Jobling published a similar work with OUP in the early 1990s. It wasn't 432
pp but I suppose Helm could have reprinted it with a larger typeface and
margins :-)
It would be interesting to know what relation the two works have to each
other (expanded edition, or just a reprint). I have the earlier work and
it's excellent.
John Leonard
On 19/01/2010 1:27pm, Margaret Cameron <> wrote:
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
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