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Drawing from literary studies, philosophy, and the history of science, in this interdisciplinary study Hanna Roman argues that the language of Buffon’s Histoire naturelle (1749-1788) could not be separated from the science it conveyed; the language communicated nature’s vital order, form and movement. In the Histoire naturelle, the ability of language to embody and communicate the living essence of nature grew increasingly poignant as Buffon established his hypothesis that the Earth, initially a...

Britain’s countryside offers a host of varied habitats for the walker, the amateur naturalist and the family in search of entertainment for children. This brand new collection of reflections on and activities to do in the countryside from an author passionate about reconnecting both children and adults with nature offers ideas for a range of activities all of which will enhance the reader’s enjoyment of and engagement with, the natural world. You’ll learn how to watch ‘mad’ March hares – and w...

The world's most revered and eloquent interpreter of evolutionary ideas offers here a work of explanatory force unprecedented in our time--a landmark publication, both for its historical sweep and for its scientific vision.With characteristic attention to detail, Stephen Jay Gould first describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of classical Darwinism: that natural selection works on organisms, not genes or species; that it is almost exclusively the...

Animal Babies collects over 120 incredible, heart-warming images of creatures in the wild. Accompanying a new BBC natural history series, it captures precious moments in the young lives of a host of animals, from wolf pups squabbling in the pack and elephant calves wobbling to their feet to baby turtles flipping their way to the sea and baby otters learning to swim. Fall in love with these extraordinary animals as they find their feet and master their environments.

These stories take readers where they cannot go, be it out into space, back in time, deep under the ocean, down to the microscopic level, and up to the scale of geologic plate tectonics. Squid turn themselves inside-out when disturbed by predators hunting through the darkness with sonar. Beneficial microbes spend their summer living in flower nectar, being transferred between blooms by the bees; then they spend their winter living within those bees. Between the Rocks and the Stars follows the...

A beautiful guide to Earth's wildlife and natural history, including its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms and more!Introducing The Natural History Book - a complete guide to the nature and wildlife of our world and written by a worldwide team of natural history experts. In the 11 years since the book was originally 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 speci...

Here is a fascinating and authoritative survey of the complex inter-relationships of bird and human life in this country. Here is a fascinating and authoritative survey of the complex interrelationships of bird and human life in this country. Dr. Murton begins with an entire outline of the earliest evidence of the impact of birds on man, and vice versa and of the ecological considerations involved. He then proceeds to describe in detail how men and birds affect each other in...

Marianne North was a remarkable Victorian traveller and painter, who traversed the globe recording the world’s flora with her paintbrush and writing her experiences in her journal. In 1879 she offered her painting collection numbering over 800 to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and at her own expense built a gallery to house them. Marianne stayed closely involved with the project, painting beautiful decorative motifs on the interior door panels and surrounds. For the first time, this unique and...

A richly illustrated and comprehensive introduction to the world’s sharksSharks are the top predators in many marine ecosystems. But tales of the killer instincts and fearsomely sharp senses of these hunters can obscure their full life histories. In fact, sharks are characterful, exhibit surprisingly complex behaviors, and lead secretive lives full of interest in every type of marine habitat. The Lives of Sharks is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated guide to these iconic marine creatures...

One of the world's great science writers and biologists: a book that reflects on the vast arc of evolutionary history and what it tells us about life on earth. How much do we really know about our past? For centuries, we have yearned to learn more about our ancestors and piece together the story of how we came to be. But language can only record so much. And fossils can be even harder to decipher. We are left groping in the dark, forced to speculate and reconstruct ways of life based on fragme...

When Richard Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971, eighty million acres were flagged as possible national park land. Field expeditions were tasked with recording what was contained in these vast acres. Under this decree, five men were sent into the sprawling, roadless Interior of Alaska, unsure of what they'd encounter and ultimately responsible for the fate of four thousand pristine acres. Life and Times of a Big River follows Peter J. Marchand and his team of biologists...

Ants are among the most conspicuous and ecologically important of insects. Illustrated throughout, this bilingual French-English pocket guide for tourists, students, and researchers introduces the fascinating and diverse ant fauna of Madagascar, presenting aspects of their natural history, ecology, distribution patterns, and how to identify them.