Home

Books
AudioBooks

subscription titles

Book
Audio
Photos
Reviews
Comments
Quotes

Add book

Book

the ornithology of the straits of gibraltar

by leonard howard l irby

Outdoors & Nature » Ecology

Added by: Michael B. Co...

Users who like this book

txt fb2 rtf pdf epub pdb mobi

Description:

Under the above title, rather more than twenty years ago, Col. Irby produced a modest little octavo volume which at once secured a high position in ornithological literature. It treated of the natural history of the north - western portion of Morocco, from Tangier southwards to a little beyond Larache, and for about twelve miles inland, beyond which excursions were in those days difficult, not to say dangerous; while on the Spanish side the area embraced was far wider, comprising the country between Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga, Granada, Cordova, Seville, and down the Guadalquivir to the great marshy delta of that river. Birds, their habits and modification, with the dates of arrival and departure in the case of migrants the results of several years' experience formed the principal feature; but there was a great deal of valuable information about mammals, reptiles, and other subjects in the work, and it became a handbook for the naturalist traveler in the South as much as the book of reference for the student at home.

get subscription

Read an excerpt:

...while the foundation contained 76 more, the total weight of the stones being 4lb. Then there are some valuable bits of in- formation respecting the names of birds, illustrating Arab superstitions, as in the passage referring to the white owl which is too long to quote and that on the lap- wing. We always wondered why the latter bore the trivial name Judia in Spain (El Thudi in Morocco), but it appears that " the superstitious Arabs believe that these birds are Jews changed into the shape of birds, and also believe that they retain all their Israelitish characteristics, even wear- ing the black Hebrew skull-cap. " And with this we close our notice, having, we trust, said enough to show that a book, although technical, is not necessarily dry. BEARDED VULTURE. Gypaetus barbatus. Ad. Litho. W. Greve, Berlin. THE ORNITHOLOGY OF THE STBAITS OF GIBRALTAR BY LIEUT. -COLONEL L. HOWARD L. IRBY, F. L. S. , // LATE SF. VENTY-FOt'RTH HIGHLANDERS. SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. WITH AN...