Naturalist

California's San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys and the nearby Sierra Nevada Foothills are host to abundant, varied, and often surprising plants and wildlife. This fully illustrated guide pairs over seven hundred meticulous line drawings with descriptions of the birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, invertebrates, plants, and fungi that make the Central Valley and Foothill Regions their home. Like a ranger-led nature walk, each species receives a lively overview; readers will learn about freshwater jellyfish, mushrooms that decompose railroad ties, handstanding spotted skunks, salt-shedding pickleweed—not to mention insects.

This book explores the life of Robert Lyall, surgeon, botanist, voyager, British Agent to the court of Madagascar. Born the year of the French Revolution, Lyall grew up in politically radical Paisley, Scotland, before studying medicine, in Edinburgh, Manchester, and subsequently St. Petersburg, Russia.

Summary: If you've read most of his other books
Durrell seems incapable of writing a bad book - his ever-so-lively wittiness and ability to describe different people and animals in a funny way are truly amazing!

So, this is a good book - not quite as breathtaking as his masterpieces ("My Family And Other Animals", "The Garden Of The Gods", "A Zoo In My Luggage" and others), but certainly amusing. Durrell describes, to quote him, "how to shoot an amateur naturalist" - in other words, how nature likes to treat people that try to film it (throw in some human nature and you should have a clear picture). This is one of his books written later than the most popular ones, so he is accompanied by his second wife, Lee, instead of Jackie (whom I'd grown quite fond of).

There's not much more I can tell you if you're familiar with Durrell - because, if you are, you'll probably read this book and all the others as soon as you get your hands on them. That's what a sensible person would do…

This book explores the life of Robert Lyall, surgeon, botanist, voyager, British Agent to the court of Madagascar. Born the year of the French Revolution, Lyall grew up in politically radical Paisley, Scotland, before studying medicine, in Edinburgh, Manchester, and subsequently St. Petersburg, Russia.