Welsh Journals

precisely placed amongst them, to clarify critical details. The wholly intelligible and skilfully economical text faces the drawings just where you need it. A valiant and, I think, successful, attempt is made to describe songs and dominant calls. Those who have never tried have no idea how difficult it is to derive a lucid transcript. A note-pad is built into the format in exactly the way it is most useful. At long last we have the nearly perfect field guide for Everyman. Author and artist understand exactly how to show what we need to see. With envious enthusiasm I commend their masterpiece to all who want a book about bird identification. John H. Barrett Portrait of a Country Artist: C. F. Tunnicliffe R.A.1901-1979 Ian Niall. Gollancz, London, 1985. 160pp., illus. £ 6.95. ISBN 0 575 03694 X. A poor boy from a small Cheshire farm. Brought up in family love in which all the children found it natural that they had to do their share of the work. Handling and, perhaps without knowing it, enchanted by the animals around him; by indomitable application and accepting guidance, Charles Tunnicliffe made his way through the layers of education into the Royal College of Art. He mastered I mean, he became a master etcher, engraver, painter and draughtsman. Always the countryside and the creatures living in it. Birds ever more dominant. For his last thirty-two years he lived in Anglesey. The critics have gone unanimously before. His work survives. Anglesey's display of their inheritance is seriously overdue. May I quote Keith Shackleton? 'Charles Tunnicliffe has to be the greatest wildlife artist of them all.' So, surely, he is. Alongside Ian Niall's almost memorial text, Gollancz have bound 50 typical coloured and 100 black and white plates, illustrating the range of Tunnicliffe's styles and, therein, the man himself. 'Not a man for parading medals. May be. What need? Here is Tunnicliffe for all to see. John H. Barrett The Pond. Gerald Thompson and Jennifer Coldrey. Principal Photographer, George Bernard. Line illustrations by Gerald Thompson. Collins, London, 1984. 256pp. £ 9.95, Paperback (1985). ISBN 0 00 219287 X. The book that has everything. Superb photography, over 400 colour plates, all specially produced by Oxford Scientific Films, and an excellent text amplified by many clear and attractive diagrams. Within the text is a short, but first class, section on the origins and complexities of biological nomenclature, then an introduction to pond habitats and their ecology. The main bulk of the book is a description of the varied micro and macroscopic flora and fauna of temperate ponds throughout the world. The emphasis is however on British species. Here the photographs illuminate the text in a way which is almost a substitute for the real thing-almost, but of course not quite! There follows a chapter giving advice on sampling and collection of specimens, but due emphasis is also laid on the very real dangers of pond habitat depletion. The book concludes with an excellent, illustrated glossary, and classification tables for all the species illustrated. Even the fly leaves are put to good use, and if you cannot tell a leech from a planarian, or a "damsel" from a "dragon" in the nymphal stage, you need look no further than them. Although this book was never intended to supersede all other pond-life literature, and is much too large for use in the field, it is a truly comprehensive complement to the work of previous authors, in all senses except the very specialist. A book which will perhaps be savoured by those who are already familiar with its subject, even more than by those who seek to learn from it. It is a most valuable addition to any library-albeit the icing on the cake. Marion Herbert The countryside and wildlife for disabled people. A regional access guide to nature reserves, country parks and open spaces throughout the United Kingdom. Compiled by Anthony Chapman. The Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR), London, revised edition, 1985. 392pp., illus. £ 1.00. ISBN 0 900270 32 2. This very well set out compendium is, as its title page informs the reader, 'a regional access guide to nature reserves, country parks and open spaces' throughout the U.K. It makes no attempt to cover facilities for angling or other organised forms of sport. Undoubtedly it gains through the experience of its compiler, who is a disabled person, working for the RSPB. 479 sites are listed, all of which satisfy at least some of those criteria which render them accessible to, and suitable for, people with varying handicaps. The natural attractions of each site are detailed, as well as the facilities offered. Sites are 'star graded' according to their special suitability for disabled visitors. The book also has useful appendices, listing national and regional addresses of those organisations referred to in the text, as well as some Field Study Centres suitable for handicapped people. There is a plethora of leaflets, published by various bodies, setting out the facilities which they provide for disabled people. In the field of informal countryside recreation, this publication has the undoubted advantage of combining all their efforts. An inherent disadvantage of any such compendium is the inevitability of its becoming rapidly out of date. This one has been updated once, and it deserves to be so, on a regular basis. At £ 1.00 it is a very good buy. Its informative yet concise descriptions of the pleasures of each site give more of an anticipatory thrill than many a travel brochure. It must be a tremendous help in planning a holiday, or just a short outing, not only for those for whom it is primarily intended, but also for the many others who take pleasure in the countryside, and want to know where to see what, with easy access from a car park. Marion Herbert River birds. Bird life from mountain stream to estuary. Roger Lovegrove and Philip Snow. Foreword by Tony Soper. Columbus Books, London, 1984. 128pp., illus. £ 10.95. ISBN 0-86287-093-3. This book tells the story of the birds associated with the River Severn from its source, through its upland, lowland and urban reaches, to its estuary. In his account Roger Lovegrove deals with each bird in turn and gives a good deal of information about their nesting, habitats, breeding territories and distribution. The book not only looks at the birds but covers wider topics such as conservation and ecology, highlighting problems that may lie ahead in the future such as those