New Book About Scientific Names of Bird Species

["Margaret Cameron" <>]

I have bought this book (Jobling's Helm dictionary of scientific bird names) 
from Andrew Isles already, and it is terrific. It says it has some 20,000 
entries. It does not only have "the generic and specific name for  almost 
every species of bird in the world and ...its meaning and  derivation. In 
the case of eponyms brief biographical details are  provided for each of the 
personalities commemorated in the scientific names. " It explains variations 
(and errors) in spelling. It tells the stories of Greek and Latin gods etc 
whose names have inspired bird names and explains or speculates why. There 
are sometimes little anecdotes, for example about the discovery of a bird, 
or about one ornithologist's opinion of another's choice of name. And more! 
Just reading the longer entries is an entertainment.
I recommend it!
Margaret


Margaret Cameron
2 Cintra Street
Eastern Heights, Qld
Australia 4305
07 3282 9151