Binoculars, this guide is better in several ways. To begin with, it does make identification easier because the pictures are better. It is also lighter and easier to carry in the field. Finally, damselflies are covered in this book in addition to dragonflies. With all these added bonuses, I would recommend this book to long time dragonfly/damselfly watchers and beginners alike. ... Read more

Book Description

Here are descriptions and illustrations of 1,492 species from 77 families - virtually all of the wildflowers found from British Columbia to Baja California, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.Grouped by color, each species description includes field marks, size, habitat, range, flowering season, and common and scientific names. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pacific States Wildflowers.
I like the book and the topic, however the binding is is such bad shape that the book is useless in the field or for a more robust usage. Can this be fixed?

A Useful Tool
Though this title may be a little pricy, it is a must have for residents of California, Oregon, and Washington. At any rate, any family within which there is a flower collecter, should have a copy of this excellent resource. Though my family originally purchased this title because of a biology project assigned to my daughter, it has since opened up an interesting world of the natural plant life of this area and even those farther away.

Excellent Field Guide to help identify Wildflowers
I take this guide (and the Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers-- west) on all my field trips to identify wildflowers. Though Peterson has fewer real photos, it does have better aids to identify specific wildflowers, as it is organized by color, as well as number and types of petals. The sketches help me do a preliminary id on the wildflower. ... Read more

Book Description

An entertaining, practical, reader-friendly guide to commonplants, animals, and the physical environment of the NC/SC coast. Fullyillustrated -- over 100 color photographs, plus additional diagrams anddrawings with in-depth information on each subject. A beachcomber'shandbook, a valuable companion for seaside explorers of all ages.Scientifically accurate, yet written in language the lay public canunderstand. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Serviceable and Entertaining
My goal in purchasing this book, which pulls together information about birds, shells, dune plants, and fish was to be able to pack one slim volume instead of the bag of field guides I usually took to the Outer Banks. After two trips to North Carolina in the last year, I have found that I still need to carry a couple of other references because this is not comprehensive in any one of its categories--and how could it be at 148 pages? However, Meyer's guide does manage to cover many of the specimens commonly found along the Carolina coast. Furthermore, it is written in a graceful voice that keeps you reading long after you've put a name to the beastie you found on the beach. It is not childish or simple at all, but it can be used by the entire family. It stirs wonder.

Interesting guide...
Being a transplant from Michigan, I had little knowledge of coastal animals and plants. I purchased this book to satisfy my curiosity. I'm not knowledgeable enough as the other reviewer who found the inaccuracies in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The information is presented in a very interesting way and all the photographs are in color. I can't wait to spend more time on the coast and see some of the creatures myself. I'll definitely have this guide on hand. I also enjoyed the respect the author has for nature.

Some SERIOUS problems in the plates, otherwise ok
Overall an ok book for a beginner. If you come into this as a naturalist you will likely be disapointed. There are some other serious problems that I was able to spot straight out.

Plate 40. "Auger Shells" One of the 'augers' is not only NOT an auger and it's not even from the Carolinas at all. It's the Common Vertagus (a certh) from the Indo-Pacific (likely from the Philippines).

Plate 54. "Oyster Drills". Contains several Murexes in addition to the drills.

Plate 59. Sundials. The figured Sundial is not The American Sundial (Architectonica nobilis) but rather the Clear Sundial (Architectonica perspectiva) also from the Indo-Pacific.

The substitution of shells from the other side of the world really shows sloppy work in this guide. The other major problem I have with the book is that it just isn't complete enough; it only shows a small fraction of the plants and animals that one finds on Carolina coasts. The naturalist who trys to depend on this book will likely be frustrated and will find that they need other guides. As an introduction for a beginner it is ok, short the above noted plate problems.

Incredibly accurate with astonishing photos
For the past four years I have had a place at the beach. Dr. Meyer's book has become our bible. Using it, shells, shorebirds and seaside flora are easily identified by my family, friends and renters. Being an amateur photographer, I am in total awe of the skill of the other physician who took the pictures. ... Read more

Book Description

Looking like a group of elegantly dressed gentlemen at a formal function, penguins remind us of ourselves. According to author Wayne Lynch, part of our curiosity about these stocky little birds is related to just that -- their almost human behaviors. Like us, they live in communities where they play and fight with one another, steal from each other, hunt for food, quarrel with their mates, form lasting pair bonds, separate, commit infidelities and care for and sometimes neglect or even kill their offspring. Day in and day out, their lives seem unnervingly like our own.

In Penguins of the World, however, Lynch suggests that the life of a penguin goes well beyond the realm of our common shared experience. In the past eight years, Lynch has traveled more than 130,000 miles (210,000 km) to Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and a dozen remote island clusters in the tempestuous Southern Ocean to observe, study and enjoy this remarkable bird. A self-proclaimed "penguin addict," Lynch has determined that penguin's are more complex and far richer in adaptations and behaviors than humans ever imagined. Penguins of the World is Lynch's record of a journey of discovery. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Penguins
I like this book because it can tell u and me alot about penguins but i think that this site is bad because is doesent show u the inside of this book to be better that other wed sites.My suggestion to the company if they read these is that u can do better.

Great photos and text between the same covers!
Picture books usually have boring text, and nature books usually have photos that look like the ones used to prove the existence of the Loch Ness monster. This book has great color photos of all 17 species of penguins AND informative, readable text. Lynch obviously cares about his subject and his readers. For those who want to know more, he even includes a bibiliography. If you are a nature photographer, bird lover, or penguin fanatic, this book is for you. ... Read more

Book Description

It was the Perfect Storm. But instead of raging far out in the Atlantic, the Great Hurricane of 1938 left a wake of death and destruction across seven states. It battered J. P. Morgan's Long Island estate, wiped out beach communities from Watch Hill to Newport, flooded the Connecticut Valley, and flattened Vermont's prized maples. Traveling at record speeds, the storm raced up the Atlantic Coast, reaching New York and New England ahead of hurricane warnings and striking with such ferocity that seismographs in Alaska picked up the impact. Winds, clocked at 186 mph, stripped cars of their paint. Walls of water 50 feet high swept homes and entire families out to sea. Sandwiched between the Great Depression and World War II, the storm had a profound impact upon a generation. "The day of the biggest wind has just passed," the newswires read the next day, "and a great part of the most picturesque America, as old as the Pilgrims, has gone beyond recall or replacement." Drawing upon newspaper accounts, the personal testimony of survivors, forecasters, and archival footage, SUDDEN SEA recounts that terrifying day in gripping detail. Scotti describes the unlikely alignment of meteorological conditions that conspired to bring a tropical cyclone to the Northeast. A masterful storyteller, Scotti follows the trajectory of that awful wind--and recovers for posterity the lost stories of those whose lives, families, and communities were destroyed by the Hurricane of 1938. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

beautiful and dramatic
I picked this book up on a whim and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Not having been alive in 1938 I knew very little about this disaster before reading Ms.Scotti's well reserched book. The way she weaves personal stories so seamlessly with the factual information creates a riviting tale of a way of life that would never fuloly be seen again. Ms.Scotti talks about the death and destrction that ravaged the east coast (682 deaths, 432 in Rhode Island alone) but she also talks about the amazing, and in some instaces humorus ways that people surrived the storm.
One of the things that I really love about the book is that it is so full of information and stories, yet I never felt confused or lost, I can't say that for many of the books I have read these days. I think Ms.Scotti is one of the most gifted writers I have had the pleasure of reading. Her ability to tug at your heart strings and not have it be in least bit over done is very refreshing. Personaly I think she is a breath of air as welcome as the sea breeze that must have been blowing along the beach only hours before the storm touched down. I can not wait to read her next book.

Sudden storm sends shockwaves to end summer on somber note
This is nice read, an almost pleasant (but, strangely, not gripping) saga of the great New England Hurricane of September 21,1938. Much of the focus of the storm and the story is on the wealthy Hampton areas of Long Island and the Newport area of Rhode Island. Scotti sets the time and place well: the end of the Depression (with the damage still evident), the brewing war in Europe, and the start of the university school year. This storm came not only at an unusual time but also at unusual places. Much of the damage to homes is the result of wealthy people taking advantage of splendid if dangerous views of the ocean. Some of the dead are domestics left behind to shutter summer homes.

"Sea" offers a clear companion and comparison to "Isaac's Storm," the epic of the Galveston hurricane of 1900. "Sea" is able to focus much more on the human element of the catastrophe, using interviews with survivors, photographs (fourteen glossy pages), and records that were just not kept in or saved from 1900. Survivors are alive today. "Sea" is more about the people who fought, including some who survived, the storm. In "Sea," a smug senior forecaster in Washington, DC dismisses the hurricane forecast of an assistant, striking the word 'hurricane' from the assistant's report for September 21 and leading to a lack of warning to the targeted, highly populated areas. The fact that such a storm was unique or that most of the Atlantic's similar storms pushed to the northeast and out to sea was not a good reason to ignore the disastrous consequences of the "Bermuda high" that kept the storm closer to land. The post-storm analysis may have been the real impetus for the modernization of weather forecasting. repairing the damage to railroads, telephone lines, livestock and roads helped usher in the modern age. Air passenger traffice between New York and Boston increased 500% in the week after the storm.

Scotti, a journalist and mystery novelist, uses words well. "Sea" is laden with brief, connected, poignant stories. Capturing the wildness of the sea and storms is no small task. Scotti even includes a brief set of scenes from the life of Katherine Hepburn from that day: swimming and golfing in Connecticut, before seeing her estate, Tara, being washed away. "Sea: has about five small maps; each could have used a bit more detail. And a larger map, tracking the entire storm of its short life, would have been a good, consistent visual reference point for the reader, and would provide more of the dynamic nature of the storm. Without it, some of the stories are static and difficult to connect.

The Storm of the Century
I started reading this book on Saturday and was finished on Monday morning. It completely held my interest. I enjoyed the human element and couldn't wait to find out what happened to the many people in this devasting hurricane. Each account was breath-taking. It makes me want to know more...I am recommending this book to everyone I come in contact with. That anyone lived through this storm was amazing. It makes you realize what is really important in life. I enjoyed the author's telling of this story.

Interesting book on well-known and published hurricane
The beginning of the book hooked me...but somewhere mid-stream it became a hard read...it took about 6 sittings to read the 240ish page book. Meteorology was barely touched upon, which is fine, considering the Weather Bureau was only taking surface observations at the time and any other deductions would be mere guess-work. Besides, non-mets usually make all kinds of errors, such as assuming the Saffir-Simpson Scale was in use (I don't even think the term "Great Hurricane" had been coined as of that time.) One of the forecasters involved actually became one of the best-skilled hurricane forecasters around...it would have been nice if she expounded on his later career, but no matter.

It seemed like the author tried too hard to weave the individual stories together, and I got lost when going back and forth from different spots in Rhode Island and Long Island. I felt like I was adrift in the storm myself. I did like how she followed up on the characters who survived...that was a nice touch. If you're interested in southern New England and weather, this should be a good buy.

"A strange ochre light came off the ocean..."
Powerful hurricanes are infrequent visitors to New England, but 'The Long Island Express' not only paid a visit---it dropped in unannounced on September 21, 1938 just as many summer residents were on the beach and closing up their ocean-front cottages, among them actress Katharine Hepburn and her mother.

The Weather Bureau gave no cause for alarm, at least not after the hurricane skirted Florida and headed north. The meteorologists in Washington D.C. assumed that the storm would dissipate in the cold waters of the Atlantic, as had happened to all north-bound hurricanes since the Great September Gale devastated New England in 1815.

According to the author, no one could have been prepared for the 1938 storm's speed and ferocity. Sweeping northward from Cape Hatteras, building tremendous momentum as it advanced, the hurricane raced over six hundred miles in only twelve hours. Only the captain of the 'Carinthia,' a small 20,000 ton luxury cruiser that weathered the ferocious brawl 150 miles north of Florida might have given warning. He did radio to shore that his barometer had dropped "almost an inch to 27.85 in less than an hour. It was one of the lowest readings ever recorded in the North Atlantic."

Author Scotti interviewed many survivors of this ferocious storm, and includes the story of Katharine Hepburn who had to escape her seaside house through a dining room window and then battle her way to higher ground:

"When the Hepburns reached high ground, they looked back. [Their house] which had endured tide and wind since the 1870's, pirouetted slowly and sailed away."

Many folks were not as fortunate as the Hepburns. The storm surge was so sudden and so high many houses were completely inundated before their inhabitants could escape. One survivor saw a submerged house leap twenty-five feet into the air and explode. Another watched as a school bus containing his children was overtaken by the onrushing water. Others climbed to the top floors of their homes, then clung desperately to pieces of their roof as their houses washed away beneath them.

It is estimated that 682 people died and another 1,754 were seriously wounded by the 'Long Island Express.' Scotti focuses on a few representative stories, and relates tantalizing fragments of many others.

If you would like to read a first-hand account of the 'Long Island Express,' September 21, 1938 was also the day that Everett S. Allen, recent college graduate and future author of "A Wind to Shake the World," began his first 'real' job as a reporter for the New Bedford 'Standard Times.' His book is one of the finest accounts of this vastly underreported hurricane. ... Read more

Book Description

This ultimate reference presents detailed information and color photos for all snake species found in the U.S. and CanadaWorld-renowned snake expert Carl Ernst and coauthor Evelyn Ernst reveal the unusual lifestyles of these fascinating creatures, describing every known aspect of each of the 131 species found in the United States and Canada. From the venomous rattlers to the docile garter snakes, each species is shown to display a unique set of behaviors and adaptations to its environment.

Much more than simply a field guide, this monumental reference begins with an introduction to snake biology and evolution, which is followed by an identification guide and key to the North American species. The heart of the book is the species accounts which, accompanied by color photographs, provide detailed information on identifying features, geographic variation, known fossils, current distribution, habitat type, behavior, reproduction, growth, diet, and predators. Completing the book is a glossary of terms and a comprehensive reference section. No other book provides as thorough or as reliable coverage. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Full color photographs of each fascinating species
The team effort of Carl H. Ernst (Professor of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia) and Evelyn M. Ernst (Director of Information for the National Science Resource Center in Washington DC), Snakes Of The United States And Canada Is a brilliantly conceived and presented, 668-page encyclopedia filled from cover to cover with concise descriptions and up-to-date information concerning habitats, predators, behavior, reproduction, and more for all of the American and Canadian snake species from coast to coast. Full color photographs of each fascinating species are combined with meticulous, detailed, definitive descriptive entries, making Snakes Of The United States And Canada a professional quality addition to professional and academic Herpetology Resource reference collections. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive field guide to the mammals of Central America, one of the most diverse and species-rich regions in the world. Generously illustrated with 48 full-color plates and many drawings, the book is designed for use both by amateur naturalists and professional biologists.The guide provides accounts for all mammals native to the land and surrounding waters of Central America and southeast Mexico. Detailed accounts include complete descriptions, measurements, range maps, and comparisons with similar species.The entire distribution, habitat, endangered status, and behaviors are also described, with sources of scientific references.For travelers to the region, a guide to the major parks and preserves is provided, with lists of the animals likely to found in each. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Absolutely the best mammals guide for the region
I had the opportunity to participate in a research project in Nicaragua. A local Nicaraguan university library allowed me to check out and use any field guide I wanted. Within days, all other field guides were permanently stowed in the bottom of my bag until I could return them to the university.

Having never been to the tropics before, I was still able to identify every bat I caught using mist nets with only the aid of this book (my local guides were unfamiliar with the bats).
This book will be your best piece of equipment if you plan to study mammals in Central America.

One of the first things I did when I returned home was order my own copy of this wonderful book.

A wonderful companion for both amateurs and pros
This field guide is a definitive yet handy guide that will surely be a classic of its type. It covers all the living species of native mammals from Mexico to Panama (including aquatic species such as whales and otters). For each species there is a careful description of its physical appearance along with notes on habitats, ranges (with maps) and behaviour, as well as other useful comments such as the best place to see a particular species, what the ground tracks look like and the status of threatened species. It is an absolute mine of fascinating information, much of it newly gathered or previously available only in obscure academic sources. There are excellent introductory sections on the main mammal groups, and good indexes and bibliographies -- in short , everything one needs to find and enjoy looking at mammals. But the most unique and useful feature (as well as the greatest delight -- and why this is a true classic), are the illustrations - hundreds of beautifully drawn colour plates painted from life (often in the most demanding of circumstances), that will allow you to settle important questions like "Is that a Woolly False Vampire Bat or a Great False Vampire Bat that just bit you" without flaming your travelling companions. (The book is especially strong on Bats.) Flying squirrels, monkeys, oppossums, sloths, deer mice, armadillos dolphins and skunks, they are all here. I would highly recommend this book both for amateurs and professionals (whether they are going to central america or not!). Every academic library should have a copy of it.

The care taken over detail throughout make the book both scientifically valuable and highly readable. It is a true labour of love - and just look at this quote from the author's preface! "Some species I painted while sitting in a truck, using the steering wheel as an easel, and some in a tent with a hadlamp at night, but most were done outside during the day, sitting on the ground or on a log. The white background of the plates suffered from a continuous onslaught of dust, sweat, and grime, and other indefinable debris. Carrying the plates throughout Central America involved some harrowing experiences, one of which was a short flight to Tortuguero in Costa Rica. The pilot had at length persuaded me to put my portfolio in the front baggage hold in the nose of the plane, and after we took off he realized that the door to this hold had come open. While the other four passengers agonized over the possibility of the plane going down if the luggage became tangled in the propellors, I was trying to follow our coordinates so I could search for my plates if they fell to the swampy ground below. Fortunately, we landed at a small airfield, corrected the problem, and lost nothing but peace of mind." ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Disappointingly sketchy
Steve Kress is a great ornithologist and I greatly admire the work he's done in wildlife species and habitat preservation--but this book is not one of his best achievements. Basic and sketchy, at best it might give you a few ideas, but you won't be able to really implement them from this book--you'll have to get much better and more complete references. Look on the audabon web site or other birdwatchers web sites for ideas, and donate the money you save from not buying this book to audabon.

Bring beauty and life to the garden!
As an avid gardener with an extensive collection of gardening and reference books, this is the most cherished and most consulted of any book in the house. It brings the garden to an interactive level and a site of much learning for adults and children! Inspiring and informative, The Bird Garden also carries the endearing beauty of presentation one would expect with an Audubon Society publication. Wonderful gift for gardener or birder alike. I keep a few copies on hand for birthdays and house-presents. Finally, with enough inspired souls...the birds and butterflies will stand a better chance in the world. Read all about it!

Hatch your bird garden using this book!
I have used this book in the winter and the spring of 2002, and the results have been more than I could have expected. The book is well written, nicely illustrated, and well organized. If you want to have one reference book on hand, then you would be wise to consider this one.

If you only buy one book on the subject...
Make it this one. It's full of detailed information on all aspects of creating a garden that will attract birds. It's well written and clearly illustrated.

A whole new way to garden!
Why plant any impulse buy from the nursery when one can choose plants that are important as food sources for local birds? I originally checked this book out of the library but I want to buy one because it is so beautiful and useful. I will return to it again and again as I choose new plants for the yard and plan the garden. The book has suggested garden layouts for each area of the country, listing recommended flowers, shrubs, and trees for each area. It identifies birds common to each area and which foods each species prefers. It is lavishly illustrated. I particularly appreciate the color photographs of plants, which makes it a lot easier to spot them at the nursery. I've learned a lot about both birds and plants from this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The zebrafish has become one of the most important model organisms to study biologial processes within a living body. As a vertebrate that has many of the strengths of invertebrate model systems, it offers numerous advantages to researchers interested in many aspects of embryonic development, physiology and disease. This book not only provides a complete set of instructions that will allow researchers to establish the zebrafish in their laboratory. It also gives a broad overview of commonly used methods and a comprehensive collection of protocols describing the most powerful techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive book is a collective response to thousands of letters and phone calls received annually by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.Students, teachers, and scientists all have amazingly varied questions about whales and dolphins, and the most revealing inquiries are presented here with detailed answers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good reference book
This is an interesting and helpful reference book if simple answers are all that are needed. References to other literature for each topic would be helfpul since the answers are sometimes so general and brief. Also, I had hoped that it would contain more information about perhaps the most important question we could ask about these animals ... how can we protect them?

Fascinating information about wild whales and dolphins
Collaboratively written by James G. Mead (Curator of Marine Mammals, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) and Joy P. Gold (Technical Information Specialist, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History), Whales And Dolphins In Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book is a gorgeously illustrated book filled with beautiful color photography by Flip Nicklin and showcases fascinating information about wild whales and dolphins. The first section presents basic facts in question-and-answer format; the second addresses these wondrous creatures species by species, offering amazing trivia and insight into the natural world. A superb giftbook for dolphin and whale enthusiasts, Whales And Dolphins In Questions is strongly recommended for school and community library wildlife and marine life reference collections. ... Read more

Book Description

This superbly illustrated book is the first created primarily for field identification of the 350 species of parrots of the world, from the mighty macaws to the diminutive pygmy parrots. Along with range maps for each species, the book includes information on the ecology, vocalizations, life cycle characteristics, and geographical variation of all species and on the conservation status of parrots that are threatened or endangered. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Unbeatable Reference on WILD Parrots
I was long wondering whether to buy this book or not, but it was well worth getting.
The species accounts are incredibly detailed and it must have been hard work to collect all that data.
I have field experience regarding parrots in Eastern Indonesia and found this book to be amazingly up to date about the status of species occuring there - so I trust it is similarly good for parrots in the rest of the world, too!

Not a good guide
I own parrots, I have friends who own parrots, and I have a brother who breeds parrots. I feel I can knowledgably say that this is not a good guide to parrots. It is full of mistakes both in the text and in the illustrations. I was very disappointed when I went through this book and, fortunately, I did not buy it but got it through the library. If you want info about this group of birds buy the standard, Forshaw's Parrots of the World, and just realize that the information about ranges and scientific names might be out-of-date but overall this is the better book by far. It deserves no stars.

A Terrific Guide to Parrots!
This is got to be one of the best guide books I have ever seen featuring over 350 different species of parrots on our planet. Being the bird lover that I am, and that includes domestic as well as wild birds, I own almost every book out there on birds, and I really love this edition by Tony Juniper & Mike Parr. It should really be called an encyclopedia because there is just so much information in these almost 600 pages. The 88 superb color illustrations of all the species by 5 different artists are so beautiful & true to life. As you already know by reading the editorial & other reviews, this book includes range maps of the species locations, their vocalizations, life expectancies, and much more fascinating information.

Remember, this is not a book about parrots in captivity, its information about birds in the wild. If you don't own a parrot and are thinking about one, this book is a definite help in learning about all the different species that are out there. The more knowledge you have the better it will be when you do decide to pick out that perfect companion parrot for yourself & family. Owning a companion parrot is a lifetime commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly. I know I researched many months before I found the perfect parrot for us. The love you receive in return from your parrot will amaze you. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. Highly recommended!

The Encyclopedia for Parrots
This is the first book I bought on Parrots and it is the only I would ever need to learn about the different types of Parrots in the world. It contains information and pictures on every type of Parrot from the African Grey to the rare Kakapo. I only wish they had an indication on the price range of each bird on the market for those who breed and sell. I would definitely recommend this book to the serious Parrot collector. A definite must on a Parrot lover's bookshelf and worth every dollar.

Excellent addition to any naturalist's library
This book belongs in the library of any naturalist or bird lover. The plates are wonderful with vivid colors that serve to identify the various species. The text provides concise information on natural history, a map of each species' range in the wild, its conservation status and other information. This book could be used in the field or as a comprehensive reference book on these remarkable birds. The authors must have poured a phenomenal amount of work into researching and writing this book. Buy one for yourself and another for a friend. ... Read more

Book Description

This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. Each bird is described in vivid detail - its natural history, habitat, voice, range, and field marks - and illustrated in stunning color photographs. Range maps show where each species is found in different seasons. The audio CD features original high-quality field recordings of each bird's songs and calls, which are track-coded for easy access. Common Birds and Their Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great beginners bird guide
Though I was surprised to receive such a small sized book, the picures are beautiful and the lessons very helpful. I am new to birding and have no doubt I can improve my bird identification with the help of this CD and guidebook. I do wish the veery and phoebe were included. Great book for anyone wishing to learn which bird goes with which song. So much fun! Would highly recommend. I'm thrilled.

Great Photos, Great Gift, Great Intro to Common Birds
"Common Birds and their Songs" is like a mini-coffeetable book (though it is softbound) with beautiful color photographs by Marie Read, and a page of text on each of 50 birds, which are grouped into 5 categories: Backyard/City, Countryside, Wetland, & Forest. The CD is a straightforward presentation from each species.

This makes a great gift for the bird/nature lover and its worth getting as many of Lang Elliott's tapes are hard to find.
Also recommended: "Know Your Bird Sounds Vol. I & II" and "Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs".

Wonderful for old and young.
I'm a grandmother, just learning the names of the birds whose sounds I have enjoyed for years. Now my youngest grandchild, Emma, age 4 months, is learning the sounds and pictures. She sings right along with them. This book is truly amazing. CD tracks can be selected "by bird" or can be listened to in order. And the geographic area map lets us know if any particular bird is one we might see in our vicinity. Five Stars.

Wonderful book for children to learn about average birds
My child just became interested in birds and this book is awesome for a child to learn what bird is what, and how they sound. My five-year-old child absolutely loves putting the CD in and paging through the book as he listens. I have even learned more about birds, and it is something fun we can do together!

Beautiful, informative, euphonious
This is a great book! Elliott and Read combine stunning photographs of fifty songbirds with lively information about their lives. And that's not all. They ice the cake with an audio CD that will fill your house with song. The recordings give a range of vocalizations for each species, so the listener can sit back and gain his own sense of how the birds sound in the field. There's never been another book quite like this one, and I recommend it most enthusiastically to bird lovers and their friends. ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Tyrrell, the world's foremost photographer of hummingbirds, has successfully captured on film the utterly fascinating day-to-day activities of our colorful North American species. Included among the 235 full-color pictures are never-before-photographed sequences such as nesting, molting, preening and territorial aggression, as well as an unprecedented portfolio of hummingbirds feeding from wildflowers.

Esther Tyrrell has written the accompanying illuminating text, by far the most complete and up-to-date information on hummingbirds ever assembled, which will make this book the definitive source for both scientists and the general reader for years to come.

This lavishly illustrated volume opens with an introduction to this lovely family of ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Unbelievable photography
This book conains the most amazing photography imaginable (the authors' companion book Hummingbirds of the Caribbean is just as wonderful). Dazzling colors and awesome stopped-action shots. I can't imagine how it was done.

Highest praise
The wife and husband team of Esther and Robert Tyrrell logged over 30,000 miles of travel to photograph and document the 16 species of North American hummingbirds. Using his own special high-speed strobe techniques, Robert has photographed the tiny colorful birds in a variety of activities flying, perching, and nesting. The book contains over 200 amazing photographs, reproduced in dazzling color. In her text, Esther has culled information from hundreds of sources and provides a comprehensive and well-written overview of the birds' anatomy and behaviors. A must for any bird lover! ... Read more