Hello all,
My copy of The New Atlas arrived last Thursday........phhhhheeeew......that's a
relief!
Now I have to work out how to use it.
The 'old' Atlas seemed logical to me but I suspect I need to learn a new logic?
I do wonder why some of the entries in the Uncommon and Vagrant Species section
were not put in the
Species Accounts section instead.
Surely we would accept that such species as Garganey, Little Stint, Red-rumped
Swallow (to name a
few) are going to continue to be recorded on the Australian Mainland on a
regular, if not often,
basis?
And I don't understand why the records for the Off-shore Islands and
Territories didn't receive the
same degree of prominence as the records for the mainland.
Regulars on this forum will be aware that there is a small band of very keen
birders who seem
extremely desperate for that sort of information.
Perhaps the reason is laid out in the text but I have only found a statement
and not an explanation.
On the illustrations:
I note there has been some minor criticism of some of the drawings.
I haven't been able to find the names of the critics in the list of artists so
I can only presume
that:
- Like me, either because of lack of talent or not wishing to upstage the
'pros', they didn't
contribute;
- There was an error in the printing and their names were left off the list;
- They contributed anonymously or under a pseudonym.
Without knowing the background of the artists or the artwork, I would
personally be reluctant to
criticise.
Considering the 'philosophy' of the book, I am just grateful that the
'vignettes' are there to help
brighten-up what would otherwise be a rather esoteric and essentially austere
tome.
The only real criticism I have of the New Atlas is that it is a different
format book to the
'original' atlas and doesn't 'match' that earlier edition when the two are
placed together in my
bookshelf.
Geez!! Life can deal out some cruel blows!!
Seriously though..........
Thanks BA.
A job well done.
Cheers,
Bob Inglis
Woody Point
Queensland
Australia
http://users.tpg.com.au/inglisrc (note new web-site URL)
(note new e-mail address)
Birding-Aus is now on the Web at
www.birding-aus.org
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
