Nature

nature A GOOD READ AT CHRISTMAS

LAST DECEMBER I SUGGESTED A FEW BOOKS THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR ANYONE STARTING OUT ON THE STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. THIS YEAR, JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, I THOUGHT I WOULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE SPECIALISED BOOKS

The books I am including are ones that I have found lately, and even purchased, to enable me to look more deeply into the areas of nature that I find interesting, so this article will be a bit more idiosyncratic even than usual.

Two that I found that particularly piqued my interest were “Champignons Comestibles” by Nat Sinob (really?), Mosaique-Santé, at €14.90, and “Guide des 60 Meilleurs Champignons Comestibles” by Eyssartier and Roux, Belin, at €12.50. I have always said that the best fungus guide is “Mushrooms” by Roger Phillips, but that is a fairly weighty tome. These are small enough to be portable, and contain quite a lot of information about the dos and don’ts of looking for edible mushrooms, especially with regard to the French law and approach. You will have to have reasonable reading ability in French. The two books do not completely overlap; the former is more a guide, but with some mouth-watering recipes included, while the latter is more a gourmet approach. Both are very well illustrated. As part of my ongoing mission to keep all my readers safe, I invested in a book called, “Les plantes qui Tuent” by Dauncey and Larsson, Ulmer, ISBN 9782379220319, €32.00. This proved to be a very heavy tome in all senses of the word, with challenging French. Then I discovered it was a French translation of a book in English by the same authors, “Plants that Kill”, Princeton University Press, ISBN 9780691178769. It is priced in dollars, and I have seen it offered for sale at anything between €26 and €40, so shop around. The book is fairly comprehensive, and the English edition is full of information, introducing you to the types of poisons with which plants defend themselves. There is good solid material, but readable, and interspersed with anecdotes and historical instances. A little research in its pages will tell you which of your houseplants is likeliest to kill the cat, and which leaves to avoid when making salad. The illustrations are very good. Sadly, the book barely mentions fungi; but then they aren’t really plants, are they? Besides, as we have already seen, that matter is quite well covered elsewhere. When I was convalescing from surgery some friends gave me a lovely book, “A Sting in the Tail” by Dave Goulson, Vintage, ISBN 9780099575122, £9.99. It is very much one man’s journey into the world of bumblebees, but it gives you all the information you are ever likely to need to know about them in a very readable form. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to anyone starting out or even deep into the subject of Natural History, as it shows the reader how the researcher’s mind works. It is not an identification manual, although it lists at the end the common and Linnaean names of all the bumblebee species, but apart from the cover it is unillustrated. Two bird books now. As far as I know they have not been translated into English, though I’d be happy to be proved wrong. “Rapaces Diurnes et Nocturnes d’Europe”, Paul Böhre and Joris De Raedt, Artemis Editions, ISBN 9782816012446, €25.90 is a superb encyclopaedia of the raptor birds of the continent. Superbly illustrated with detailed paintings of each species, copious detail both written and illustrated, distinguishing features, anatomical details and maps, this is the book for any wouldbe student of birds of prey who has a good grasp of the French language. It includes owls, and reveals the difference between a hibou and a chouette (basically, a hibou has earlike tufts of feathers on its head and a chouette hasn’t). One suggestion for the less-than-bilingual reader; make a list of the English and corresponding Linnaean name of each raptor by reference to an Anglophone bird-book and keep it in the front of this book – it makes a useful cross-reference. “La Migration des Oiseaux” by Maxime Zucca, Editions Sudouest, ISBN 9782817704067, €28.50, covers many and varied migratory birds. The photographs are excellent, the research is detailed, and copious maps show the migration routes that the birds follow, and where they stay. It answers many of the questions that the interested observer might ask, but again a good knowledge of French is essential for full benefit. One bird book that is very familiar to British birdwatchers is the Collins Bird Guide. I have to say that my own edition dates from 1977 and is intended as a field guide – as its title states. However, I learn

A GOOD READ AT CHRISTMAS

By Mike George

Mike George is our regular contributor on wildlife and the countryside in France. He is a geologist and naturalist, living in the Jurassic area of the Charente

that it was extensively revised in 1999, and judging by “Le Guide Ornitho”, Delachaux, ISBN 9782603023938, €32, which claims to be the French version, the revision must have been extensive indeed! The illustrations are the usual excellent paintings, but there are far more of them, showing variants, flying attitudes and profiles, and the distribution maps are more detailed and colourful, and contain far more information than did the old black-and-white ones. I am tempted to seek out an up-to-date English copy, but I have to say that the French in this edition is relatively simple, and should be within the scope of any moderately competent French reader. It is a much heavier book than the old Collins, and really for the serious bird-watcher. I would hesitate to carry it too far!

On the subject of Guide Delachaux, they have recently bought out a stunning butterfly guide, “Guide Pratique des Papillons de France”, ISBN 9782603026786, €39. It really is a book for someone who wants to be a serious lepidopterist. Unlike most French butterfly books, it deals only with butterflies – there isn’t a moth in sight. The first section of the book will tell you all you ever wanted to know about butterflies. Then there are keys to basic recognition, then some 260 species are described (to give you some perspective, Britain has 58 breeding species listed). Each species gets a page to itself, a stunning photograph chosen to show distinguishing characteristics, a key to show the months of adulthood, a map of where it can be found, details of its lifecycle, and code-boxes indicating its weather and habitat preferences, conservation status etc. There is even a “did you know” box for each butterfly, containing a small fact. It is a bit over-thetop if you are just a butterfly-spotter, but if you want to take the subject seriously, and your French reading skills are good, this is the book for you. I must say, though, that the old (1989) Collins New Generation Guide, “Butterflies and Day-flying Moths” by Michael Chinery, ISBN 9780002197878 is an excellent English equivalent if you can find a copy. The illustrations of the specimens are paintings, which can be a bit clearer than a photograph. And it’s in English and, strangely for an English butterfly book, contains quite a few moths! A new book has been published outlining some interesting current research on vertebrate fossils, especially dinosaurs. By Michael J. Benton of Bristol University, with some surprising paintings by Bob Nicholls re-interpreting some familiar dinosaurs, it is “Dinosaurs, new visions of a lost world”, Thames and Hudson (in French translation, “Les Dinosaures, tels qu’ils étaient vraiment”, Ulmer) ISBN 978-2-37922-179-8. It is not too complicated to follow – I am even finding it easy to read in French! Bear in mind, however (in spite of the rather presumptuous French title), that the book is based on speculation and debatable interpretation of minor details. Still, it will give you some background on theories on the origin of feathers and the colour patterns of dinosaurs to augment the information in the articles that appeared in etcetera in May and July this year. Finally, I must bring to your attention a book I truffled out of the back-shelves of a bookshop recently. It is not brand-new (2014) but is a treat for any health-conscious gourmet with a sweet tooth. It is very much only available in French. It is “Grand Traité des Miels” by Isabelle Avisse, published by Editions le Sureau at €34.50. This book will tell you everything you need to know about honey: its history, its types, its uses in medicine, beauty care and cookery. It looks at bees both wild and domestic. It is not copiously illustrated, but what illustrations are there are fascinating and exquisite. And it is an attractive book for your coffee-table. Well, that is a selection of the books that have given me pleasure over the last year. I hope you enjoy them too. May I wish you all again a very happy Christmas and a less-restricted and happy New Year.