Welsh Journals

+ postage, can be obtained from The Information Centre, Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay. M.J.M. Bird Life An Introduction to the World of Birds: Ad Cameron and Christopher Perrins: Elsevier-Phaison: £ 5.95. The unfathomable phenomena, the arcane mysteries of the avian world are revealed in this delightful book, executed in close harmony by Ad Cameron, the Dutch illustrator, and Dr. Christopher Perrins of the Edward Grey Institute of Ornithology, University of Oxford. The author, like Dylan Thomas, begins at the beginning 150 million years ago, when no birds sang, and covers every aspect of bird biology. Dr. Perrins, who succeeded David Lack at Oxford, has done much work on Skomer Island and Skokholm, and is already an established authority world over. His clear and concise text is a handmaiden to the superb and sympathetic paintings by Cameron (or it is the other way round?). The intelligent Cedar Waxwings pass red berries, one to anotther, along a branch, like so many fire buckets. Only the eye of the female Shoveler appears above water in the act of copulation. The Eagle Owl has the dreamy look of the gourmet as it swallows a hedgehog whole. One knows the feeling of the nineteenth wren shown arriving on the rim of a House Martin's nest, already brimming with its huddling mates. The artist portrays himself to provide comparison with the world's largest birds. This is an outstanding book to which it will be always a joy to return. Birds of Town and Village: Basil Ede and W. D. Campbell: Hamlyn Country Life Books: £ 4.95. Basil Ede's beautiful bird portraits are known to all from Christmas cards, table mats, etc. This book has 56 full-page paintings of everyday birds that are, in a way, reminiscent of Thorburn. It was first published in 1965 and this is the sixth impression. I can only echo the words of Prince Philip in his Foreword when he says: "I find books about birds almost impossible to resist". Birds and their World: John Andrews: Hamlyn: £ 3.95. John Andrews is in charge of conservation planning with the R.S.P.B. and, in this book, he describes the nine main habitats marine, wetlands, deserts, tropical forests, temperate forests, grasslands, savannah and steppe, polar regions and mountains and the ways in which the birds living in each have evolved to overcome the conditions imposed on them. There are photographs of over 225 of the world's birds, and none is finer than that of a Puffin with a full 'moustache' of small fish. The book may suffer by being regarded as yet another glossy, which would be a pity. Field Geology in Colour: D. E. B. Bates & J. F. Kirkaldy: Blandford Press: £ 2.75. This is a guide for those lacking experience in geological field work. It indicates where field work may most profitably be undertaken, what equipment is necessary, how to recognise and record, in short, everything