This book traces the discovery of Australia’s fishes from the earliest days of taxonomy to the first part of the 20th century. It provides a unique insight into the diverse pathways by which Australia’s fish were discovered and outlines the history of early maritime explorations in Australia that collected natural history specimens. The book covers the life and work of each of the most important discoverers, and assesses their accomplishments and the limitations of their work. Discovery of Au...

First published in 1994, The Complete Guide to Finding the Birds of Australia was the first ever book of its type in Australia – a complete guide to locating every resident bird species in Australia, plus supplementary information on where to find rarities, migratory species and logistical information. This fully revised second edition expands on the best-selling appeal of the first, describing the best-known sites for all of Australia’s endemic birds, plus vagrants and regular migrants such ...

Welcome to a carnival unlike anything that you have ever read about, visited, or even imagined before. Here, before your very eyes, you will encounter bizarre, anomalous creatures of every conceivable (and inconceivable!) kind—a veritable menagerie of cryptozoological mysteries to dazzle and delight, tantalize and terrify. For this is Mirabilis—a realm of marvels, wonders, miracles...and monsters! Peer through the shadows and see what you may. Was that scuttling horror a spider the...

The Victorian Bush: its ‘original and natural’ condition aggregates in a readable way extracts from logs, reports and diaries of Victorian explorers, early settlers, travellers and officials that describe the vegetation and fauna they encountered.The author analyses what he sees are the major ecological processes across south-eastern Australia, including the role of fire. Obviously Victoria today differs greatly from those nineteenth century landscapes. Some of these dif...

The River Thames has a colorful history. It was a river highway long before railways and roads were built. It has brought flood, disease and death to thousands of Londoners. Today it contains over 80 islands, 200 bridges, 20 tunnels, 45 locks, six public ferries and one ford. Yet it still reminds us of its history with an average of one body a week being found in its waters.How much do you know about the River Thames? Can you answer these questions:The Thames was once a tribu...

Beloved as the herald of spring, cuckoos have held a place in our affections for centuries. The oldest song in English celebrates the cuckoo's arrival, telling us that 'Sumer is icumen in'. But for many other birds the cuckoo is a signal of doom, for it is Nature's most notorious cheat. Cuckoos across the world have evolved extraordinary tricks to manipulate other species into raising their young. How do they get away with it?In this enormously engaging book, naturalist and scienti...

WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2018WINNER OF THE JEFFERIES AWARD FOR NATURE WRITING 2017The full story of seabirds from one of the greatest nature writers. The book looks at the pattern of their lives, their habitats, the threats they face and the passions they inspire – beautifully illustrated by Kate Boxer.Seabirds are master navigators, thriving in the most demanding environment on earth. In this masterly book, drawing on all the...

First Footprints tells the extraordinary story of the Aboriginal people of Australia. How they made their way out of Africa 60,000 years ago, and how they survived across this vast continent, from the harsh deserts of the inland to the glaciers of southern Tasmania. With photos from the ABC TV series of the same name.Some 60,000 years ago, a small group of people landed on Australia's northern coast. They were the first oceanic mariners and this great sout...

This antiquarian book contains a concise introductory guide to sea fishing in Cornwall. Including information on habits and habitats, rods and equipment, bait, technique, and much more, this volume constitutes the ideal introduction to sea fishing. It is highly recommended for those with an a practical interest in the sport. The sections of this text include: “Introduction to Sea Fishing”, “Round the Coast”, “The Fish”, and “Tips for the Beginner: Bait, Tides, etc.”. Many vintage books suc...

First published in 1995. It will soon be forty years since the original edition of this work, Sur la piste des bêtes ignorées (1955), appeared in French. With this book, the great adventure of ‘Cryptozoology’, the science of hidden animals, began.

The Remarkable Story of Darwin's Captain and the Invention of the Weather ForecastThe name of Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle, is forever linked with that of his most famous passenger, Charles Darwin. This exceptionally interesting biography brings FitzRoy out of Darwin's shadow for the first time, revealing a man who experienced high adventure, suffered tragic disappointments, and—as the inventor of weather forecasting—saved the lives of countless fellow mariners.Joh...

Birds and bird lore provide a fascinating window onto our social and cultural history, and can tell us much about our changing relationship with the British landscape, our people and society.We Brits love our birds. They hold a special place in our hearts – whether it's the sound of birdsong on a spring morning, the sight of a Barn Owl hunting on a summer's evening, or a Robin perched on our garden spade. In this book, Stephen Moss focusses on some of our most beloved and charismat...