Selous' book can be accessed for free through Project Gutenberg -
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50175.
Regards
Alison
On 01/01/2025 21:14, Kevin Windle via Canberrabirds wrote:
> Thank you, David and all, for your comments on Russell McGregor's /
> Enchantment by Birds/ and my review of same. It is indeed a fascinating
> book. Re the term 'birdwatching', McGregor cites the following source:
> Edmund Selous, /Bird Watching/, Dent, London, 1901.
>
> I haven't read Selous's book, but McGregor says that it 'explicitly
> offered watching as a civilised alternative to the "monstrous and
> horrible" practice of collecting.'
>
> I should, of course, have checked the OED myself for the history of
> usage, but I tend to agree with John: those early examples refer to a
> rather different activity from that described by Selous.
>
> Happy New Year to all,
>
> Kevin
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Canberrabirds <>
> on behalf of David McDonald (Personal) <>
> *Sent:* 01 January 2025 18:15
> *To:*
> <>
> *Subject:* Re: [Canberrabirds] First use of the term 'birdwatching' in
> English
>
> Thanks John, you make good points.
>
> Re accessing the OED, as you probably know, some years ago, when the
> previous Cth govt starved the National Library (along with other
> national cultural institutions) of funds, the Library was forced to
> cancel its subscription. Great news, however: their improved funding
> position means that they have now resubscribed. Access it via eResources
> _https://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources <https://www.nla.gov.au/app/
> eresources>_
>
> Best wishes – David
>
> *From:* Canberrabirds <>
> *On Behalf Of *calyptorhynchus via Canberrabirds
> *Sent:* Wednesday, 1 January 2025 5:49 PM
> *To:*
> *Subject:* Re: [Canberrabirds] First use of the term 'birdwatching' in
> English
>
> Hi David
>
> I suggest that those OED entries in fact refer to other things than
> bird-watching in the modern sense.
>
> The 1712 entry refers to augury via sightings of birds
>
> The other two entries referring to bird-watchers are to individuals
> (usually small children) posted in fields to scare birds away from newly
> planted seeds, or crops that are coming to fruition. (The poet John
> Clare was often employed in this capacity when young as he was very
> small and not strong enough to do anything else, and he nearly froze to
> death several times doing it in wintry weather).
>
> I access the OED through the ACT Library system, but ever since the OED
> has had a face-lift my ACT Libraries credentials have been rejected and
> so I can't consult it online to make sure that is what it is referring
> to, but those are my guesses.
>
> cheers and Happy New Year
>
> John L
>
> On Wed, 1 Jan 2025 at 16:49, David McDonald (Personal)
> < <>_> wrote:
>
> Many thanks to the editors of and contributors to the current—Dec.
> 2024—issue of /Canberra Bird Notes/. Another fascinating and
> informative issue.
>
> Kevin Windle’s fine review of Russell McGregor’s /Enchantment by
> birds…/ makes me want to rush out and purchase it without delay!
> Though I note Kevin’s informing us that McGregor states that
> ‘Birdwatching is a fairly recent recreational activity; the term was
> coined only in 1901 (p. 59)’.
>
> A quick check of the Oxford English Dictionary suggests otherwise:
>
> * Birdwatching: ‘1846 It appears that the little fellow was
> employed in ‘bird-watching’ in a field adjoining the sea. N.
> Devon Journal 19 March
> * Birdwatcher: ‘1712 /Auspex/ does not signify a /Favourer/ or /
> Promoter/ of any Work or Undertaking, but a /Soothsayer/, a /
> Consulter/ of /Omens/, a /Bird-watcher/, whenever it is applied
> to Person’. /W. Oldisworth in translation of Horace, Odes vol.
> II. i. vii. Notes upon Notes 34/1
> /Birdwatcher: ‘1803 Pictures of the lonely bird-watcher and of
> the hay-field group contrasted.’ /J. Kenney, Society, with Other
> Poems 41/
>
> Still, the book sounds great. Thanks for such an interesting review,
> Kevin.
>
> David
>
> --
>
> David McDonald
>
> 1004 Norton Road, Wamboin NSW 2620, Australia
>
> Mobile: 0416 231 890 | Tel: (02) 6238 3706
>
> E-mail: <>_
>
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> John Leonard
> Canberra
> Australia
> _www.jleonard.net <http://www.jleonard.net/>_
>
> Make nature great again.
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