New Titles

 

1) Cox, Cameron. Terns of North America: A Photographic Guide. 2023. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 202 pages. Price: $27.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This is the essential identification guide to the terns, noddies, and skimmers of North America. Covering every species and featuring hundreds of high-quality color images, this book is the ideal companion for anyone interested in this charismatic but sometimes challenging group of seabirds. Detailed species accounts describe the size of each bird as it appears in the field along with structure, behavior, flight style, vocalizations, subspecies, and North American and worldwide ranges. An incisive introduction lays out a remarkably simple approach to identification that focuses on key elements and addresses how to avoid getting bogged down in the variability of appearance. This state-of-the-art guide also provides additional in-depth coverage of the two most challenging groups of terns, Sterna terns and crested terns, aiding field identification while also highlighting the beauty and elegance of these marvelous seabirds.

• Features more than 325 stunning color photos, with side-by-side comparisons of similar species throughout
• Includes detailed captions for each image that describe age and key identification traits
• Covers 19 species found in North America, including the most frequent vagrants
• Presents a unique, simplified approach to field identification
• Explains the fundamentals of molts, plumages, and hybridization
• Provides in-depth coverage of Sterna terns and crested terns

 RECOMMENDATION: A MUST-have for anyone with an interested in the terns of North America!

 

2) Nesbitt, Elizabeth A. and David B. Williams. Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State. 2023. UW Press. Paperback: 214 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: From trilobites near the Idaho border and primitive horses on the Columbia Plateau to giant bird tracks near Bellingham and curious bear-like beasts on the Olympic Peninsula, fossils across Washington State are filled with clues of past life on Earth. With abundant and well-exposed rock layers, the state has fossils dating from Ice Age mammals only 12,000 years old back to marine invertebrates more than 500 million years old.

     In Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales, renowned paleontologist Elizabeth A. Nesbitt teams up with popular science writer David B. Williams to offer a fascinating, richly illustrated tour through more than a half billion years of natural history. Following an introduction to key concepts, twenty-four profiles―each featuring a unique plant, animal, or environment―tell the incredible stories of individual fossils, many of which are on display in Washington museums. The spectacular paleontology of Washington is brought to life with details of the fossils' discovery and extraction, their place in geological time, and the insights they provide into contemporary issues like climate change and species extinction.

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST-have for anyone with an interest in Washington State's fossils!

 

 

                                                                                                                                             

3) Svensson, Lars. Identification Guide to European Passerines-5th edition. 2023. Avium Publishers. Paperback: 448 pages. Price: about $24.37 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This is the 5th edition of the leading guide for European bird ringers, fully revised and enlarged. Identification Guide to European Passerines now treats 267 species, 38 more than in the fourth edition. The taxonomy and sequence have been updated and the entire text has been revised and expanded. The book features numerous new or improved drawings, in total now almost 500. The guide offers detailed advice on ageing and sexing, and a summary of moult strategy for each species. The brief accounts of subspecific variation and distribution ranges are based largely on the author's own assessment of large quantities of museum specimens.

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST-have for all European Ringers!

 

4) deMaynadier, Phillip G. et al.. Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. 2023. Comstock/Cornell. Paperback: 438 pages. Price: $34.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces introduces readers to over one hundred and twenty butterfly species documented in the Acadian region. Including contributions from researchers and community scientists, this volume is indispensable for anyone interested in the study and conservation of these ecologically important insects.

     This user-friendly guide features:

• The first annotated checklist of the species and subspecies of Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
• Species accounts covering habitat, behavior, threats, and more
• Color photographs, flight histograms, and distribution maps

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST-have for anyone with an interest in the butterflies of the region!

 

5) Kurta, Allen and Armando Rodríguez-Durán (editors). Bats of the West Indies: A Natural History and Field Guide. 2023. Comstock/Cornell. Paperback: 458 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Bats of the West Indies is a concise guide to the sixty-one bat species found across the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. Edited by Allen Kurta and Armando Rodríguez-Durán, this volume synthesizes the expertise of twenty-nine accomplished chiropterologists to present up-to-date information on the natural history, ecology, and behavior of these fascinating creatures.

     Bats represent an evolutionarily distinctive and ecologically significant part of biological diversity in the West Indies. Opening chapters introduce readers to the unique biology of bats, factors influencing their distribution, and conservation concerns. Family and species accounts detail anatomical traits, natural history, and conservation status. With over a one hundred illustrations, a glossary, and other useful identification tools, Bats of the West Indies is an authoritative yet accessible reference for bat enthusiasts and experts alike.

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST-have for anyone with an interest in the bats of the region!

 

6) Poole, Alan F.. Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest. 2023. Comstock/Cornell. Paperback: 109 pages. Price: $26.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: In Quetzals, the renowned ornithologist Alan F. Poole introduces readers to one of the world's most alluring group of birds. Native to the cloud forests of Mexico, and Central and South America, quetzals have played an essential role in the cultures of those lands, where their radiant, brightly colored feathers have been worshipped as sacred objects and coveted as luxury goods for millennia.

     Drawing on scientific and historical facts, Poole details the natural history and cultural significance of these legendary birds. He focuses on the most iconic of quetzal species, the Resplendent Quetzal, delving into its distinctive ecology and behavior. He offers an overview of four other known quetzal species―the Pavonine Quetzal, the Golden-headed Quetzal, the White-tipped Quetzal, and the Crested Quetzal―and traces their evolutionary descent from the trogons. Spectacular photographs and illustrations accompany details of quetzal ecology, the long history of their place in the Mayan and Aztec worlds, and current conservation efforts.

     A celebration of quetzals and the forests that nurture them, Quetzals is a must-have for anyone who wants to better understand these awe-inspiring birds.

RECOMMENDATION: A well illustrated overview of the genus Pharomachrus trogons. 

 

 

7) Smith, Douglas W. et al. (editors). Yellowstone’s Birds: Diversity and Abundance in the World’s First National Park. 2023. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and arguably the most famous national park in North America, attracting millions of visitors each year. While many come to the park for its recreational activities, the wildlife of Yellowstone is just as alluring. This book brings together more than 30 leading experts to provide the first comprehensive survey of the natural history, science, and conservation of birds in Yellowstone. Covering most bird species breeding within the great park as well as the many migrants that pass through, Yellowstone’s Birds is a scientific tour de force and an essential resource for visitors to Yellowstone and bird lovers everywhere.

• Tallies more than 200 species, including migrants
• Describes the natural history, status, and latest science on the birds of Yellowstone
• Features fact-filled, easy-to-read chapters, informative sidebar essays, maps, infographics, and photos that present current science in an easily understood way
• Accompanied by videos by award-winning cinematographer Bob Landis
• Draws on a wealth of data on Yellowstone’s birds collected over many decades
• With contributions by many of today’s leading bird experts, this is a long-overdue survey of Yellowstone’s breathtaking avian fauna

  RECOMMENDATION: A must-have for anyone with a serious interest in Yellowstone's birds.

 

8) Wright, Jim and Scott Weston. The Screech Owl Companion: Everything You Need to Know about These Beneficial Raptors. 2023. Timber Press. Paperback: 227 pages. Price: $24.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This must-read for birders features a complete guide to attracting, understanding, and protecting owls.  

     The call of an owl evokes mystery; seeing one in the wild inspires wonder. Of the top ten birds people hope to see, three are owls. Although they may be out of sight, owls are widespread throughout North America—and screech owls are the most likely to make their homes near humans. In this book, experts Jim Wright and Scott Weston show you how to attract them to nest in your yard, year after year.

     The Screech Owl Companion introduces screech owls, show how to distinguish them from other species, shares fun lore and legend, and provides step-by-step instructions for making your yard screech ready. You’ll learn how to build a nest box and install a simple nest cam that you can monitor from your cell phone to watch when owls move in, lay eggs, and hatch.

RECOMMENDATION: A well illustrated overview of Eastern and Western Screech-Owls. 

 

 

9) Safina, Carl. Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. 2023. W.W. Norton. Hardbound: 361 pages. Price: $32.50 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A moving account of raising, then freeing, an orphaned [Eastern] Screech-Owl, whose lasting friendship with the author illuminates humanity’s relationship with the world.

     When ecologist Carl Safina and his wife, Patricia, took in a near-death baby owl, they expected that, like other wild orphans they’d rescued, she’d be a temporary presence. But Alfie’s feathers were not growing correctly, requiring prolonged care. As Alfie grew and gained strength, she became a part of the family, joining a menagerie of dogs and chickens and making a home for herself in the backyard. Carl and Patricia began to realize that the healing was mutual; Alfie had been braided into their world, and was now pulling them into hers.

     Alfie & Me is the story of the remarkable impact this little owl would have on their lives. The continuing bond of trust following her freedom―and her raising of her own wild brood―coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a year in which Carl and Patricia were forced to spend time at home without the normal obligations of work and travel. Witnessing all the fine details of their feathered friend’s life offered Carl and Patricia a view of existence from Alfie’s perspective.

     One can travel the world and go nowhere; one can be stuck keeping the faith at home and discover a new world. Safina’s relationship with an owl made him want to better understand how people have viewed humanity’s relationship with nature across cultures and throughout history. Interwoven with Safina’s keen observations, insight, and reflections, Alfie & Me is a work of profound beauties and magical timing harbored within one upended year.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for fans of the author's other works!

 

10) Drummond, Hugh. Blue-Footed Boobies: Sibling Conflict and Sexual Infidelity on a Tropical Island. 2023. Oxford University Press. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $83.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: In Blue-Footed Boobies, Hugh Drummond presents a lifetime field study of one of the planet's most charismatic and observable birds, focused on two themes of human relevance: aggressive competition between siblings and monogamous pair-bonding combined with frequent infidelity. In an account peppered with research anecdotes, he immerses readers in a bustling blue-footed booby colony where social manipulation and life-and-death dramas are the stuff of family life.

     Here, dominant elder chicks prefer to bully their siblings into abject submission rather than killing them and younger siblings' susceptibility to subordination is an evolved ability. The narrative expands to survey the colorful strategies used by young birds and mammals to compete with siblings ruthlessly, with restraint or with courtly manners, scrutinize the role of parents in sibling conflict, and assess the lifetime impacts of bullying on those that survive.

     Next, a compelling eye-witness account of monogamous partnerships in blue-foots reveals a world disturbingly familiar to humans. After displaying their beauty and physical prowess to each other, females and males select partners and commit to months of relentless parental care, sharing duties and making decisions jointly. Half of them renew their bond the following year, and renewers are more efficient and successful than first-time partners. But colonies of bonded blue-foot pairs are hotbeds of infidelity! Nearly all females and males carry on semi-secret liaisons with 1-3 neighbors, roughly one third of them copulate repeatedly with those extra partners, and one in ten males ends up caring for another male's chick. Countermeasures include surveillance, aggression and partner-switching, and males unsure of paternity sometimes resort to infanticide. Drummond discusses a panoply of plausible biological functions of infidelity.

     Sibling competition and sexual conflict are widespread in animal species in which two partners raise contemporaneous offspring together, and notorious in humans. In the final chapter Drummond argues for a common evolutionary cause in the blue-foot and human lineages, despite the psychology of their behavior being quite different: whereas boobies thoughtlessly follow routines of predictable actions, humans experience inclinations and urges they can implement in diverse ways, or choose to veto.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with a serious interest in Blue-footed Boobies!

11) Bohannon, Cat. Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution. 2023. Knopf. Hardbound: 612 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: THE REAL ORIGIN OF OUR SPECIES: a myth-busting, eye-opening landmark account of how humans evolved, offering a paradigm shift in our thinking about what the female body is, how it came to be, and how this evolution still shapes all our lives today.

     How did the female body drive 200 million years of human evolution? • Why do women live longer than men? • Why are women more likely to get Alzheimer’s? • Why do girls score better at every academic subject than boys until puberty, when suddenly their scores plummet? • Is sexism useful for evolution? • And why, seriously why, do women have to sweat through our sheets every night when we hit menopause?
 
      These questions are producing some truly exciting science – and in Eve, with boundless curiosity and sharp wit, Cat Bohannon covers the past 200 million years to explain the specific science behind the development of the female sex: “We need a kind of user's manual for the female mammal. A no-nonsense, hard-hitting, seriously researched (but readable) account of what we are. How female bodies evolved, how they work, what it really means to biologically be a woman. Something that would rewrite the story of womanhood. This book is that story. We have to put the female body in the picture. If we don't, it's not just feminism that's compromised. Modern medicine, neurobiology, paleoanthropology, even evolutionary biology all take a hit when we ignore the fact that half of us have breasts. So it's time we talk about breasts. Breasts, and blood, and fat, and vaginas, and wombs—all of it. How they came to be and how we live with them now, no matter how weird or hilarious the truth is.”
 
      Eve is not only a sweeping revision of human history, it’s an urgent and necessary corrective for a world that has focused primarily on the male body for far too long. Picking up where Sapiens left off, Eve will completely change what you think you know about evolution and why Homo sapiens has become such a successful and dominant species.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-read for anyone with an interest in Human evolution!

 

12) Costa, James and Bobbi Angell. Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World of Plants. 2023. Timber Press. Hardbound: 378 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Uncover Darwin’s most important writings about plants with this important collection featuring expert interpretations and rare illustrations. 

     Charles Darwin is best known for his work on the evolution of animals, but in fact a large part of his contribution to the natural sciences is focused on plants. His observations are crucial to our modern understanding of everything from the amazing pollination process of orchids to the way that vines climb. Darwin and the Art of Botany collects writings from six often overlooked texts devoted entirely to plants, and pairs each excerpt with beautiful botanical art from the library at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, creating a gorgeously illustrated volume that never existed in Darwin's own lifetime, and hasn't since. Evolutionary botanist and science historian James Costa brings his expertise to each entry, situating Darwin's words in the context of the knowledge and research of the time. The result is a new way of visualizing Darwin's work, and a greater understanding of the ways he's shaped our world.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Charles Darwin and/or botanical history.  

New Titles

 

1) Schlinger, Barney A.. The Wingsnappers: Lessons from an Exuberant Tropical Bird. 2023. Yale University Press. Hardbound: 225 pages. Price: $40.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Birds, hormones, and extraordinary behavior: The story of the tiny but mighty golden-collared manakin of Panama.

     This book is the story of a remarkable bird, the golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus) of Panama. Males of this species perform one of the most elaborate, physically complex, and noisy courtship displays of any animal on the planet. Barney A. Schlinger delves into the specialized neurons, muscles, bones, and hormonal systems underlying the manakin’s unique courtship behavior, creating a rich life-history account that integrates field observations and evolutionary biology with behavioral ecology, anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and general ornithology.
 
      The personal lives of investigators and the natural history of the Panamanian rainforest provide context for this account of the bird's fascinating behavior. Schlinger clearly and approachably explains basic concepts in disciplines such as avian anatomy, endocrinology, sexual differentiation, and the neurobiology of song and aeroacoustics, offering readers a window into the biology of this exuberant bird.

RECOMMENDATION: A must read for anyone with an interest in these Neotropical birds.  

 

2) Andrews, Donna. Birder, She Wrote: A Meg Langslow Mystery. 2023. Minotaur Books. Hardbound: 298 pages. Price: $28.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Meg is relaxing in the hammock, taste-testing Michael’s latest batch of Arnold Palmers and watching the hummingbirds at their feeders when her hopes for a relaxing early summer morning are dashed.

     First her father recruits her to help him install a new batch of bees in the hive in her backyard. Then Mayor Shiffley recruits her to placate the NIMBYs (Not in my backyard), as she calls them – a group of newcomers to Caerphilly who have built McMansions next door to working farms and then do their best to make life miserable for the farmers. And finally Meg’s grandmother, shows up, trailed by a nosy reporter who is writing a feature on her for a genteel Southern ladies’ magazine.

     Cordelia drafts Meg to accompany her and Deacon Washington of the New Life Baptist Church – and the reporter, alas – in their search for a long-lost African-American cemetery. Unfortunately what they discover is not an ancient cemetery but a fresh corpse. Can Meg protect her grandmother – and Caerphilly – from the reporter who seems to see the worst in everything . . . and help crack the case before the killer finds another victim?

RECOMMENDATION: If you enjoyed the other titles in this series, you should enjoy this one!

 

3) Houlihan, Patrick. The Birds of Ancient Egypt. 2023. Oxbow Books. Paperback: 191 pages. Price: $59.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Hailed as a sumptuously produced and finely illustrated outstanding contribution to ancient Egyptian studies, this facsimile reprint of Patrick Houlihan’s 1986 comprehensive study makes a welcome return in the Oxbow Classics in Egyptology series.

     Animals of all kinds are amply illustrated in Egyptian art, none more so than birds, in both secular and religious contexts and in hieroglyphic scripts. A great variety of bird species has for millennia made twice yearly migrations passing over Egypt, which is also an important overwintering area for many. These migrant birds, together with indigenous species were an abundant and easily exploited source of food for ancient Egyptians, for domestication and status display. Tomb scenes displaying birds provided as food for the deceased are abundant, as are procession scenes of offering with bearers bringing gifts of fowl. Many birds also had religious associations. Houlihan provides a systematic and unparalleled survey of all the bird life depicted by the ancient Egyptians in art and hieroglyphic writing, some 72 species (plus bats), with a list of known mummified species, and discussions on their religious and secular associations and many illustrations. Their present-day distributions are compared with that known from the time of the Pharaohs. A checklist of the birds of modern Egypt is provided by Steven Goodman.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the history of ancient Egypt! 

 

4) Jameson, Conor Mark. Finding W.H. Hudson: The Writer Who Came to Britain to Save the Birds. 2023. Pelagic Publishing. Paperback: 348 pages. Price: $32.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: An imposing, life-size oil painting dominates the main meeting room at the RSPB’s base in the heart of England: ‘the man above the fireplace’ – always present, rarely mentioned. Curious about the person in the portrait, the author began a quest to rediscover William Henry Hudson (1841–1922). It became a mission of restoration: stitching back together the faded tapestry of Hudson’s life, re-colouring it in places and adding new threads from the testaments of his closest friends.

     This book traces the unassuming field naturalist’s path through a dramatic and turbulent era: from Hudson’s journey to Britain from Argentina in 1874 to the unveiling by the prime minister of a monument and bird sanctuary in his honour 50 years later, in the heart of Hyde Park – a place where the young immigrant had, for a time, slept rough. At its core, this extraordinary story reveals Hudson’s deep influence on the creation of his beloved Bird Society by its founding women, and the rise of the conservation movement. It reveals the strange magnetism of this mysterious man from the Pampas – unschooled, battle-scarred and once penniless – that made his achievements possible, and left such a profound impression on those who knew him.

     By the end of his life, Hudson had Hollywood studios bidding for his work. He was a household name through his luminous and seminal nature writing, and the Bird Society had at last reached the climax of a 30-year campaign, working to create the first global alliance of bird protectionists. A century after Hudson’s death, this is a long-overdue tribute to perhaps our most significant – and most neglected – writer-naturalist and wildlife campaigner.

RECOMMENDATION: A must read for anyone with an interest in British ornithological history.

 

 

5) Kaizar, Sarah and A. Scott Meiser. Rare Air: Endangered Birds, Bats, Butterflies, & Bees. 2023. Mountaineers Books. Hardbound: 149 pages. Price: $21.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Rare Air, the culmination of artist Sarah Kaizar’s dedication to illustrating endangered fauna, features 66 endangered species of flight--33 birds, 5 bats, 12 bees, and 16 butterflies--presented in her scientifically accurate and utterly engaging pen-and-ink style. Complementing the art are informative and story-driven natural histories of each species by writer A. Scott Meiser, as well as interviews with biologists who are working to sustain some of the same species. An introduction highlights how Kaizar developed this project, while the “How to Get Involved” appendix provides helpful tips on actions readers can take to help these creatures.

     Kaizar’s work informs readers about the world around them in a way that is beautiful and engaging, while also examining the environmental conditions that put these species at risk. Rare Air broadens the conversation about environmental study and inspires readers across the country to care for our winged creatures.

RECOMMENDATION: Kaizar's artwork highlights this book!

 

6) LoMedico Marriott, Kate et al.. Evolution of the Ammonoids. 2023. CRC Press. Paperback: 260 pages. Price: $79.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Ammonites are an extinct and charismatic lineage that persisted for over 300 million years. They were used, with other fossils, to corroborate the principle of faunal succession and launch the field of biostratigraphy. Despite intense research, many important questions remain unanswered. Furthermore, outdated hypotheses persist. Many new findings include a better understanding of their appearance in life, their locomotion, and their role in long-gone ecosystems. And, of course, there are still controversies; e.g. why did shell complexity increase during evolutionary history. This richly illustrated book describes the full range of ammonoids and their fascinating evolutionary history.

Key Features:

• Documents the early history of paleontology and the role played by ammonoids
• Describes the basic anatomy of a diverse and long-persisting lineage
• Summarizes the classification and diversity of ammonoids
• Lavishly illustrated with beautiful reconstructions
• Highlights recent findings and outstanding controversies

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in Ammonites!

 

7) Berta, Annalisa. Sea Mammals: The Past and Present Lives of Our Oceans’ Cornerstone Species. 2023. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 224 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: From the gregarious sea otter and playful dolphins to the sociable narwhal and iconic polar bear, sea mammals are a large, diverse, and increasingly precious group. In this book, Annalisa Berta, a leading expert on sea mammals and their evolution, presents an engaging and richly illustrated introduction to past and present species of these remarkable creatures, from the blue whale and the northern fur seal to the extinct giant sperm whale, aquatic sloth, and walking sea cow.

     The book features more than 50 individual species profiles, themed chapters, stunning photographs, and specially commissioned paleo-illustrations of extinct species. It presents detailed accounts of these mammals’ evolutionary path, anatomy, behavior, habitats, and conservation. And because these are key species that complete many food chains and have the widest influence of all sea life, the book also offers insights into a broad variety of marine worlds today and in the future.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a well illustrated introduction to marine mammals. 

8) Engelbrecht, Ian. Field Guide to Scorpions of South Africa. 2023. Struik Nature. Paperback: 292 pages. Price: $25.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: South Africa is home to an astonishing variety of scorpions, with 108 species in three families occurring in most of the region’s biomes, from desert and grassland to fynbos, savanna and forest. Scorpions are even found in urban gardens.

     Field Guide to Scorpions of South Africa is the first comprehensive guide to describe and illustrate all known species in the country. The clear, detailed species accounts cover appearance, habitat and behavior, and discuss the variation within species according to region. Up-to-date distribution maps are included for all species and exceptional photographs, carefully worked to show astounding detail and vivid colors, bring to life the intricate patterning and colors of different species. Both males and females are presented, as well as a variety of color forms, facilitating accurate identification in the field.

     The introduction discusses scorpion classification, anatomy, biology, behavior and habitat, as well as venomosity and the treatment of stings. Tips on how and where to find scorpions and how to contribute to their conservation as a citizen scientist are also included. An invaluable tool for students, researchers, academics, hikers and anyone with an interest in South Africa’s rich and fascinating fauna.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the region's scorpions!

 

9) Beolens, Bo et al. (editors). Eponym Dictionary of Fishes. 2023. Whittles Publishing. Hardbound: 1463 pages. Price: $90.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Eponym Dictionary is a series of brief but concise biographies of all those people after whom fish have been named in both the vernacular and scientific names. It also covers names which seem to be eponyms but are not, such as toponyms, names of organisations, ethnic groups, etc. It also shows the networks of scientific collaboration, friendship or patronage. Each species named after an individual is listed with their authors and years for context and wherever possible it is shown how the authors and the eponym are linked.

     Every effort has been made to be accurate and meticulous, and the book is also a repository of biographical knowledge that will entertain as well as inform. In conjunction with the other books it forms a database of everyone named in a vertebrate. For ease of use, this volume is designed as a dictionary, making it easy to find the person behind the name and, in doing so, discover which fish commemorates them and learn something of their lives and background.

     Some brief entries summarise whole volumes of biography, especially those honoured in a name because of their standing in society rather than their scientific behaviour. There is a vast range of derivations related not just to scientists, zoologists and scholars, but also pop stars, TV and film personalities and writers. There is a whole world of aquarists and fish hobbyists, many of whom have been immortalised for adding to our knowledge of tropical fish. The Eponym Dictionary of Fishes is a web of relationships and connections, icons and idols. 

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with a serious interest in ichthyological nomenclature!