For author M. Scotty Lamkin, a conventional lifestyle at a traditional job was a horribly mundane way to approach life. On January 16, 1979, he arrived in Alaska with fifty dollars in his pocket, two duffel bags, and a backpack. A long way from his Kentucky homeland, Lamkin journeyed to Alaska expecting adventure, and he was not disappointed. Chance Is the Providence of Adventurers narrates many of Lamkin's true-life escapades in Alaska's remote bush country.

In this half-travelogue, half-memoir, Lamkin tells the sometimes funny, sometimes deadly, stories of his experiences as a professional guide and adventurer-waking up a brown bear at close range, sinking a boat in frigid Alaska waters, crashing bush planes, throwing rocks at bears, and experiencing some of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth.

"Chance Is the Providence of Adventurers" offers a glimpse into the flavor of Alaskan life, provides a firsthand view of the wonders of untamed nature and wildlife, and demonstrates the results of taking a chance to change your life.

The deep sea is the last, vast wilderness on the planet. For centuries, myth-makers and storytellers have concocted imaginary monsters of the deep, and now scientists are looking there to find bizarre, unknown species, chemicals to make new medicines, and to gain a greater understanding of how this world of ours works. With an average depth of 12,000 feet and chasms that plunge much deeper, it forms a frontier for new discoveries. The Brilliant Abyss tells the story of our relationship with the deep sea - how we imagine, explore and exploit it. It captures the golden age of discovery we are currently in and looks back at the history of how we got here, while also looking forward to the unfolding new environmental disasters that are taking place miles beneath the waves, far beyond the public gaze. Throughout history, there have been two distinct groups of deep-sea explorers. Both have sought knowledge but with different and often conflicting ambitions in mind. Some people want to quench their curiosity; many more have been lured by the possibilities of commerce and profit. The tension between these two opposing sides is the theme that runs throughout the book, while readers are taken on a chronological journey through humanity's developing relationship with the deep sea. The Brilliant Abyss ends by looking forwards to humanity's advancing impacts on the deep, including mining and pollution and what we can do about them.

An eagerly anticipated addition to the New Naturalist series. The shieldbug is an amazing and beautiful species, rich with diversity in shape, form, size, life history, ecology, physiology and behaviour. But they are not commonly known, outside of specialist circles. Richard Jones’ groundbreaking New Naturalist volume on shieldbugs encourages those enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by the, to date, rather technical literature that has dominated the field, providing a comprehensive natural history of this fascinating and beautiful group of insects.

The new edition of this popular field guide has been fully updated and revised, making it one of the most comprehensive guides to the mammals of the southern African sub-region: Expanded number of smaller mammal species as well as eight of the more abundant sea mammals. An easy-to-use key to identify the mammals. A sketch indicating the size of the mammal in relation to a human profile. Detailed species description, including information on the conservation status, food, sexual dimorphism, life expectancy, enemies, habitat, habits and breeding of 137 of the region's mammal species. More than 200 excellent colour photographs illustrating sexual dimorphism and different subspecies where applicable. For the first time the mammal "calls" can be heard from the pages of this field guide when using the Callfinder (an optional extra). Colour photographs and illustrations of field signs such as droppings and spoors. Updated distribution maps of all the species. Mammal Guide of Southern Africa is a must for every tourist, hiker and nature lover to enjoy at home and when visiting our National Parks and game reserves.

SASOL First Field Guide to Common Birds of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the birdlife of the region.

With the help of full-colour photo graphs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common bird species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and nesting habits.

Sasol First Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the wild animals of the region.

Through full-colour photographs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the beginner and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common mammal species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and breeding habits.

‘Steve Brusatte, the author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, brings mammals out from the shadow of their more showy predecessors in a beautifully written book that . . . makes the case for them as creatures who are just as engaging as dinosaurs.’ – The Sunday Times, ‘Best Books For Summer’ 'In this terrific new book, Steve Brusatte . . . brings well-known extinct species, the sabre-toothed tigers and the woolly mammoths, thrillingly back to life' – The Times The passing of the age of the dinosaurs allowed mammals to become ascendant. But mammals have a much deeper history. They – or, more precisely, we – originated around the same time as the dinosaurs, over 200 million years ago; mammal roots lie even further back, some 325 million years. Over these immense stretches of geological time, mammals developed their trademark features: hair, keen senses of smell and hearing, big brains and sharp intelligence, fast growth and warm-blooded metabolism, a distinctive line-up of teeth (canines, incisors, premolars, molars), mammary glands that mothers use to nourish their babies with milk, qualities that have underlain their success story. Out of this long and rich evolutionary history came the mammals of today, including our own species and our closest cousins. But today’s 6,000 mammal species - the egg-laying monotremes including the platypus, marsupials such as kangaroos and koalas that raise their tiny babies in pouches, and placentals like us, who give birth to well-developed young – are simply the few survivors of a once verdant family tree, which has been pruned both by time and mass extinctions. In The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, palaeontologist Steve Brusatte weaves together the history and evolution of our mammal forebears with stories of the scientists whose fieldwork and discoveries underlie our knowledge, both of iconic mammals like the mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers of which we have all heard, and of fascinating species that few of us are aware of. For what we see today is but a very limited range of the mammals that have existed; in this fascinating and ground-breaking book, Steve Brusatte tells their – and our – story.

This new edition of Sasol First Field Guide to Butterflies & Moths of Southern Africa has been fully updated and revised, bringing it in line with the most recent developments in field. It also features new images of all the species and families covered, facilitating quick, easy and accurate identification.

With the help of the full-colour photo graphs and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common butterfl ies and moth groups found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique behaviour and unusual features.

Originally published in 1920 when collecting bird's egss was a legal and accepted pastime for young and old. The author was a true countryman and sporting gentleman with a great knowledge and much experience of British birds and their ways.Contents Include: Where and when to look equipment climbing egg collections records the birds, their nests and eggs, and their breeding habits observation haunts nesting calendar many illustrations of of eggs and nests etc. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.Keywords: British Birds Eggs Farm Books Countryman 1900s Pastime Gentleman Illustrations Observation Egg Artwork Collections

Get the perfect coffee-table book for birders and nature lovers, pairing naturalist knowledge with beautiful watercolor paintings. This is the bird book for people who love birds! Naturalist, watercolorist, and debut author Jenny deFouw Geuder combines her vast knowledge of birds, wildflowers, and nature with her artistic expertise to create a book like no other. Drawn to Birds presents more than 120 beautiful watercolor paintings, along with Jenny's fascinating insights that add unique appeal to each page. Drawn to Birds begins with an introduction to bird anatomy, as well as details about nests, eggs, and migration. From there, more than 50 different bird species are showcased, with the watercolors divided into groups like backyard birds, raptors, and wetland birds. As an added bonus, there's a section dedicated to insects and wildflowers. You'll appreciate Jenny's tips on how to welcome birds to your yard and how to become a naturalist. Being a naturalist is about more than simply stopping to smell the flowers. It's about observation and making a record. Pause and notice the shapes, colors, and patterns around you. Jenny's goal is to inspire you to try your own hand at being a naturalist! She also includes step-by-step guides for drawing, painting, and inking your own pictures. Anyone can be an artist. Be brave, try it out, and keep noticing the marvels around you. Extra pages for journaling and sketching make this book a keepsake to cherish forever. If you enjoy birding, gardening, or the great outdoors, Drawn to Birds belongs in your book collection. Get one for yourself, and give one as a gift!

Canary breeding is a hugely popular hobby, and one that surpasses most hobbies, in that the amateur can very quickly, with knowledge and experience, excel as a breeder and exhibitor of the different varieties known to the canary fancy. This is a highly detailed and comprehensive guide to breeding and showing canaries, complete with a wealth of illustrations.Contents Include: Canary Keeping as a Hobby Aviaries, Cages and Fittings Breeding and General Management Moulting and Colour Feeding Diseases and Their Treatment Seeds and Their Uses Exhibiting The Belgian The Scots Fancy The Yorkshire The Lancashire The Dutch Frill The Crested Norwich The Norwich Plainhead The Lizard The Cinnamon The Border Fancy The London Fancy The Roller Fancy Lesser-Known Varieties Keywords: Canary Breeding Scots Fancy Norwich Moulting Aviaries Frill Canaries Exhibitor Comprehensive Guide Lancashire Lizard Cinnamon Yorkshire Illustrations Seeds Diseases

Well over 300 freshwater fish species found in the region’s rivers, lakes and dams feature in this fully revised third edition of Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Updated and expanded, this definitive guide includes newly described species, the latest taxonomic changes, new photographs and illustrations, and updated distribution maps.

An in-depth introduction, supported by explanatory illustrations and photographs, covers:

• a short history of fish science in the region
• ecoregions in which species occur
• anatomy, biology and ecology of fishes
• human impacts on fishes
• conservation status
• new understanding of evolutionary relationships between different fish groups.

The book also includes:

• succinct descriptions of large taxonomic groups of fish, with global distribution charts
• detailed species accounts covering size, identification features, distribution, biology, ecology, conservation, and uses by humans
• full-colour illustrations and up-to-date distribution maps for each species.

An invaluable tool for anglers, students and academics in the field, and conservationists

Jonathan Kingdon, one of the world's foremost authorities on African mammals, has both written and illustrated this landmark field guide. The unique combination of his extensive field experience and artistic talent has produced a stunning work that sets new standards. The concise text provides full information on identification, distribution, ecology, relationships and conservation status, with introductory profiles that summarise the characteristics of each mammal group. All known species of African land mammal are covered, with coverage of several of the more complex groups of small mammals simplified by reference to genera. Classification has been fully updated and this new edition includes many newly recognised species. With over 780 colour illustrations, numerous line drawings and more than 520 maps, this book will be an essential companion to anyone visiting Africa or with an interest in the mammals of the continent. Competition note: There are regional mammal books covering southern Africa, for example, but none that covers the whole continent in a portable format. The smaller-format and more concise Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals may be more appealing to a more general safari market, but is much less comprehensive and more out of date.

Learn how to paint birds in watercolour without even trying! Using a simple ten-step process, learn how to draw a basic outline starting with simple shapes, then add washes of colour and fine details to complete your work. Arranged in three chapters based on skill level, this book features 25 lovely projects, each showing you how to paint a bird in ten steps. There are paint swatches for every bird, showing you the colours you need to mix for each step and the finished painting serves as a reference to guide you. It couldn't be easier! Also included is a useful techniques section at the beginning, and clever painting tips from the author throughout the book. With birds as diverse as an Atlantic puffin, a barn owl, a hummingbird and a bald eagle, there is plenty to choose from and practise with, to develop your skills.