Natural Hist Of Animals

Of late a revival of interest in Zoology is taking place, and this multi-volume work is an attempt to help the movement by pointing out the various lines of study and explaining in simple language the views of modern specialists. Every effort has been made to treat the subject-matter in such a way as to interest the general reader, while at the same time the needs of students, amateur naturalists, and teachers of Zoology (including Nature Study) have been borne in mind. All the larger popular books on Zoology take the various animal groups seriatim, a time-honoured plan which is in many ways valuable and useful. But this fails to bring out the complex inter-relations that exist between the different groups. A Due appreciation of the complexity of the struggle for existence, and a realization of our comparative ignorance reading the lifestyle of animals should open innumerable fascinating lines of scientific study of many amateurs who are at present mere collectors of insects, birds eggs, or shells. The unique multi-volume work fully covers every aspect, besides physical features of animal life : Food and feeding, homes and dwellings, courtship and breeding, care of eggs and young, foes and injuries, etc. Utilitarian Zoology and Philosophic Zoology have added a new dimension to this comprehensive study.

First published in 2007. This work was composed under the direction of the author, Dr Bernard Heuvelmans, President of the International Society of Cryptozoology, before his death in 2001. The contents have been drawn from his various works, including unpublished manuscripts, as well as his scientific articles.

From vast termite mounds that outstrip our own skyscrapers, to elaborate birds nests, delicate shells, and deadly spiders' traps, the constructions of the animal world can amaze and at times humble our own engineering and technology. Mike Hansell reveals the biology behind animal architecture - showing how small brains have evolved to produce complex and beautiful structures.

A monumental and beautiful guide to Earth's wildlife and natural history--its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms--this landmark of reference publishing has been extended and updated. In the 11 years since this book was released, thousands of new species have been identified, and new revelations have redrawn the tree of life. Already featuring galleries of more than 5,000 species, The Natural History Book now includes discoveries such as the olinguito (the "kitty bear" of the Andean cloud forest) and the painted mannakin of Peru. It takes advantage of the first living observations of the giant squid and the deep-sea anglerfish. And it has reorganized the groups of living things to reflect the latest scientific understanding. All this ensures that this, the only ebook to offer a complete visual survey of all kingdoms of life, remains the benchmark of illustrated natural history references. Written by a worldwide team of natural history experts, The Natural History Book is the perfect addition to every family bookshelf, as well as an ideal gift for any nature lover. From granites to grapevines, from microbes to mammals, The Natural History Book is the ultimate celebration of the diversity of the natural world.

The natural history museum is a place where the line between "high" and "low" culture effectively vanishes--where our awe of nature, our taste for the bizarre, and our thirst for knowledge all blend happily together. But as Stephen Asma shows in Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads, there is more going on in these great institutions than just smart fun. Asma takes us on a wide-ranging tour of natural history museums in New York and Chicago, London and Paris, interviewing curators, scientists, and exhibit designers, and providing a wealth of fascinating observations. We learn how the first museums were little more than high-toned side shows, with such garish exhibits as the pickled head of Peter the Great's lover. In contrast, today's museums are hot-beds of serious science, funding major research in such fields as anthropology and archaeology. "Rich in detail, lucid explanation, telling anecdotes, and fascinating characters.... Asma has rendered a fascinating and credible account of how natural history museums are conceived and presented. It's the kind of book that will not only engage a wide and diverse readership, but it should, best of all, send them flocking to see how we look at nature and ourselves in those fabulous legacies of the curiosity cabinet."--The Boston Herald.