NATURAL
HISTORY,
BOTANY
AND RELATED TITLES
(Updated July 19, 2010)
Susan Allport, SERMONS IN STONE: The Stone Walls of New England and New York. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1990) square format octavo, 205 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with charming drawings by David Howell. a beautifully produced work on the history, construction and folklore of stone walls, related stone structures, and even glacial erratics. v.g. copy in slightly d.j., nicely inscribed by the author. $20
Susan Allport, SERMONS IN STONE: The Stone Walls of New England and New York. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1990) square format octavo, 205 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with charming drawings by David Howell. a beautifully produced work on the history, construction and folklore of stone walls, related stone structures, and even glacial erratics. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Robert
F. Andrle & Janet R. Carroll [Editors], THE ATLAS OF BREEDING BIRDS IN
Sally Atwater & Judith Schnell [Editors], RUFFED GROUSE. (Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1989) quarto, 370 pp., index, well ill. with color photos, drawings, and graphs. An excellent readable yet scientifically accurate work in The Wildlife Series. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
Karl L. Brooks, A CATSKILL FLORA AND ECONOMIC BOTANY. (Albany, NY: New York State Museum, 1979-1984) 4 "parts" in 6 volumes, quarto, 276+, 115+, 374+, 358+ 283+ pp., indices, distribution maps and excellent b&w botanical line drawings in each volume. an important series covering flora of the Catskill Mountains in New York State as follows: Vol I.: Pteridophyta [ferns and fern allies]; Vol. II.: Coniferales [conifers]; Vol. III: Apetalae [poplars, willows, hickories, birches, beeches, oaks, elms, nettles, sorrels, docks and smartweeds]; Vol. IV: Polypetalae [many genera]. v.g. set in original pictorial wraps. $75
Lauren Brown, WEEDS IN WINTER. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1976) 252 pp., index, ill. with excellent botanically accurate and attractive line drawings by the author. a very useful book, both as an identification guide and also as a very attractive and informative work on weeds. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j., signed by the author. $10
Lauren Brown, WEEDS IN WINTER. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1976) 252 pp., index, ill. with excellent botanically accurate and attractive line drawings by the author. a very useful book, both as an identification guide and also as a very attractive and informative work on weeds. v.g. copy in brown cloth binding, $1
Clive Byers & Jon Curson & Urban Olsson, SPARROWS AND BUNTINGS: A Guide to the Sparrows and Buntings of North America and the World. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997 [1995]) 334 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with excellent color plates from paintings that help differentiate these often confused song birds. v.g. copy in d.j. $25
Charles L. Cadieux, COYOTES: Predators & Survivors. (Washington, DC: Stone Wall Press, 1983) Introduction by Edward L. Kocizky. 233 pp., appendices, ill. with b&w photos. While written from the perspective of a professional hunter who sees coyotes as troublesome to western ranchers, this scarce book nonetheless provides many interesting insights into their fascinating behavior. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Jerry R. Choate & J. Knox Jones & Clyde Jones, HANDBOOK OF MAMMALS OF THE SOUTH‑CENTRAL STATES. (Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1994) 304 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with excellent line drawings, maps, and b&w photos. a modern definite guide covering Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. v.g copy in d.j. $12
David F. Costello, THE WORLD OF THE PORCUPINE. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1966) 3rd printing. large format octavo, 167 pp., index, useful bibliography. ill. with b&w photos. One of the more readable of the "Living World Books," an older series of popular natural history books that contain valuable factual information and are not outdated. owner's name, o/w a v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $1
[J. Kenneth Dean & Robert F.
Trozzo], PRELIMINARY VOUCHERED ATLAS OF
David Dobbs & Richard Ober, THE NORTHERN FOREST. (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 1995) 356 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, maps on end-papers. An important study of the future of the commercial timber industry in the evergreen-hardwood forests of northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. owner's name, o/w a v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j., nicely inscribed by the author, Dobbs. $7
Erica H. Dunn & Diane L. Tesaglia-Hymes, BIRDS AT YOUR FEEDER: A Guide to Feeding Habits, Behavior, Distribution, and Abundance. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999) 418 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with charts, attractive line drawings by Peter Burke, and distribution maps by Jeffrey Price. an excellent useful study for Americans wishing to feed wild birds. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Allan W. Eckert, THE WADING BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, NORTH OF MEXICO. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1981) small folio, 252 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with distribution maps as well as detailed line drawings and full-page color plates (and attractive decorative end-papers) from the paintings of Karl E. Karalus. A very beautifully illustrated basic work on the subject. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $8
Len Eiserer, THE AMERICAN ROBIN: A Backyard Institution. (Chicago: Nelson Hall, 1976) square format octavo, 174 pp., index, bibliography. ill. with color photos and charmingly whimsical b&w line drawings by Martha Lane. A very attractive, readable and personable work, but based on 6 years of serious study. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
John Elder, READING THE MOUNTAINS OF HOME. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998) 253 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with the fine drawings of Mal Schroder. A fascinating work presenting the many subtle changes and details of a northeastern mountain habitat, in this case near Bristol, Vermont. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
John Elder [Editor], THE RETURN OF THE WOLF:
Reflections on the Future of Wolves in the Northeast.
(
Thomas Elias, [GROLIER'S] FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN TREES. (Danbury, CT: Grolier Book Clubs, 1989 [1980]) revised edition. 948 pp., index, ill. with excellent monochrome botanical drawings and distribution maps. This excellent identification guide covers 652 native and 100 introduced species, with summer and winter keys. I find this the best of the many tree identification guides. v.g. copy in pictorial boards (no d.j. was issued for this edition). $15
Thomas Elias, THE COMPLETE TREES OF
Carl H. Ernst & Roger W. Barbour, TURTLES OF THE UNITED STATES. (Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 1972) large format octavo, 347 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, ill. with color and b&w photos, line drawings, and distribution maps. The best and most comprehensive work on the subject. v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $35
Andreas Feininger, TREES. (NY: Viking Press, 1978 [1968]) square quarto, 116 pp., index, notes on the photos, ill. in color and b&w with wonderful photos which have made this work a modern classic, and with b&w botanical line drawings. The introductory material is surprisingly detailed and informative. v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $1
Merritt Lyndon Fernald, GRAY'S MANUAL OF BOTANY: A HANDBOOK OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OF NEW YORK. (Portland, OR: Dioscorides Press, n.d. [1987]) Eighth Edition, corrected printing, with a new introduction by Reed C. Rollins. lxiv, 1632 pp. octavo, indices, illustrated with some detailed drawings in the text. This edition was largely re‑written and expanded by Fernald and issued in 1950. A standard and indispensable botanical reference work, which is sadly now out‑of‑print. front free end-paper missing, front hinge weak, rear hinge cracked and taped, writing on rear end-paper, bottom edge worn, o/w intact with v.g. text, overall a good reading/reference copy in a torn d.j. $20
Patricia Forey, WILD FLOWERS OF NORTH AMERICA. (NY: Gallery Books, 1991) folio, 256 pp., index, glossary, attractive decorative end-papers, ill. with color plates from 900 water colors by the author. An uncommon and very attractive work. v.g. copy in very attractive d.j. $20
Edward Frankel, FERNS: A NATURAL HISTORY. (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Greene Press, 1981) first edition, 264 pp,. index, appendices, ill. with excellent line drawings by Edgar M. Paulton. A unique and fascinating work covering all aspects of botany, uses, history and lore of ferns and fern allies, containing the interesting information the various fern identification guides usually lack. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Darryl T. Gwynne, KATYDIDS AND BUSH CRICKETS: Reproductive Behavior and Evolution of the Tettigoniidae. (Ithaca, NY: Comstock Publishing, 2001) 316 pp., index, extensive bibliography, appendices, well ill. with color and b&w white photos, drawings, charts, and maps. a scientific yet readable work on these fascinating and often bizarre insects. fine copy in d.j. $5
Derek Goodwin, CROWS OF THE WORLD: An Authoritative Guide to all 116 Species of he Crow Family, Including Jays, Magpies, Rooks, and the Raven. (Ithaca, NY: Comstock/Cornell, 1976) quarto, 354 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with distribution maps and excellent line drawings by Robert Gillmor. still the most dependable work on the subject. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $30
Constantine N. Goulimis, WILD FLOWERS OF GREECE. (Kifissia, Greece: Goulandris Botanical Museum, 1968) Edited by W[illiam] T. Stearn. Foreword by Sir George Taylor. folio, 206+ pp., index, ill. with many beautiful full-page color plates from the paintings of Niki A. Goulandris. A wonderfully produced and illustrated work with excellent examples of botanical illustration. v.g. copy in tan buckram binding in torn and slightly soiled d.j. $50
Wayne Hanley, NATURAL HISTORY IN AMERICA: From Mark Catesby to Rachel Carson. (NY: Quadrangle, 1977) 339 pp., ill. in color and b&w. Interesting chapters cover not only the famous notables but also lesser-known figures such as Rafinesque, Bachman, Wilkes, and Say. v.g. copy in d.j., nicely inscribed by the author. $20
Hal H. Harrison, WOOD WARBLERS' WORLD. (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1984) Foreword by Les Line. Technical Assistance and Range Maps by Mada Harrison. 334 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, well ill. with color and b&w photos and range maps for each species. The most detailed and comprehensive work on American warblers issued to date. v.g. copy in d.j. $3
Carl G. Hartman, POSSUMS. (Austin: Univ. of Texas Press, 1952) quarto, 174 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, well ill. in b&w with photos and drawings. an excellent scarce older work on the natural history of the opossum, filled not only with scientific information but with the rich history and folklore of the possum. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $102
Leon Augustus Hausman, BIRDS OF PREY OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA. (Peterborough, NH: Richard R. Smith, 1966 [1948]) revised and enlarged second edition, large format octavo, 164 pp.,. index, bibliography. ill. with superb line drawings by Jacob Bates Abbot. One of the more attractive works on the subject including interesting personal observations not found in identification guides. v.g. copy in worn d.j. $10
Leon Augustus Hausman, BIRDS OF PREY OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1948) first edition, large format octavo, 164 pp.,. index, bibliography. ill. with superb line drawings by Jacob Bates Abbot. One of the more attractive works on the subject including interesting personal observations not found in identification guides. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $5
Richard Headstrom, NATURE IN MINIATURE. (NY: Alfred Knopf, 1968) 400+ pp., index, glossary, ill. with line drawings by the author. a highly readable work on the small animal and plant wonders of nature that has not been equalled. v.g. copy in d.j. $3
Bernd Heinrich, THE GEESE OF BEAVER BOG. (NY: Harper Collins, 2004) 217 pp., index, glossary, appendices, ill. with color photos and b&w drawings by the author. A fascinating study of the lives and personalities of Canada geese and related wetland wildlife. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Bernd Heinrich, ONE MAN'S OWL. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1987) first edition. 224 pp., ill. with b&w photos and attractive drawings by the author. The fascinating story of Bubo raised from young by the author, reveals amazing details of Great Horned Owl behavior never before known. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Bernd Heinrich, RAVENS IN WINTER. (NY: Summit Books, 1989) 379 pp., index, notes, ill. with interesting b&w drawings by the author. Professor Heinrich's first fascinating book on ravens, which has become somewhat scarce. v.g. copy in d.j. $12
Bernd Heinrich, A YEAR IN THE MAINE WOODS. (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1994) 259 pp., ill. by attractive drawings by the author in the text. a wonderfully written and most fascinating personal account of life in the northern forest. v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition. $5
Bernd Heinrich, WINTER WORLD: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. (NY: Ecco/Harper Collins, 2003) extensive bibliography, ill. with attractive line drawings by the author in the text. A truly fascinating work on the amazing array of techniques used by all kinds of animals in the northern United States to survive the winter. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Donald S. Heintzleman, HAWKS AND OWLS OF NORTH AMERICA. (NY: Universe Books, 1979) large format octavo, 197 pp., index, bibliography, appendix, ill. with excellent color and b&w photos. an excellent overview of the subject that is fairly scarce. v.g. cop in slightly worn d.j. $10
Joel Ellis Holloway, DICTIONARY OF BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES. (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2003) 244 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with excellent monochrome drawings by George Miksch Sutton. With over 900 entries and valuable information on all the Latin and common names, this is the most useful and up-to-date book on the subject. v.g. copy in pictorial boards in d.j., signed by the author. $7
Colin Howlett, HELIGAN WILD: A Year of Nature in the Lost Gardens. (London: Victor Gollancz, 1999) Introduction by Tim Smit. 128 pp., ill. with lovely color plates from paintings by Mally Francis (flora) and Angus Hudson (birds). a charming work chronically the natural history and wild life of the famous restored gardens in Cornwall. v.g. copy in d.j., signed by the artist and the two illustrators. $20
George W. Hudler, MAGICAL MUSHROOMS, MISCHIEVOUS MOLDS: The Remarkable Story of the Fungus Kingdom and Its Impact On Human Affairs. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1980) 248 pp., index, notes, ill. with color and b&w photos. a highly readable and fascinating work on the relationship between the natural history of fungi and human history. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $5
Paul A. Johnsgard, NORTH AMERICAN OWLS: Biology and Natural History. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988) large format octavo, 294 pp., index, extensive bibliography, glossary. ill. with color photos, excellent b&w line drawings and distribution maps. Both scientifically accurate and highly readable, this is the best book on the subject to date. a v.g. copy in very slightly worn d.j. of the scarce hardbound edition. $35
Paul A. Johnsgard, DIVING BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1987) quarto, 292 pp., index, extensive bibliography, appendices, ill. with color photos, excellent b&w line drawings and distribution maps. Both scientifically accurate and highly readable, this is the best book on the subject to date. a v.g. copy in very slightly worn d.j. of the scarce hardbound edition. $20
Paul A. Johnsgard, THE GROUSE OF THE WORLD. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1983) large format octavo, 413 pp., index, extensive bibliography, appendices, ill. with color and b&w photos, detailed drawings, and distribution maps. The bets work on the subject to date, both scientifically accurate and highly readable. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $20
Michael Jordan, THE GREEN MANTLE: An Investigation into our Lost Knowledge of Plants. (London: Cassell, 2001) large format octavo, 288 pp., index, brief bibliography, ill. with color photos and art reproductions. An intriguing study into the concept of the "green world" from ancient times to the present day. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Diana Kappel-Smith, NIGHT LIFE: From Dusk to Dawn. (Boston: Little-Brown & Co., 1990) ill. with a few drawings by the author in the text. A highly readable and very informative study of natural history at night in 5 quite distinct states. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j., signed by the author. $5
Benjamin Kilham and Ed Gray, AMONG THE BEARS: Raising Orphan Cubs in the Wild. (NY: Henry Holt, 2002) 289 pp., index, ill. with unbelievable color photos. The truly amazing story of the authors' interaction with wild black bears in New Hampshire's mountains. Reading this work leaves the reader with new knowledge of black bear intelligence and leads one to question American bear hunting practices. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
John N. Kingsbury, POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1964) 5th printing. 626 pp., index, extensive bibliography, ill. with b&w photos and excellent botanical line drawings. a "clinically, physiologically, and pathologically oriented approach to the literature on poisonous plants," or in English, the most definitive recent work on the subject, covering 700 plant species. v.g. copy in well worn d.j. $15
John E. Klimas & James A. Cunningham, WILDFLOWERS OF EASTERN AMERICA. (NY: Alfred Knopf, 1974) large format octavo, 271+ pp., index, useful appendices, ill. with 304 color photos. While the book may have been intended as an identification guide, it is more useful for the both the detailed descriptive and additional information and the color photographs. v.g. copy in d.j $5
Verlyn Klinkenborg, THE RURAL LIFE. (NY: Viking, 2003) 213+ pp., ill. with chapter-head engraving by Reynolds Stone. a highly readable seasonal account of our personal relationship to the rural environment. The author, best known for his column in the New York Times, lives on a farm in Columbia County, New York. fine copy in d.j, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. $5
Christopher McGrory Klyza [Editor], WILDERNESS COMES HOME: Rewilding the Northeast. (Hanover, NH: Middlebury College Press, 2001) 320 pp., index, notes, biographies of contributors, a few b&w photos and drawings. A fascinating collection of essays on the amazing regrowth of large tracts of wild forest in the northeastern United States. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $2
Harriet Kofalk, NO WOMAN TENDERFOOT: Florence Merriam Bailey, Pioneer Naturalist. (College Station, TX: Texas A&M Press, 1989) 225 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with reproductions of historic b&w photos. Bailey (1863-1948) began her career at Smith College and worked largely in the American West; she was one of the first ornithologists to study live birds in the wild rather than museum specimens. v.g. copy in slightly sunned d.j. $10
Ted Levin, BLOOD BROOK: A Naturalist's Home Ground. (Post Mills, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 1992) 207 pp. a highly readable account of various aspects of natural history in the Northeastern woodlands. v.g. copy in d.j., signed by the author. $4
Ted Levin, BACKTRACKING: The Way of a Naturalist. (Chelsea, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 1987) 220+ pp., ill. with fine monochrome drawings by Joan Waltermire. a highly readable account of various aspects of natural history in the Northeast, covering such subjects as coyotes, timber rattlesnakes, weasels, vernal pools and bluebirds. v.g. copy in d.j., nicely inscribed by the author and signed by the author and illustrator. $10
John M. Marzluff & Tony Angel, IN
THE COMPANY OF CROWS AND RAVENS. (
Edwin Menniger, FANTASTIC TREES: Marvels & Monstrosities of the Arboreal World. (NY: Viking, 1967) 304 pp., index, notes, bibliography, ill. with many b&w photos. a truly fascinating work covering a wide variety of interesting trees from across the globe. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $5
Edward L. Mills and others, BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS IN THE HUDSON RIVER BASIN. (Albany, NY: New York State Museum, 1997) Circular No. 57. quarto, 51 pp., extensive bibliography, ill. in b&w with maps and charts. an excellent compilation of invasive flora and fauna. v.g. copy in perfect bound wraps. $5
Edna Wolf Miner & Eloise Reid Thompson, WILDFLOWER PORTRAITS. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964) quarto, unpaginated [100 full page color plates with opposite pages of text, plus introduction and index. beautiful and distinctive reproductions of color paintings of American wild flowers by Thompson, many from the American Southwest, with plant descriptions and an introduction by Miner. v.g. copy in very colorful d.j. $20
Walter Conrad Muenscher, WEEDS. (NY: Macmillan, 1955 [1935]) 577 pp., index, extensive bibliography and glossary, ill. with excellent b&w botanical line drawings. An older exhaustive manual on American weeds that is still very useful as a reference work. a v.g. copy in torn d.j. $5
Colleen Helgeson Nelson, THE DOWNY WATERFOWL OF NORTH AMERICA. (Deerfield, IL: Delta Station Press, 1993) quarto, 302 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, identification keys, ill. with many detailed line drawings and full-page color plates by the author. an exhaustive and very well presented study. v.g. copy in d.j. by an expert from North Dakota. $10
Gordon H. Orians, BLACKBIRDS OF THE AMERICAS. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1985) quarto, 163 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, ill. with outstanding dramatic engravings by Tony Angell as well as drawings, maps and graphs. The best work to date, both scholarly and readable and very attractively presented, on blackbirds and relatives including grackles, orioles, cowbirds, meadowlarks and bobolinks. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Charlotte M. Porter, THE EAGLE'S NEST: Natural History and American Ideas, 1812-1842. (Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 1986) 251 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few b&w ills. in the text. The best work to date covering a neglected period in American natural history, which centered around Philadelphia in the decades preceding Darwinism. A most worthwhile volume in the History of American Science and Technology Series. v.g copy in d.j. $10
George Porter, THE WORLD OF THE FROG AND THE TOAD. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1967) 3rd printing. large format octavo, 153 pp., index, useful bibliography. ill. with b&w photos. One of the scarcer and most desirable of the "Living World Books," an older series of popular natural history books that contain valuable factual information and are not outdated. a v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $5
Catherine Reid, Coyote: Seeking the Hunter in Our Midst. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2004) 179 pp., bibliography. A highly readable study of the eastern coyote's remarkable comeback in the Northeast. v.g. copy in d.j., signed and inscribed by the author. $15
Harold William Rickett, WILD FLOWERS OF THE UNITED STATES: VOLUME I, THE NORTHEASTERN STATES. (NY: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1966) small folio, in two parts [volumes], 560 (total) pp., index, ill. with thousands of color photos on 180 pp. of plates and a few botanical b&w line drawings accompanying a glossary and excellent introduction. The first of a standard series of quality works on American wild flowers, published in association with the New York Botanical Garden, that has never been and doubtless will ever be duplicated due to publishing costs. This set covers a wide area as far west as Minnesota and as far south as Virginia. a v.g., clean, tight set in green cloth bindings. [Its size and weight will require extra postage.] $25
Harold William Rickett, WILD FLOWERS
OF THE UNITED STATES: VOLUME
June Carver Roberts, SEASON OF PROMISE: Wild Plants in Winter: Northeastern United States. (Athens: Ohio University Press, 1993) large format octavo, 208 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with wonderful reproductions of watercolors and line drawings by the author. Every so often a most informative and beautifully illustrated natural history guide book appears; this one covers over 250 different plants. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Leonard Lee Rue III, THE WORLD OF THE RACCOON. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1964) large format octavo, 145 pp., index, useful bibliography. ill. with b&w photos. One of the scarcer and most desirable of the "Living World Books," an older series of popular natural history books that contain valuable factual information and are not outdated. v.g. copy in worn d.j. $1
John Semple & Gordon Ringius & Jie Jay Zhang, THE GOLDENRODS OF ONTARIO. (Waterloo, Canada: University of Waterloo, 1999) 3rd edition. No. 39 in the Biology Series. large format octavo, 90 pp., index, bibliography, glossary. ill. with color photos, fabulous detailed botanical drawings and distribution maps. A work of immense value to botanists and gardeners as well. Goldenrods (genera Solidago & Euthamia) are notoriously difficult to differentiate from each other, and the detailed drawings and descriptions in this work (first issued in 1983) are the best available for that purposes. The book is of value in the eastern United States as well as the Province of Ontario. fine copy in original wraps (no hardcover edition was issued). $20
John Semple
& Stephen Heard & Luc Brouillet, CULTIVATED AND NATIVE ASTERS OF
ONTARIO. (Waterloo, Canada:
University of Waterloo, 2002) No. 41
in the Biology Series. large format
octavo, 134 pp., index, bibliography, glossary. ill. with fabulous detailed
botanical drawings and distribution maps as well as color and b&w photos.
A very scarce work of immense value to botanists and gardeners as well.
Asters (now classified under 4 genera) are notoriously difficult to
differentiate from each other, and the detailed drawings and descriptions in
this work (first issued in 1987) are the best available for that purposes.
The book is of value in the eastern United States as well as the Province
of Ontario. There is also an
excellent description of why some botanists "split" the genus Aster
into the 4 genera (I still prefer to call them all "asters!").
This supersedes the earlier Asters of Ontario by including
adventive species and cultivars that have been found in the wild.
fine copy in original wraps (no hardcover edition was issued).
$50
Alexander F. Skutch,THE LIFE OF THE HUMMINGBIRD. (Santa Monica, CA: Ibis Publishing, 1985 [1973]) quarto, 136 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with very attractive color plates from the paintings of Dana Gardner for this edition. a highly attractive, readable and very informative uncommon work on these charming birds. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
Susan M. Smith, THE BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: Behavioral Ecology and Natural History. (Ithaca, NY: Comstock Publishing Associates, 1991) 362 pp., bibliography, glossary, well ill. with charts, graphs, line drawings and b&w photos. Both readable and scientifically accurate, this surprisingly scarce book is the best work to date on the charming, lively, and intelligent favorite bird of backyards and woodlands. fine copy in light gray cloth binding. $12
Noel & Helen Snyder, BIRDS OF PREY: Natural History and Conservation of North American Raptors. (Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press, 1991) quarto, 224 pp., index, extensive bibliography, ill. with excellent color photos and distribution maps. written for the layman, this is one of the most comprehensive recent works on the subject. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Noel & Helen Snyder, BIRDS OF PREY: Natural History and Conservation of North American Raptors. (Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press, 1991) quarto, 224 pp., index, extensive bibliography, ill. with excellent color photos and distribution maps. written for the layman, this is one of the most comprehensive recent works on the subject. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Colin & Geoffrey Spedding, THE NATURAL HISTORY OF A GARDEN. (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2003) 245 pp., index, bibliography, notes, metric conversion chart, ill. with color photos and useful detailed b&w line drawings. organized scientifically but written for the layman, this work studies the complex relationships between plants, animals, birds, and invertebrates in an English garden. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Alexander Sprunt Jr., NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS OF PREY. (NY: Bonanza Books, 1955) Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 227 pp., index, bibliography, appendices. ill. with full page color plates from paintings of Alan Brooks, and b&w comparative drawings of birds in flight by Peterson. An older work that is still very useful, with particular attractive illustrations. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $5
Judith Sumner, AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD BOTANY: A History of Useful Plants, 1620-1900. (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2000) 396 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with color photos and b&w engravings from old works. An excellent work on cultivated medicinal plants from the author of the 2000 work The Natural History of Medicinal Plants. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
David A. Taylor, GINSENG, THE DIVINE ROOT. (The Curious History of the Plant That Captivated the World. (Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquian Books, 2006) 308 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, line drawing on title page. A fascinating account of the lust for this medicinal herb from ancient times to the present day. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Julien Tavener [Editor], THE BIRDS OF THE NORTHEAST [JOHN J. AUDUBON'S GUIDE]: His Art and His Observations, a Personal Field Guide. (Boston: Audubon Masterpiece Collection, 2004) Biography by Prof. Ron Tyler. 259 pp., index, extensive bibliography, notes, ill. with 97 full color plates reproduced from Audubon's classic as well as a fold-out map and portrait of the artist/author. a beautifully produced special edition including only birds found in the northeastern United States with a wonderful essay on Audubon. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $20
Emma Hoffman Thayer, WILD FLOWERS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. (NY: Cassell Publishing Co., 1889) second printing. quarto, 54 pp. of text & 24 full page chromo-litho color plates. decorative floral pattern end-papers. light blue cloth binding with colorful floral design on the front cover, minor edge wear and a little foxing, but clean, bright color plates with intact page guards. In general a rather clean, tight, fine copy of a work often found in far poorer condition. $200
Nancy J. Turner & Adam F. Scazawinski, COMMON POISONOUS PLANTS AND MUSHROOMS OF NORTH AMERICA. (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1992 [1991]) 311 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with 200 color photos and b&w leaf profiles. very useful and authoritative reference work covering both native and introduced plants. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
Alice F. Tryon & Robbin C. Moran, THE FERNS AND ALLIED PLANTS OF NEW ENGLAND. (Lincoln, MA: Massachusetts Audubon Society, 1997) 325 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, appendix (on cultivation), ill. with b&w photos by Robert L. Coffin, excellent botanical and plant outline drawings, worldwide and northeastern distribution maps, and amazing electron microscope photographs of spores. By far the best guide for identification of northeastern ferns, with detailed descriptive and habitat information. Because this work is so much better than any other, it has become extremely scarce. At the time of its issue this work was described by a reviewer as "a superb addition to the fern literature." Now even a copy of the review of his book costs one $8.00 off the Internet! a v.g. copy in green cloth binding with gilt decoration, in a v.g. d.j. [The price includes insurance.] $350
Alice & Thomas Vitale, LEAVES: In Myth, Magic and Medicine. (NY: Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 1997) unusual square format octavo, 351 pp., pictorial boards, index, bibliography, ill. with reproductions of skeleton leaves and sun pictures and charming engravings in the text. A unique and fascinating work covering 110 plants, the first of its kind since Vernon Quinn's work of 1937. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Joe Van Wormer, THE WORLD OF THE BOBCAT. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1964) large format octavo, 125 pp., index, useful bibliography. ill. with b&w photos. One of the scarcer and more desirable of the "Living World Books," an older series of popular natural history books that contain valuable factual information and are not outdated. v.g. copy in badly torn d.j. $5
Joe Van Wormer, THE WORLD OF THE SWAN. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1972) large format octavo, 156 pp., index, useful bibliography. ill. with b&w photos. One of the scarcer and more desirable of the "Living World Books," an older series of popular natural history books that contain valuable factual information and are not outdated. owner's name, o/w a v.g. copy in worn d.j. $3
Laurence Walker, FORESTS: A Naturalist's Guide to Woodland Trees. (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1996 [1990]) 288 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with b&w photos. An information filled work on many varied aspects of trees and forest from across the United States. v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition. $5
Laurence C. Walker, TREES: An Introduction to Trees and Forest Ecology for the Amateur Naturalist. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice‑Hall, 1984) large format octavo, 306 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with b&w photos and drawings. One of the most readable and informative basic guides to American woodland history and ecology, and now rather scarce. v.g. copy in slightly faded d.j. $10
Fred Wampler, WILD FLOWERS OF INDIANA. (Bloomington, IN: University of Indiana Press, 1988) small tall folio, 177 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with 80 beautiful full-page color pleats from the paintings of Maryrose Wampler. An outstanding production, beautifully printed and featuring wonderful color plates the flowers in detail in front of the habitats they are found in. top of front cover slightly faded, o/w a v.g. copy in bicolor cloth binding, nicely inscribed by the author and illustrator. $25
John O. Whitaker Jr. & William O. Hamilton Jr., MAMMALS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. (Ithaca, NY: Comstock Publishing Associates, 1998) 3rd, revised edition. 583 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, appendix, ill. with b&w photos and distribution maps. First issued in 1943 and first revised in 1979, this work remains the best on the subject. fine copy in pictorial boards. $15
John O.
Whitaker Jr. & William O. Hamilton Jr., MAMMALS OF THE EASTERN UNITED
STATES. (Ithaca, NY: Comstock
Publishing Associates, 1979) 2nd,
revised edition. 376 pp., index,
bibliography, glossary, appendix, ill. with b&w photos and
distribution maps. First
issued in 1943, this work remains the best on the subject.
v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
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