Welsh Journals

Hedgerow Harvest. Amoret Scott. The Oxford Illustrated Press (1979), pp 124, £ 4.95. In these days of soaring inflation it is comforting to know that there are still things to be had for free. This delightful little book gives both relatively well-known and also some very unusual recipes, all made from what can be found in hedgerows, woods and fields. Don't Fidget Pie, Bramble Hat, Mintsorbet and Nettle Beer tickle your appetite and your imagination? Amoret Scott has given each of the five sections on plants an introduction with some very interesting and charming country lore and superstition. I.C.E.J. Collins Handguide to the Wild Animals of Britain and Europe. Nicholas Arnold, Denys Ovenden and Gordon Corbet, Collins (1979), pp 128, £ 3.95. A surprising amount of information has been packed into this attractive small book. Not only does it cover mammals, but also reptiles and amphibia, with a concise paragraph of text about each species accompanied by excellent illustrations on the same or opposite page. Each is shown in colour in its characteristic surroundings. As many are secretive and nocturnal creatures there are also descriptions of tracks and typical traces such as droppings, bones and feeding signs, which can reveal unsuspected wildlife to the careful and informed observer. M.J.M. Animals and Their World. Mary Parker Buckles, Blandford Press (1979), pp 240, £ 8.95. This book is about mammals, not animals in general, a fact that is made clear at the start of the Introduction where the two terms are defined. It seems a pity then to have used the much broader "animals" in the title and misled potential readers. With about 80 excellent colour and 100 black and white photographs this is much more than just a picture book to pick up casually, flick through the pages and put aside. A former staff member of the American National Audubon Society, the author has presented the information in a sound scientific way which adds much to its value as a reference book. A useful double page spread clearly sets out the classification of the Mammalia with examples of each family. The book is arranged in sections dealing with the world's eight main climatic zones which include tropical rain forest, desert, tundra and ocean, accompanied by numerous examples of the typical mammals. Their life patterns and behaviour are described and the way each fits into its ecological niche. Attention is drawn to species which are under threat of extinction in many parts of the world, often as the result of habitat destruction such as the clearance of tropical rain forest in South America. M.J.M. British Freshwater Fishes: The Story of Their Evolution. Len Cacutt, Croom Helm (1979) pp 202, £ 6.95. There are many books on angling and many on the natural history and identification of fishes; but there are few that manage, as this book does, to blend these aspects with an outline of British Freshwater Fish evolution. The author is clearly a keen angler and an angling journalist. He has researched his subject and also written from first hand knowledge with good and interesting effect. The book is illustrated with black and white