Now in its 4th Edition, revisions include 250 updated range maps, and new classification information National Geographic is reissuing the Field Guide to the Birds of North America in the 4th edition, focusing on its accuracy and easy use in the field. This is the ultimate birders field guide - sturdy, easy to carry and use, and featuring the most complete information among bird guides. It features all species known to breed in North America, including those that are regular visitors to our continent or that drop in occasionally - more than 800 in all. The edition is lavishly illustrated with specially commissioned full-colour illustrations, plus newly updated range maps and detailed descriptions. A superb new index allows birders in the field to quickly identify a species.

    Leaving behind a madcap, fishing-obsessed family, Gus decides to strike out on his own, taking refuge in a secluded cabin on a remote riverbank to pursue his own fly-fishing passion with unrelenting zeal. But instead of finding fishing bliss, Gus becomes increasingly troubled by the degradation of the natural world around him and by the spiritual barrenness of his own life. His desolation drives him on a reluctant quest for self-discovery and meaning, ultimately fruitful beyond his wildest dreams. Here, then, is a funny, sensitive, unforgettable story about the relationships among men, women, the environment, and the human soul.

    The key feature of this classic title is the section of star charts that are cherished by backyard astronomers everywhere. Each new edition has outsold the previous one because of thorough revisions and additional new material.NightWatch has been acclaimed as the best general interest introduction to astronomy. The fourth edition has improvements over the 3rd edition in every chapter, including:The famous charts, ideal for stargazers using a small telescope or binoculars A complete update of the equipment section, including computerized telescopes An enlarged photography section, including how-to instructions for using the new generation of digital cameras for astronomical photography, both with and without a telescope The tables of future solar and lunar eclipses, planetary conjunctions and planet locations, updated through 2025. This edition includes star charts for use in the southern hemisphere. There are also dozens of new photographs throughout the book that show the latest thrilling discoveries made by current space observatories and probes.

    After consulting African game experts and recalling his own experiences and those of his colleagues, Capstick has written chilling, authoritative accounts of hunting the five most dangerous killers on the African continent-- lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo and rhinoceros.The classic big-game animals are unmatched as a test of a hunter's skill and courage. With a command of exciting prose, Capstick brings us along on the chase. The warning snarl of a crouching lion, the swish of grass that reveals a leopard, the enraged scream of a wounded elephant, the cloud of dust that marks a herd of Cape buffalo, the earthshaking charge of a rhino are recreated in heart-stopping, nerve-racking detail. In Death in the Dark Continent, Capstick brings to life all the suspense, fear and exhilaration of stalking ferocious killers under primitive, savage conditions, with the ever present threat of death.

    Here, in one essential volume, are the basics of wilderness survival. The most ancient and important skills, preserved for generations, are presented in a simple, easy-to-use format with clear illustrations and instructions. A complete must-have companion to the great outdoors.- How to build natural shelters in plains, woods, or deserts- How to get safe drinking water from plants, trees, the sun, or Earth Herself- How to make fire without matches and maintain it in any weather- How to find, stalk, kill, and prepare animals for food- The big four edible plants, and hundreds of others useful for both nutrition and medicineTOM BROWN'S FIELD GUIDES: America's most popular nature reference books, Tom Brown's bestselling field guides are specially designed for both beginners and experienced explorers. Fully illustrated and comprehensive, each volume includes practical information, time-tested nature skills, and exciting new ways to rediscover the earth around us.

    Fossey's extraordinary efforts to ensure the future of the rain forest and its remaining mountain gorillas are captured in her own words and in candid photographs of this fascinating endangered species. As only she could, Fossey combined her personal adventure story with groundbreaking scientific reporting in an unforgettable portrait of one of our closest primate relatives. Although Fossey's work ended tragically in her murder, Gorillas in the Mist remains an invaluable testament to one of the longest-running field studies of primates and reveals her undying passion for her subject.

    Keeping bees, she found solace in the natural world. She began to write, challenging herself to tell the absolute truth about her life and the things that she cared about. The result is one of the best-loved books ever written about life on the land, about a woman finding her way in middle age.

    Designed for divers, it makes it easy to identify the myriad fishes that inhabit the waters of Florida, the Caribbean, Bahamas and Brazil.

    Issued with the full endorsement and cooperation of the Audubon Society, the stunning Baby Elephant Folio—here reproduced in a miniature, gem-like version—was the first work ever to arrange Audubon's plates in scientific order.

    With all the plants conveniently organized by season, enthusiasts will find it very simple to locate and identify their desired ingredients. Each entry includes images, plus facts on the plant’s habitat, physical properties, harvesting, preparation, and poisonous look-alikes. The introduction contains tempting recipes and there’s a quick-reference seasonal key for each plant.“Season-by-season guide to identification, harvest, and preparation of more than 200 common edible plants to be found in the wild....Hundreds of edible species are included....[This] handy paperback guide includes jelly, jam, and pie recipes, a seasonal key to plants, [and a] chart listing nutritional contents.”—Booklist. “[Five hundred] beautiful color photographs...temptingly arranged.”—The Library Letter

    Exploring the "peculiar and mysterious particulars of nature," Gould introduces the reader to some of the many and wonderful manifestations of evolutionary biology.

    Second printing, 1984, The Institute For Earth Education, IL, Paperback, Book Condition: UsedVeryGood, 012164 1B

    Winner of the Francis Parkman PrizeIn this landmark work of environmental history, William Cronon offers an original and profound explanation of the effects European colonists' sense of property and their pursuit of capitalism had upon the ecosystems of New England. Reissued here with an updated afterword by the author and a new preface by the distinguished colonialist John Demos, Changes in the Land, provides a brilliant inter-disciplinary interpretation of how land and people influence one another. With its chilling closing line, "The people of plenty were a people of waste," Cronon's enduring and thought-provoking book is ethno-ecological history at its best.

    Looking out from Moon Cottage, Susan Hill records the sights and smells, the people, gardens, animals, births, festivals and deaths that mark the changing-seasons in the small Oxfordshire community.

    For all those who have read and cherished the Foxfire books, here is a loving portrait of a fondly remembered friend. This book is not just about Aunt Arie; it is Aunt Arie. In her own words, she discusses everything from planting, harvesting, and cooking to her thoughts about religion and her feelings about living alone. Also included are testimonials from many who knew her and a wealth of photographs.

    The reason for a flower is to manufacture seeds, but Ruth Heller shares a lot more about parts of plants and their functions in her trademark rhythmic style.

    The author's new epilogue makes a case for the creation of a new park to safeguard this exceptionally rich storehouse of relict species and evolutionary stories, which has largely been bypassed by conservationists since John Muir.

    When Margarete first came upon Arnie, he was just a familiar springtime sight: a baby bird lying helpless in the daisy patch. After unsucessfully trying to return him to the nest, she took him into her Texas home and raised him as carefully as she had raised her own child, teaching him to perch, to fly, even to talk. Arnie resisted all attempts to restore him to the wild, preferring steak and canned corn to worms, which frightened him, and even developing a taste for wine.Most astonishing of all, he learned to talk and sing, and he had a remarkable influence on a number of lives. Lenny, the young drug addict, paused on the road to self-destruction, so enthralled by Arnie that he carried a dog-eared picture of him in his wallet. Suzanne, the Vietnamese refugee, learned from Arnie that wrong home can be a prison and fled to Colorado to start a new life. Margarete's grandson, Travis, who called Arnie "Superbird," gained a new respect for wild creatures, and even her three cats came to love Arnie as one of their own.Arnie is full of life, laughter, and love. It is a completely irresistable book.

    Walker's Mammals of the World is the most comprehensive--the preeminent--reference work on mammals. Now, completely revised and updated, this fascinating guide is better than ever--covering more than 1,000 genera of mammals, including nearly one hundred that did nor appear in previous editions, and describing more than 4,000 different species.The newest Walker's Mammals offers, for the first time in a single publication, a complete account of world mammals in all of historical time--that is, since about 3,000 B.C. Another new feature is that species are arranged within each genus in the order of simple to more advanced life forms, so that species are shown in their closest relation to one another. No other work contains illustrations--more than 1,700--of virtually every genus of mammals. Included are pictures by such noted wildlife photographers as Leonard Lee Rue III, Bernhard Grzimek, David Pye, and Warren T. Houck. Many new photographs of rarely seen animals have been added and, as in previous editions, most photographic illustrations are of live animals rather than of skins or skeletons.Each section of the book describes one genus and includes facts such as scientific and common names, the number and distribution of species, measurements and physical traits, habitat, locomotion, daily and seasonal activity, population dynamics, home range, social life, reproduction, and longevity. Textual summaries present accurate, well-documented descriptions of the physical characteristics and living habits of mammals in every part of the world. Endangered species and those having singular economic importance are givenparticular attention, and the names and ranges of all the species within a given genus are listed at the beginning of each entry.Since its publication in 1964, Walker's Mammals of the World has become a favorite guide to the natural world for general readers and an invaluable resource for professionals. This fifth edition represents more than half a century of scholarship--Ernest P. Walker himself devoted more than thirty years to the original project--and remains true to Walker's vision, smoothly combining thorough scholarship with a popular, readable style to preserve and enhance what the Washington Post called "a landmark of zoological literature."

    His endearing story describes the special relationship between man and wild animal, and of his own survival alone in a perilous and unforgiving wilderness. But foremost, The Ghost Walker is a story of a patient and dedicated pursuit to understand the elusive puma and its place in the environment.

    The idea of humans cultivating the Earth to suit specific needs is one of the greatest points of contention in this struggle. For how would have civilization progressed, if not by the clearance of the forests, the cultivation of the soil, and the conservation of wild landscape into human settlement? Yet what of the healing powers of unexploited nature, its long-term importance in the perpetuation of human civilization, and the inherent beauty of wild scenery? At no time were these questions addressed as pointedly and with such great consequence as in England between the sixteenth and late eighteenth centuries. Between 1500 and 1800 there occurred a whole cluster of changes in the way in which men and women, at all social levels, perceived and classified the natural world around them, explains Keith Thomas. New sensibilities arose toward animals, plants, and landscape. The relationship of man to other species was redefined; and his right to exploit those species for his own advantage was sharply challenged. Man and the Natural World aims not just to explain present interest in preserving the environment and protecting the rights of animals, but to reconstruct an earlier mental world. Thomas seeks to expose the assumptions beneath the perceptions, reasonings, and feelings of the inhabitants of early modern England toward the animals, birds, vegetation, and physical landscape among which they spent their lives, often in conditions of proximity which are now difficult for us to appreciate. It was a time when a conviction of man's ascendancy over the natural world gave way to a new concern for the environment and sense of kinship with other species. Here, for example, Thomas illustrates the changing attitudes toward the woodlands. John Morton observed in 1712, In a country full of civilized inhabitants timber could not be suffered to grow. It must give way to fields and pastures, which are of more immediate use and concern to life. Shortly thereafter, in 1763, Edwin Lascelles pronounced the The beauty of a country consists chiefly in the wood. People's relationships with animals were also in the process of dramatic change as seen in their growing obsession with pet keeping. The use of human names for animals, the fact that pets were rarely eaten, though not for gastronomic reasons, and pets being included in family portraits and often fed better than the servants all demonstrated a major shift in man's position on human uniqueness. The issues raised in this fascinating work are even more alive today than they were just ten years ago. Preserving the environment, saving the rain forests, and preventing the extinction of species may seem like fairly recent concerns, however, Man and the Natural World explores how these ideas took root long ago. These issues have much to offer not only environmental activists, but historians as well, for it is impossible to disentangle what the people of the past thought about plants and animals from what they thought about themselves.

    Clean, crisp pages with no visible rips, stains, tears or markings. All items are in stock and shipped daily, Monday through Friday. Orders received after noon on Friday, and those received on Saturday and Sunday are shipped on Mondays. All items shipped via Media Mail (unless alternate shipment method chosen and paid for by purchaser) with Delivery Confirmation so you can track the progress of your shipment.

    In April 1948, so, pretty much, was Earl Shaffer, self-dubbed The Crazy One. He had come home from war in the Pacific where he had lost the dearest friend of his life. He needed to walk it off, and he did with the most primitive of gear. In four months, he walked with the merging spring from Georgia to Maine, bushwhacking to find the route more often than not-becoming the first to report a complete, single-journey trek on this footpath of more than 2,000 miles. More than 7,000 have since followed in his footsteps. These reflections on and from his first of three thru-hikes are often lyrical, full of history and local legend and his own quiet insights on life in the woods in a much different era all around.

    Whether carried into the field or consulted at home, these books provide readers with fascinating facts and insights into the behavior of birds and wildlife.And that's not all. With new Stokes projects under way ... with information about Stokes activities available on-line at www.StokesBooks.com...you can be certain that more and more readers will be relying on Stokes guides.

    * More than 700 color illustrations for easy identification * Expanded with new sections on mushrooms, insects, and rock identification * Handy color tabs for easy access, and quick reference index on back coverDon't just call it a mushroom when it's a golden chanterelle; know your screech owl from your saw-whet owl; distinguish a monarch butterfly from a painted lady -- all with the help of this comprehensive guide to the common plants and animals of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.The species accounts have been updated with the latest taxonomic changes and, as before, include common name, scientific name, and description of important features, habitat, and geographic range.

    Hundreds of plants and animals that inhabit the rocky shores, sandy beaches, and quiet bays and estuaries are described and illustrated with encyclopedic thoroughness.Two hundred and ninety-nine color illustrations and nearly 400 black-and-white photographs and line drawings show sponges, molluscs, crustaceans, comb jellies, flatworms, seaweeds, and many other kinds of seashore life, making for easy identification. The text, cross-referenced with figures and plates, describes in precise terms the size, color, activities, and peculiarities of the plants and animals most likely to be encountered.This book is a greatly expanded version of the author's popular Seashore Life of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the San Juan Archipelago, published in 1973. It includes much new material on marine life along the open coast and in coastal bays, and extends the coverage to Oregon and northern California. Years of additional study make this the definitive work on the common seashore life of the northern Pacific coast.Kozloff discusses the geology and geography of the area, and gives the reader "some instant zoology and botany" with which to make the most of seashore exploration. He presents more than 650 species of plants and animals, each in its individual habitat, in chapters dealing with "Floating Docks and Pilings," "Rocky Shores of the Puget Sound Region," "Rocky Shores of the Open Coast," "Sandy Beaches," and "Quiet Bays and Salt Marshes." He also explains the laws and customs governing the collection of biological material and how animals respond to changes in their environment. Clearly and convincingly, he communicates pleasure in, and respect for, diverse marine habitats.This book is not only for the use of professional biologists and students; it will add to the pleasure of all who visit the Pacific seashores, ranging from secluded inlets in the San Juan Islands to the magnificent rocky outer coast and tidal estuary of San Francisco Bay.

    The user-friendly design makes it ideal for use in the field, with aids such as color-coding of major bird groups, running heads at the top of each page to indicate which family of birds is being described, large page numbers for easy reference and large accurate paintings which reflect the bird as it is seen in the field.

    Whether carried into the field or consulted at home, these books provide readers with fascinating facts and insights into the behavior of birds and wildlife.And that's not all. With new Stokes projects under way ... with information about Stokes activities available on-line at www.StokesBooks.com...you can be certain that more and more readers will be relying on Stokes guides.

    There seems to be something about tropical islands that stirs the blood of even the most unadventurous souls.’Lying in the Indian Ocean, the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar – where millions of years of evolutionary isolation created a flora and fauna unique in the world - provide the exotic setting for Gerald Durrell’s expeditionary rescue work with animals. In his personal and delightful way he entertains, educates and makes a dramatic appeal to us all about the distressing state of these beautiful and endangered species around the world and shows us the serious consequences to life and its future on this earth. This exciting journey also inspired an international television series based on the author’s rescue and breeding operations.

    

    She was an intrepid explorer of the Brazilian rainforest and an outstanding botanical artist, acclaimed by botanists and art critics worldwide. At the age of 47 Mee started exploring the Amazon, travelling throughout the wildest parts of Amazonia for the next thirty years. Mee learned to live with the forest and its plants, animals and people and learnt much from the Native people about the trees and plants she so meticulously painted. Mee initially sketched the plants in the forest and then worked on the large illustrations of the entire plant in her studio in Rio de Janeiro. Nine of these plants recorded by Mee, previously unknown to science, are now named after her. Flowers of the Amazon Forests: The Botanical Art of Margaret Mee illustrates more than sixty of Mee's major works with additional sketches painted while in the forest. The text is taken directly from the diaries she kept whilst travelling, giving

     Here is a systematic and enjoyable way to choose a dog. This highly informative and useful book will take the guesswork out of choosing a dog while leaving in the fun. It will tell you about more than 110 breeds and help you to select a dog compatible with your personality, family, and lifestyle. Choosing a dog can become easy and enjoyable as you learn everything there is to know about the breeds, including: * physical characteristics -- height, weight, strength, coat color and texture, tendency to shed, and food requirements * temperamental characteristics -- indoor/outdoor activity level, emotional stability, sociability, training potential, and watchdog/guard-dog ability * popularity, background, and unique qualities of each breed This fully illustrated guide includes easy-to-read tables and pages of practical advice, plus a miniquestionnaire to help you narrow down your selection to the perfect match for you, your family, and your lifestyle.

    529 species are described in detailed written accounts-with information on measurements; body shape and color; scales, fins, and gills; habitat; range; and behavior-and 400 other species are briefly noted. Poisonous or otherwise dangerous fish are distinguished by a warning symbol.

    An old-time poacher tells his story.

    

    

    Illustrated in color.

    

    Explains the techniques used in finding wild animals such as owls, turtles, squirrels, foxes, beavers, and deer, and in getting close enough to study their behavior.

    The major portion of the book consists of detailed accounts of agricultural species, vegetation, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, and insects. "This is an extraordinary, virtually unique work. . . . The tremendous amount of original, previously unpublished, firsthand information is remarkable."—Peter H. Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden "An essential resource for anyone interested in tropical biology. . . . It can be used both as an encyclopedia—a source of facts on specific organisms—and as a source of ideas and generalizations about tropical ecology."—Alan P. Smith, Ecology

    Pressing hard against the upper limit of life's possibilities, it exists higher and steeper throughout the year than any other big beast on the continent. It is possibly the best and most complete mountaineer that ever existed on any continent. Oreamnos americanus is its scientific name. Its common name is mountain goat." Resourceful, belligerent, and unbelievably sure-footed, the mountain goat is a white-coated survivor from the Ice Age. Oreamnos americanus shares its dizzying alpine world with elk, eagles, bighorn sheep, and grizzlies. This first full-length book on the mountain goat offers a superbly written portrait of its life, habits, and environment. Douglas H. Chadwick tracked mountain goat herds for seven years, and his observations are richly textured and replete with fascinating and dramatic details. We learn of the mountain goats' lives from birth to adulthood, their feeding habits, unique social behavior and courtship rituals, and their long history. Chadwick also makes clear the troubling and escalating impact of the modern world on the mountain goat's wilderness home. This Bison Books edition features a new introduction by the author.

    A 'garbled collection of illegible birding notebook extracts, crude sketches and fuzzy snapshots (obviously he's another one who doesn't understand depth of field).'

    Dutton, 1982.

    Its three volumes contain, in all, 1245 full-color photographs, 193 paintings, 422 drawings, and 650 range maps, while 61 of the nation's top field ornithologists and experts contribute their special knowledge to the 370,000 words of text. Entries are arranged taxonomically according to the new American Ornithologists' Union classification.This volume contains:Old World Warblers and Thrushes, Mimic-Thrushes, Accentors, Wagtails and Pipits, Waxwings, Silky-Flycatchers, Shrikes, Starlings, Vireos, Wood Warblers, Bananaquits, Tanagers, Cardinals and Thier Allies, New World Blackbirds and Orioles, Finches, Old World SparrowsVolume 1 contains:Loons, Grebes, Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Petrels, Storm-Petrels, Tropicbirds, Boobies and Gannets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Anhingas, Frigatebirds, Herons, Ibises and Spoonbills, Storks, Flamingos, Swans, Geese, and Ducks, New World Vultures, Hawks and Eagles, Falcons, Chachalacas, Pheasants, Grouse, and Quails, Rails, Limpkins, Cranes, Thick-knees, Plovers, Oystercatchers, Stilts and Avocets, Jacanas. SandpipersVolume 2 contains:Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers, Auks, Pigeons and Doves, Parrots, Cuckoos, Barn-Owls, Typical Owls, Nightjars, Swifts, Hummingbirds, Trogons, Hoopoes, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Tyrant-Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, Jays and Crows, Titmice, Verdins, Bushtits, Nuthatches, Creepers, Bulbuls, Wrens, Dippers

    It was a huge critical and commercial success in France and abroad, a precursor of the Romantic movement. The novel's author, Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, had previously spent 28 months in the French colony of Ile de France (now Mauritius) in 1778-80. This extended exposure to the island not only inspired Paul et Virginie, but also led to one of the period's fullest and most fascinating accounts of a colonial society and its daily life.First published in 1773, Voyage'a L'Isle de France is now available in this newly translated and annotated edition -- Journey to Mauritius. Mixing indignation with a lyrical appreciation of the island's beauty, Bernardin provides us with one of the earliest examples of a walking guide as he details Mauritius' sights and landscapes. An introduction sets this travel account in its historical context, discussing Bernardin's life and ideas.

    

    Edited by Paul Jamieson and Neal Burdick. Hardcover 6" x 9". 544 pages. 32 pages of reproductions of photos, drawings, and color paintings.

    Photos of trees mostly from New England area, but also some from other parts of the country.