birdman
Орнитол&
A couple of years or so ago, I treated myself to Errol Fuller’s “Extinct Birds”, and more recently, Flannery and Schouten’s “A Gap in Nature”.
Both brilliant books, in my opinion.
I happened to stumble across “The Lost Birds of Paradise” which is very much of the same vein as the two books above, on a trip to Padstow the day before yesterday, and got hold of it for £3!!!
I went into the same bookstore – The Strand Bookshop – yesterday, and they had replaced my copy with another, although stickered up at £6.
These “lost” Birds of Paradise are so-called because they have been “discovered” as a consequence of the Victorian plume trade (with one exception) and whose existence is limited to very few museum specimens, sometimes just one.
Little else is definitely known of these birds, not even whether they constitute bona fide species, or are naturally occurring hybrids.
Whilst the plume trade, and for that matter the ornithological collection of type specimens by killing the creature are somewhat questionable in this day and age, and in the former case, perhaps even responsible for the demise of Bird of Paradise species before they were known by western science, the subject matter is nonetheless interesting, and if you liked Fuller’s abovementioned book, this will not disappoint you.
If you’re interested, and in the area, get down to the shop… even at six quid, it’s a bargain (at least £16.50 on Amazon)… and look in the “sale alcove” towards the rear of the shop, right hand shelves, on the second shelf down (if I remember) just to your left when facing the shelves.
Both brilliant books, in my opinion.
I happened to stumble across “The Lost Birds of Paradise” which is very much of the same vein as the two books above, on a trip to Padstow the day before yesterday, and got hold of it for £3!!!
I went into the same bookstore – The Strand Bookshop – yesterday, and they had replaced my copy with another, although stickered up at £6.
These “lost” Birds of Paradise are so-called because they have been “discovered” as a consequence of the Victorian plume trade (with one exception) and whose existence is limited to very few museum specimens, sometimes just one.
Little else is definitely known of these birds, not even whether they constitute bona fide species, or are naturally occurring hybrids.
Whilst the plume trade, and for that matter the ornithological collection of type specimens by killing the creature are somewhat questionable in this day and age, and in the former case, perhaps even responsible for the demise of Bird of Paradise species before they were known by western science, the subject matter is nonetheless interesting, and if you liked Fuller’s abovementioned book, this will not disappoint you.
If you’re interested, and in the area, get down to the shop… even at six quid, it’s a bargain (at least £16.50 on Amazon)… and look in the “sale alcove” towards the rear of the shop, right hand shelves, on the second shelf down (if I remember) just to your left when facing the shelves.