The Lake District: Book 53 (Collins New Naturalist Library) - Hardcover

Pearsall, W. H.; Pennington, W.

9780007308347: The Lake District: Book 53 (Collins New Naturalist Library)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007308345 ISBN 13: 9780007308347

Publisher: Collins, 2009

Covering the natural and human history of the Lake District National Park and adjoining areas. An authorative study for specialists, but also a book that is irresistable to walkers and amateur naturalists who care about an area so unique and vulnerable. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com

Between the Morcambe and the Solway sands lies this region of unique beauty, spectacular in the stark grandeur of its mountains; the lakes themselves - varying from Derwentwater and Windermere with their gentle shores and wooded islands, to scree-bordered Wastwater; the sheer crags of volcanic Scafell and Great Gable contrasting with the softer northern slates of Skiddaw and Blencathra; the coastal strip of limestone, sandstone and boulder clay with its deep piercing estuaries; the grassy uplands and lovely dales, and the steep, dark fells of Kentmere and Shap to the east.

This book covers the natural and human history of the both the Lake District National Park and adjoining areas - their landscape, geology and glaciation; the bird, fish, insect and invertebrate fauna of lakes and tarns; the flora and fauna of becks and rivers; climate; soil and soil history; the ecology of woodlands, mountains, and fells and dales - the three main types of Lakeland habitat. The human history of the Lake District is traced from pre-history through the centuries to the present day, on the evidence of the archaeologist, the historian and the conservationist.

Professor Pearsall, one of the most distinguished ecologists of our time, died in 1964. He left notes prepared for this book which his friend and colleague, Dr Winifred Pennington (Mrs T G Tutin), a member of staff and the Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside, and teacher of botany at Leicester University, was able to use together with the help of experts on different aspects of the Lake District in writing this comprehensive book.

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Synopsis:

This highly individual volume in the New Naturalist series is about neither plants, animals nor other creatures, but about their names and about words which have their origin in nature. Pedigree traces the origins of speech itself and the evolution of language, particularly English which, based on several dozen different languages, has by far the richest vocabulary of all modern languages. This richness is reflected in the varied bases of the names of plants, birds and animals. There are plants named according to their characteristics; animals according to their movements, habits, physique and colour; and birds according to their songs, sex, scent and size. Conversely, much of our daily vocabulary incorporates words from nature, both obvious - porcupine (see page169) and not so obvious - London cab (see page 243); from the names and characteristics of animals familiar, and legendary; from primitive agriculture, astrology and astronomy, from seafaring and hunting. There are measurements derived from anatomy, diseases from astrology and remedies from plants.Pedigree itself (page 20) is from pied de grue - a crane's foot, of which the three wide spread toes suggest a genealogical "tree"; while the crane's pointed bill is seen in the seed-pods of Geranium species such as our Meadow Cranesbill. Stephen Potter is already celebrated for his wit as the author of Lifemanship and One-Upmanship. After his death, Laurens Sargent, a well-known amateur philologist, transformed his scholarly notes into this original and fascinating book.

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