Category: Collection

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Primates of West Africa: A Field Guide and Natural History

John F. Oates

What?

New volume in the Tropical Field Guide Series from Conservation International.

 

Why?

Full of information about the primates of the highly bio-diverse West Africa region – from the coast of Senegal to Lake Chad and Cameroon’s Sanaga River, The Primates of West Africa focuses on the Guinean Forest, one of the world’s Biodiversity Hotspots.

This compact guide is portable for field use, and introduces the region – topography, climate, vegetation, native peoples and history – as well as its primate inhabitants. Initial essays cover primate classification, evolutionary history, and the history of field research and conservation in the area, while the species accounts extend the traditional field guide format of identifying features and location to include concise but thorough information on natural history and conservation status, making this volume invaluable for the primate researcher and field worker, as well as the eco-tourist or wildlife enthusiast.

Includes full-colour plates by Stephen D. Nash, colour photographs and distribution maps for every species and subspecies.

Who?

John Oates is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Hunter College, City University of New York, where he was a member of the teaching faculty from 1978 to 2008. He has a PhD in zoology from the University of London based on studies of the ecology and behavior of black-and-white colobus monkeys in Uganda, and has had research affiliations with Rockefeller University (New York), Cambridge University, the University of Benin (Nigeria), Njala University College (Sierra Leone) and Oxford Brookes University (England). More…

 

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to British and Irish Species

Frank S. Dobson

What?

New sixth edition of this essential illustrated field guide to British and Irish Lichen.

Why?

This compact, portable field guide has been updated to conform to the nomenclature of Smith C.W. et al. (2009) and more recent changes, and includes a number of species not included in that flora.

Particular features that will appeal to both field researcher and amateur lichenologist are the large number of photographs, mostly full-colour; the plentiful line-drawings, species descriptions, habitat notes and distribution maps; suggestions to to assist in separating similar species; and the retention from the previous editions of the popular generic ‘lateral key’ – which has been enlarged.

Ecologists will find reference to the effects of air pollution, broadening the guide’s appeal into conservation science, and for all readers there is a thorough informative introduction to lichens and lichenology.

Who?

Frank S. Dobson has written and illustrated many books and articles on lichenology, natural history and photography. He has lectured and run many courses on lichenology for the Field Studies Council and other similar organisations. He is an honorary member of the British Lichen Society, has acted as Treasurer, serving on the BLS Council for a number of years and was elected President for the years 1992-94. He is now retired but was professionally involved in photography for most of his working life and was on the photographic consultative committees of both Twickenham College and the London College of Printing.

 

The Handbook of the Birds of the World series, the first volume of which was published in 1992, has been a phenomenal undertaking, being the first project to illustrate, and provide essential information regarding, all the bird species of the world. This year sees the publication of the final volume.

Not that this is the end. Publisher Lynx Edicions have three new products planned to keep this project alive, the first of which will be a special volume about new species with a global index for the series. Keep an eye on the NHBS website for more information. Customers with standing orders for the series will receive an explanation of their options regarding these future HBW projects in their notification emails/letters for Volume 16.

HBW Vol. 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds is available from NHBS at a special offer price of £148 (reduced from £185) until 15th October 2011.

Due for publication in October (delayed from September – but it’ll be worth the wait!), here is a sample chapter from the Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects, kindly supplied by publishers Wiley-Blackwell. 

Chapter 8 –  Order Odonata: the dragonflies and damselflies.

Pre-order The RES Book of British Insects today for £34.99 (reduced from £39.95). 

 

Offer ends 31/12/2011.

This Autumn sees the publication of four new books from Redfern Natural History, publishers of fantastic titles about unique flora from around the world. Author and publisher Stewart McPherson is the adventurous British geographer who is the force behind Redfern. Many of the books are written by McPherson – and his tireless and diligent approach to the fieldwork involved has led to the discovery of many new species, and the re-discovery of others which have not been seen for nearly 100 years.

Sarraceniaceae of North America and Sarraceniaceae of South America will be published in October are AVAILABLE NOW with A Monograph of the Genus Genlisea and The New Nepenthes to follow later in the year.

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles

Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins and Michael Grayson

What?

Reveals the lives hidden behind the names of the world’s reptiles.

Why?

Firstly this is a beautifully produced, satisfyingly stylish book! Now the superficial is out of the way, what’s inside?

Like Bo and co’s previous efforts along these lines – Whose Bird? and the Eponym Dictionary of Mammals – the Dictonary of Reptiles explores the lives of the historical figures ‘immortalised’ in the names of the world’s fauna. Some feature more heavily than others – Darwin, for instance, appearing in the names of nine reptiles (find out more in this post featuring an extract from the book), while other folk such as Dr. Ian Earle Ayrton Kirby (1921-2006), unearther of pre-Colombian artifacts and erstwhile Curator of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Museum – have the honour of a single beastly namesake – in this instance, Kirby’s Least Gecko, or Sphaerodactylus kirbyi.

This should be an addictive book for anyone interested in the finer details of natural history, the perfect gift for the herpetologist in your life who has everything (else), and will be of particular interest to bibliographic researchers since the titles and publication dates of any known literature written or edited by the subjects is given.

Who?

Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson are the co-authors of The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals, also published by Johns Hopkins.

 

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Seabird Islands: Ecology, Invasion and Restoration

Edited by Christa P. H. Mulder, Wendy B Anderson, David R Towns and Peter J Bellingham

What?

A large-scale global analysis of the ecology of seabird islands from contributors with experience of fifteen island systems.

Why?

Synthesizing research covering island systems generally across the globe, as opposed to specific groups, the editors have been able to arrange the chapters according to theme, allowing an overview of the factors seabird island systems have in common.

The book looks at the unique effects seabirds have on island ecosystems, the threats from various predators – such as the predatory rats of certain New Zealand island groups – and considers the possibilities and impediments regarding predator eradication, and the implications of efforts towards the restoration of seabirds to islands from which they have been forced out.

Seabird Islands is a timely publication not only for the field of academic ecology, but for conservation professionals concerned with ecosystem management, touching as it does upon the role of stakeholders – NGOs, volunteers, island residents – community participation, and ecotourism.

Who?

Christa Mulder is Associate Professor of Ecology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Wendy Anderson is Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. David Towns is a Senior Scientist with the Department of Conservation based in Auckland, New Zealand. Peter Bellingham is a research scientist at Landcare Research in Lincoln, near Christchurch, New Zealand.

 

Two key studies of seabird ecology and behaviour have arrived in stock this week:

Seabird Islands: Ecology, Invasion and Restoration

Edited by Christa P H Mulder, Wendy B Anderson, David R Towns and Peter Bellingham

This book, written collaboratively by and for ecologists and resource managers, provides the first large-scale cross-system compilation, comparison, and synthesis of the ecology of seabird island systems. Offering a new conceptual framework into which to fit the impacts of seabirds on island ecology, this is an essential resource for academics and resource managers alike.

The Kittiwake

John C Coulson

The Kittiwake has been the subject of behavioural research since the late 1950s – one of the longest running studies in the world. In this new Poyser monograph, John Coulson summarises these decades of research, revealing amazing insights into the life of these gulls, with wider implications for the behavioural ecology of all colonial birds. There are sections on life at sea, nest-site selection, breeding biology, feeding ecology, colony dynamics, moult, survivorship and conservation.

Other new books on similar subjects include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles

 

Following the success of 2003’s Whose Bird? Men and Women Commemorated in the Common Names of Birds, and 2009’s Eponym Dictionary of Mammals, authors of the first two books Bo Boelens (AKA the fatbirder) and Michael Watkins, and joint third author of ‘Mammals’ Michael Grayson, have returned with this unmissable herpetological hoard.

The book is arranged by historical figure, under which are listed the reptiles named after that person, followed by a potted biography.

Here are three entries from the Dictionary:

Darwin

Darwin’s Ringed Lizard Amphisbaena darwini Duméril & Bibron, 1839

Darwin’s Iguana Diplolaemus darwinii Bell, 1843

Darwin’s Tree Iguana Liolaemus darwinii Bell, 1843

Darwin’s Gecko Gymnodactylus darwini Gray, 1845

Darwin’s Marked Gecko Homonota darwinii Boulenger, 1885

Darwin’s Sea Snake Hydrelaps darwiniensis Boulenger, 1896

Darwin’s Leaf-toed Gecko Phyllodactylus darwini Taylor, 1942

Darwin’s Ground Skink Glaphyromorphus darwiniensis Storr, 1967

Darwin’s Wall Gecko Tarentola darwini Joger, 1984

 

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was the prime advocate, to­gether with Wallace, of Natural Selection as the way in which speciation occurs. To quote from his most famous work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859), “I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection.” Darwin was the naturalist on ‘HMS Beagle’ on her scientific expedition round the world (1831-1836). In South America he found fossils of extinct animals that were similar to extant species. On the Galapagos Islands he notic­ed many variations among plants and animals of the same general type as those in South America. On his return to London he conducted research on his notes and specimens. Out of this study grew several related theories; evolution did occur; evolutionary change was gradual, taking thousands or even millions of years; the primary mechanism for evolution was a process called Natural Selection; and the millions of species alive today arose from a single original life form through a branching process called ‘speciation’. Four mammals, three amphibians and several birds (including those famous finches) are named after him.

 

Ridley

Olive Ridley Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz, 1829

Pernambuco Teiid Stenolepis ridleyi Boulenger, 1887

Ridley’s Worm Lizard Amphisbaena ridleyi Boulenger, 1890

 

Henry Nicholas Ridley (1855-1956) was a British botanist and collector on the island of Fernando de Noronha (1887), when he first reported the sightings of Olive Ridley Turtles in Brazil. However, it seems unlikely that the ‘Ridley’ in the turtle’s name refers to him. There are several theories including one that states that it was a ‘riddle’ where they came from and ‘riddle’ became pronounced ‘riddlie’ and so ‘ridley’. Ridley was known as ‘Mad Ridley’ or ‘Rubber Ridley’, as he was keen to get the rubber tree transplanted to British territory. He was Superintendent, Tropical Gardens, Singapore (1888-1912), where early experiments in growing the tree outside Brazil took place. He wrote The habits of Malay reptiles (1889). Two mammals and a bird are named after him.

 

Russell, P

Russell’s Viper Daboia russelii Shaw, 1797

Russell’s Sand Boa Eryx conicus Schneider, 1801

[Alt. Rough-scaled Sand Boa; Syn. Gongylophis conicus]

Russell’s Kukri Snake Oligodon taeniolatus Jerdon, 1853

[Alt. Streaked Kukri Snake]

 

Dr Patrick Russell (1726-1805) was a British surgeon and naturalist. He first went to India (1781) to look after his brother who was employed by the Honourable East India Company in Vizagapatnam. He became fascinated by the plants in the region and was appointed to be the Company’s Botanist and Naturalist, Madras Presidency (1785). He spent 6 years in Madras (Chennai) and sent a large collection of snakes to the British Museum (1791). One of his major concerns was snakebite and he tried to find a way for people to identify poisonous snakes, without first getting bitten and seeing what happened! The sand boa has his name attached to it because it appears to mimic Russell’s Viper: something he commented on in his A continuation of an account of Indian Serpents (1801).

 

The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles is published by Johns Hopkins University Press, and is due to be published on the 24th September 2011

Continuing our selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Marches

by Andrew Allott

What?

From the minutiae of Plant Galls (Volume 117), the next in the New Naturalist series takes us into large-scale regional natural history.

Why?

Andrew Allott takes us on a journey through the Welsh Marches; Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, the border counties of England and Wales. He traces the various strands that weave together the natural history and deep past of the area with the impact of human civilisation and the growth of agriculture and industry. The well-defined chapter topics bring the area to life to create a whole picture of the region:

From the Author’s Foreword and Acknowledgements:

“The author’s aim has been to explore themes, rather than to catalogue isolated or inconsequential facts. Each chapter takes one theme and considers its relevance across much or all of the Marches.”

The plentiful illustrations, photographs and diagrams complement the natural history making this a full and satisfying survey of the area.

Who?

Andrew Allott studied Botany at Oxford University and then became a schoolmaster, teaching initially in Canterbury and then at Shrewsbury School in Shropshire, where he is now Head of Biology. Although an incomer to the Marches, Andrew Allott has developed a deep love of the landscape, geology, flora and fauna of the area. He has also developed great respect for the many talented amateur naturalists and the professional scientists whose work is doing so much to explain the natural history of the Marches and to promote its conservation.