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British Bats (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 93)
British Bats (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 93)
John D. Altringham
¥456.66
British Bats is a comprehensive account of the natural history of these fascinating animals, from their origins and evolution to their feeding habits and reproduction. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Bats are arguably the most successful and diverse mammals ever to evolve. In Britain, one in three of our native land mammals is a bat. Their ecology and behaviour is fascinating. Few mammals live closer to humans; in fact many species roost unnoticed in our homes, and some are now almost entirely dependent on man-made structures for their survival. Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight. They are also one of just two groups which have a sophisticated echolocation system (the other being the dolphins and their relatives). In this book, John Altringham discusses all the different aspects of the natural history of bats, from their origins and evolution to their behaviour, feeding habits and reproduction. He also discusses the threats to the survival of bats, and how we are working to conserve them. Finally, he gives an account of how to watch and study bats in the wild.
Seashore (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 94)
Seashore (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 94)
Peter J. Hayward
¥456.66
A comprehensive, authoritative account of the natural history of the seashore, from earliest times to the present day. The seashore, with its endlessly changing tides, is one of the most fluctuating physical environments on the planet. Home to an abundance of animal and plant life, it is also one of the richest habitats the naturalist can explore. Here in Britain, we are fortunate to have a long and varied coastline, and our relatively large tidal ranges mean that our seashore offers a wide range of coastal habitats, including mud, sand, shingle and rock. In New Naturalist Seashore, Peter Hayward looks at: ? Resident and migrant species, including fish, barnacles, limpets, winkles, sponges, algae, lichens and sea grasses ? The effects of tourism and pollution on these habitats ? The geology of the British Isles, with its sinking and rising coastlines ? The responses and adaptations of plant and animal life to a changing physical environment This narrow strip of beach between the land and the sea that we call the seashore, has always attracted man, in the early years as a source of food, and in Victorian times as a rich habitat that the early naturalists would explore. In this fascinating addition to the highly regarded New Naturalist series, Peter Hayward brings the natural history of the seashore right up to date.
Mushrooms and Toadstools (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 7)
Mushrooms and Toadstools (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 7)
John Ramsbottom
¥456.66
Britain's neglect of fungi as table delicacies has perhaps been responsible for our surprising ignorance of the natural history of such fascinating plants. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Puff-balls, more than a foot in diameter; mouls in jam-pots; dry rot; truffles; these are examples of the wide range of the Group, comprising over 100,000 species. Many are of economic importance – for example, the rusts that attack wheat and other crops, and the yeasts which ferment beer – and there are others of great biological interest, such as the mycorrhizal fungi which live in association with the roots of forest trees, orchids and other plants, and help them to absorb food from the soil. Penicillin, of course, has become a household word, and this book's final chapter on the industry is one of the best short accounts of the subject yet writtern. Dr. Ramsbottom was for many years Keeper of Botany at the Natural History Museum, and has devoted his life to the study of fungi in all their aspects. He is equally at home in the field, the laboratory and the library. One of the special features of Mushrooms and Toadstools is the wealth of historical allusion to fungi extracted from old books. Set out in a style reminiscent of Robert Burton, this volume can truly be described as a 20th century Anatomy of Toadstool. Indeed, in fairy rings, science and superstition have gone hand in hand to produce a lively story of alternating surmise and research – and even today a full and final explanation of these mysterious rings has not yet been made. Many of the larger toadstools are brightly coloured and lend themselves admirably to colour photography, as shown by the 80 remarkable illustrations by Mr Paul de Laszlo.
Insect Migration (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 36)
Insect Migration (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 36)
C. B. Williams
¥456.66
Highlighting the significance of the widespread distribution of the migratory habit throughout the insect world. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com This is a pioneer book, a real milestone in the progress of biology. Only in recent years have the scientists begun to realise the significance of the widespread distribution of the migratory habit throughout the insect world. Dr. Williams's own personal observations and adventures have played a fundamental part in the wakening of human consciousness to the extent to which insects migrate. His opportunities of studying the problem in remote corners of the world - such as British Guiana, Costa Rica, Egypt, Tanganyika and the Pyrenees - make the book as exciting as a world detective story. For Insect Migration deals with the subject on an international basis, with Britain - the home of the development of the present theories - as the natural peg on which a biological problem belonging to the world can properly be hung. From 1932 to 1955 C. B. Williams was chief entomologist at the Rothamsted Experimental Station. This book is the distillation of a subject which has occupied him for nearly the whole of his life. His theories are marshalled and summarised with modesty, economy and skill. The New Naturalist is honoured to publish what will certainly prove to be, above all things, the stimulus for new search and fresh discoveries.
The Folklore of Birds (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 39)
The Folklore of Birds (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 39)
Edward A. Armstrong
¥456.66
Tracing the magico-religious beliefs surrounding birds as far back in time as is possible, to the cultures in which these beliefs arose. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Edward A Armstrong is already known to readers of the New Naturalist as the author of the remarkable study on the wren. His wide scholarship and talents have fitted him outstandingly for this book, which could only have been written by a man with his deep understanding, not only of ornithology, but of social anthropology, psychology and comparative religion. Mr Amstrong has selected a number of familiar birds - such as the swan, the raven, the owl, the robin and the wren - and has traced magico-religious beliefs concerning them as far back as possible to the cultures in which these beliefs arose. With the scientist’s eye and methods of analysis he has examined the development of myth and ritual with originality and ingenuity. Many odd and interesting facts are cited, and explanations are given, for example of the customs of breaking the wish-bone, and of fables concerning weather-prophet birds and the generation of the Barnacle Goose from shell-fish. This book is the first treatment of a group of folklore beliefs as a series of artefacts are treated by an archaeologist, classifying them in order according to epochs. Archaeological data, as well as oral and literary traditions, have been used to illustrate the origins and significance of the current folklore. The illustrations are of exceptional quality and consist of over 140 carefully chosen photographs and line drawings from worldwide sources.
Finches (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 55)
Finches (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 55)
Ian Newton
¥456.66
This illustrated survey of finch behaviour is a thorough, non-technical account of the habits of these birds throughout the world. Greenfinches nest in plantations, large shrubby gardens and churchyards with lots of evergreens, thickets and tall hedges. After breeding, goldfinches forage on waste land, overgrown rubbish dumps, neglected allotments of food, and rough pastures. Bullfinches, in their breeding season, develop in the floor of their mouths special pouches in which food for the young is retained. These pouches open, one on each side of the tongue and, when full, extend back under the jaws as far as the neck, when they together hold about one cubic centimetre of food. Cocks of the Chaffinch and Brambling species sing in the breeding season to repel other cocks and attract hens. This illustrated survey of finch behaviour is a thorough, non-technical account of the habits of these birds throughout the world. Dr. Newton uses his extensive bird-watching experience and knowledge of the published literature to document the main patterns of feeding, development of feathers, breeding, and migration. As a result, he presents the changing relationship of the birds to their environment. The author is on the staff of the Nature Conservancy at Edinburgh, Scotland. His several scientific papers on finches have appeared in Birds, Journal of Animal Ecology and other scholarly periodicals.
British Tits (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 62)
British Tits (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 62)
Christopher Perrins
¥456.66
In addition to dealing with the general biology and behaviour of the birds, Dr Perrins gives full attention to such things as their social lives, their intelligence and adaptiveness, and their puzzling ability to adjust their population sizes to the future availability of food. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Because of their ubiquity and apparent boldness, the tits are among the most easily observed, and the most popular, of all British birds. The Blue Tit, particularly, is an attractive and confident bird and will arrive at a well-stocked bird table, or at a bag of peanuts outside a window, within a few minutes of its being set out. Curiously, little has been written about tits for the general naturalist. In this book, Christopher Perrins, who succeeded the late David Lack at the Edward Grey Institute of Ornithology in Oxford, sets out to remedy this omission. Dr Perrins has spent many years studying these small birds in great detail and has himself made many important discoveries about their lives and behaviour. The book deals with seven species of tit. These include the six members of the true tits - Coal, Great, Blue, Crested, Marsh and Willow Tits - as well as the more distantly related Long-tailed Tit. In addition to dealing with the general biology and behaviour of the birds, Dr Perrins gives full attention to such things as their social lives, their intelligence and adaptiveness, and their puzzling ability to adjust their population sizes to the future availability of food. Dr Perrin's study demonstrates that there is much unsuspected complexity - some of it still not clearly understood - in the lives of even the most popular of groups of birds; as such it will be of interest to every birdwatcher, amateur and professional alike.
Farming and Wildlife (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 67)
Farming and Wildlife (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 67)
Kenneth Mellanby
¥456.66
Farming and Wildlife argues forcefully that wild species are, in fact, beneficial to the land as a whole: without them its productivity will fall and farming will inevitably suffer. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Farming and wildlife affect each other in many, often subtle, ways. Yet most recent developments in farming have been harmful to wild plants and animals. As the land is made to yield more, so rare species become rarer or extinct, and even common ones are now absent from large areas of the country. This timely and provocative book argues forcefully that wild species are, in fact, beneficial to the land as a whole: without them its productivity will fall and farming will inevitably suffer. The main changes in farming practice and their environmental effects are dealt with systematically. Successive chapters discuss arable cropping, grassland management, animal husbandry, hedgerow removal, land drainage and the use of pesticides. Considered also are the care of the soil and its inhabitants - important and often overlooked forms of wildlife - possible damage to livestock by diseases of wild animals, and the effects of hunting and shooting. Professor Mellanby writes throughout with an understanding of the problems of both farmers and conservationists. This is a most persuasive account of why they should now work together to preserve the countryside's fauna and flora. Professor Kenneth Mellanby is the author of the highly acclaimed New Naturalist volume Pesticides and Pollution. He is the Founder-Director of the Monks Wood Experimental Station, which was the main research station of the Nature Conservancy, Chairman of the Watch Trust, President of the Cambridgeshire branch of the Ramblers Association, and has for many years been closely involved in all aspects of farming and conservation.
Loch Lomondside (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 88)
Loch Lomondside (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 88)
John Mitchell
¥182.47
Loch Lomondside is celebrated for its outstanding scenery. The area supports a rich tapestry of water and wild land, forest and woodland, farmland and settlement. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Another volume in the popular New Naturalist series, this book is a comprehensive account of the history and natural history of this internationally famous area, which is soon to become one of the first National Parks in Scotland. For centuries, Loch Lomondside has been celebrated for its outstanding scenery. The area supports a rich tapestry of water and wild land, forest and woodland, farmland and settlement. It includes architectural and archaeological features of considerable importance, and has been celebrated by many great writers including Walter Scott, John Ruskin and William Wordsworth. Loch Lomondside is the most popular countryside destination in Scotland, attracting more than 2 million visitors each year. Over 70 percent of the population of Scotland are less than 1 hour's travelling time from the area. This book covers the history of the Loch and its people, forestry, agriculture and fisheries, the natural history, recreational activities, and conservation, past, present and future. It complements other regional volumes in the New Naturalist series which include the Hebrides, Orkney and the Shetland Islands.
Moths (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 90)
Moths (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 90)
Mike Majerus
¥114.48
Moths provides a comprehensive account of the diverse natural history of these fascinating and popular insects. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com Another volume in the popular New Naturalist series, this book is a comprehensive account of the diverse natural history of these fascinating and popular insects. Michael Majerus, author of the popular New Naturalist Ladybirds, examines all aspects of moths, from their life histories to their role as pests to humans. He covers their reproduction, feeding, evolution, habitats and conservation. New Naturalist Moths also discusses the enemies of moths, and the ways they have evolved to avoid detection, including camouflage, warning coloration, and mimicry. This is the definitive text for the study of these insects, written by an established New Naturalist author.
Wellington: A Personal History
Wellington: A Personal History
Christopher Hibbert
¥110.46
A bestseller in hardback, this is a highly-praised and much-needed biography of the first Duke of Wellington, concentrating on the personal life of the victor of Waterloo, and based on the fruits of modern research. Christopher Hibbert is Britain’s leading popular historian. Wellington (1769–1852) achieved fame as a soldier fighting the Mahratta in India. His later brilliant generalship fighting the French in Spain and his defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo earned him a dukedom and the award of Apsley House (No. 1, London) and a large estate in Hampshire. His second career saw him make his mark as a politician with commanding presence. Appointed Commander-in-Chief for life, he became Prime Minister in 1827 and presided over the emancipation of Roman Catholics and the formation of the country’s first police force. Privately, he was unhappily married, and had several mistresses (including two of Napoleon’s) and many intimate friendships with women. The private side of the public man has never been so richly delineated as in this masterly biography.
Climate and Weather (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 115)
Climate and Weather (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 115)
John Kington
¥221.12
Reviewing the history and causes of climatic change and evaluating regional models, this New Naturalist volume offers an important analysis of climatic variations. Much has happened in our knowledge of climate and weather over the past fifty years. The recording of relations between weather and natural history has continued to be of constant interest, with the weather providing a continual and essential backdrop to natural history accounts. But the significance of this backdrop has been very much widened by our better understanding of climate change and its effects on flora, fauna and biodiversity and also by our increased knowledge of historical climates and weather events. In this timely addition to the New Naturalist Library, leading climatologist John Kington offers a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the diverse climate of the British Isles. Examining the ways in which regional climates evolve from the interplay of meteorological conditions and geography of the British Isles, the author analyses the climatic characteristics and provides a historical overview of changing weather patterns, which is complemented by fascinating and never-before published photographs. Kington reviews the many ways in which people have observed and recorded weather conditions throughout the ages. It is a story based on a rich and varied resource stretching back 2000 years. This approach has allowed climatic trends, anomalies and extremes to be identified over the past two millennia, putting our present experience of weather into striking perspective.
Extreme Insects
Extreme Insects
Richard Jones
¥120.47
Insects are the most extreme organisms on Earth and, despite their diminutive size, they wield inordinate power. With the exception of the polar icecaps, every terrestrial ecosystem on earth is colonized by them, and they account for almost three-quarters of all named animals – that's one million species at the last count! This book is a celebration of the insect universe, exploring their amazing forms and functions, their fascinating behaviour and the enormous impact they have on our lives. With its lively and informative text, it looks at insects in all their extremes, from the biggest, fastest and fiercest to the best nest builder, most devious hunter and deadliest bride. Insects are extreme in numbers – a single leaf-cutter ant nest, the size of a large camper van, may contain seven million individuals working together as a single giant super-organism. Insects are extreme in their bizarre forms – the stalk-eyed fly, as its name suggests, carries its eyes on the end of two ludicrously long stalks. And insects are invariably extreme in behaviour – take for instance the giraffe-necked weevil that holds head-bobbing contests to win a mate. Yet there is always method in their apparent madness, as each strange form and function is an adaptation designed to solve the extreme pressures that arise through the struggle to survive in a world that is always dangerous, competitive and unforgiving.
Terns (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 123)
Terns (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 123)
David Cabot,Ian Nisbet
¥257.90
This New Naturalist volume provides a much-anticipated overview of these fascinating birds – the first book on the natural history of British and Irish terns since 1934. Terns are small seabirds that are commonly seen along coastlines and estuaries in the summer months – their graceful flight and command of the air are among their most attractive features. Most of the five species of terns breeding in Britain and Ireland today are under intensive management, involving protection from predators, human interference, egg-collecting, recreational activities, land-use changes, and a range of issues concerning climate change, including rising sea levels and flooding of low-lying colonies. If these protective measures were abandoned then the numbers of terns would inevitably decline, with the possibility of several species ending up on the endangered list. Covering the history of terns in Britain and Ireland, David Cabot and Ian Nisbet explore these diverse issues as well as offering a comprehensive natural history of these stunning seabirds. Drawing on a wealth of new information and research, the authors focus on migrations, food and feeding ecology as well as breeding biology and behaviour. Perhaps most importantly, they highlight recent conservation issues and prospects, and what this means for the future of terns.
Heroes: The Greatest Generation and the Second World War
Heroes: The Greatest Generation and the Second World War
James Holland
¥82.01
‘Heroes’ is the story of an extraordinary generation of young men, mostly British, who came of age in the Second World War. These young men – and women – found themselves facing life-threatening danger and the kind of responsibility few would be prepared to shoulder today. Whether fighting in the jungles of Burma or on the D-Day beaches, as submariners, pilots, spies or prisoners of war, young soldiers in WWII displayed astonishing courage and resilience, united by honour and bound by the fellowship of their comrades. Those who made it home are now a passing generation, and for many this is the last chance for them to tell their stories – men like football legend Tom Finney, who saw action in southern Italy; or James Bond set-designer Ken Adam, a German Jew who flew as a fighter pilot for the RAF; or identical twins Tom and Dee Bowles, who landed together on Easy Red beach on D-Day. Many of these young men never returned home and those who did faced insurmountable challenges assimiliating back into civilian life. ‘Heroes’ is a moving and uplifting tribute to an remarkable generation.
Dusty Warriors: Modern Soldiers at War (Text Only)
Dusty Warriors: Modern Soldiers at War (Text Only)
Richard Holmes
¥72.30
Foremost military historian Richard Holmes offers us a compelling and at times terrifying account of what it means to be a contemporary soldier. In this remarkable book, Holmes draws on the testimonies and personal photographs of the 700 soldiers of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment in Iraq to vividly capture their day-to-day experiences of the conflict, from camp kitchens to the heart of an armoured convey barrelling out across the desert. As colonel-in-chief of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment himself from 1999 until 2007, Holmes combines acute observation with heartfelt experience to produce a gripping and deeply moving vision of his regiment at war.
The Broads (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 46)
The Broads (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 46)
A. E. Ellis
¥476.96
The broads are shallow, reed-fringed lakes associated with rivers that wind slowly through the lowlands of east Norfolk and neighbouring Suffolk to flow into the North Sea through a common harbour at Great Yarmouth. Their waters are often ruffled by sea breezes and salt tides affect them from time to time; indeed, but for coast defences, they and many thousands of acres of adjacent marshes would be at the mercy of regular sea flooding. It used to be thought that they were relict pools of an estuary clogged by centuries of silting and reclaimed by the spread of marsh vegetation; but the recent researches of Dr. J. M. Lambert and her associates have proved (seechapter 3) that although estuarine conditions have prevailed temporarily in the lower parts of the east Norfolk river valleys on more than one occasion in the past, the broads originated comparatively recently as peat-pits, flooded and linked by artificial channels with the rivers, as the general water-level rose in late historic times.
Great Sporting Wisdom: Legendary Quotes from the World of Sport
Great Sporting Wisdom: Legendary Quotes from the World of Sport
John Scally
¥30.61
In 1906 Ambrose Bierce defined quotation as ‘the act of repeating erroneously the words of another. The words erroneously repeated.’ Down through history much has been said and written about the people and events that have shaped the sporting world. This book assembles some of the most commonly misquoted and misattributed of those sporting quotations.Humour is a difficult thing to define. What reduces one person to helpless laughter may leave another indifferent. And what makes a funny quote? The context can be crucial.In normal circumstances the following would not be of great interest: ‘Sharp are currently working on bringing 3D TV into your living-rooms. Mr Koshima hopes it will be so realistic that viewers will have to duck when Eric Cantona takes a shot.’
The Peregrine: 50th Anniversary Edition: Afterword by Robert Macfarlane
The Peregrine: 50th Anniversary Edition: Afterword by Robert Macfarlane
J. A. Baker,Mark Cocker
¥95.75
J.A. Baker (1926-1987) is now widely acknowledged as one of the most important British writers on nature in the twentieth century. When his first book, The Peregrine, appeared in 1967 with all the unexpected power and vertiginous daring of its eponymous bird, it was instantly recognised as a masterpiece. Today it is viewed by many as the gold standard for all nature writing and, in many ways, it transcends even this species of praise. A case could easily be made for its greatness by the standards of any literary genre.
The Five Giants [New Edition]: A Biography of the Welfare State
The Five Giants [New Edition]: A Biography of the Welfare State
Nicholas Timmins
¥95.75
Nicholas Timmins has been Public Policy Editor of the Financial Times since 1996. Before that he was with the Independent for a decade from its foundation., working variously as its health and social services correspondent , politcal correspondent and its public policy editor. He previously held similar posts at The Times. He has also worked for the Press Association and Nature. He has therefore been reporting on the events covered in this, his first book, for twenty years.
Epitaph for the Ash: In Search of Recovery and Renewal
Epitaph for the Ash: In Search of Recovery and Renewal
Lisa Samson
¥95.75
An English language and literature specialist with many years’ experience of teaching English and Italian, Lisa Samson is a Senior Lecturer in Writing at Leeds Beckett University. Lisa's first novel, Talk To Me, came second in the Virginia Prize for Fiction 2011. She has been published in short form both in print and online.