The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird's Egg
Language: English
Published by Bloomsbury, 2016
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: PEMBERLEY NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS BA, ABA, Iver, United KingdomPEMBERLEY NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS BA, ABA
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xvi, 288, 8 col plates, text illus. . HB. Fine in d/w - as new. 'I think that, if required on pain of death to name instantly the most perfect thing in the universe, I should risk my fate on a bird's egg'Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 1862.First edition. How are eggs of different shapes made, and why are they the shape they are? When does the shell of an egg harden? Why do some eggs contain two yolks? How are the colours and patterns of an eggshell created, and why do they vary? And which end of an egg is laid first - the blunt end or the pointy end?These are just some of the questions this book answers, as the journey of a bird's egg from creation and fertilisation to its eventual hatching is examined, with current scientific knowledge placed within an historical context. Beginning with an examination of the stunning eggs of the guillemot, each of which is so variable in pattern and colour that no two are ever the same, acclaimed ornithologist Tim Birkhead then looks at the eggs of hens, cuckoos and many other birds, revealing weird and wonderful facts about these miracles of nature. Woven around and supporting these facts are extraordinary stories of the individuals who from as far back as Ancient Egypt have been fixated on the study and collection of eggs, not always to the benefit of their conservation.Firmly grounded in science and enriched by a wealth of observation drawn from a lifetime spent studying birds, this book is an illuminating and engaging exploration of the science behind eggs and the history of man's obsession with them. [9781408851258]. …
Seller Inventory # S64729
- Title
- The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird's Egg
- Author
- Birkhead, T.
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury
- Publication year
- 2016
- Condition
- As New
- Dust jacket
- Dust Jacket Included
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1408851253
- ISBN 13
- 9781408851258
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Seller catalogs
- ZOOLOGY,BIRDS
'I think that, if required on pain of death to name instantly the most perfect thing in the universe, I should risk my fate on a bird's egg'
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 1862
How are eggs of different shapes made, and why are they the shape they are? When does the shell of an egg harden? Why do some eggs contain two yolks? How are the colours and patterns of an eggshell created, and why do they vary? And which end of an egg is laid first - the blunt end or the pointy end?
These are just some of the questions A Bird's Egg answers, as the journey of a bird's egg from creation and fertilisation to its eventual hatching is examined, with current scientific knowledge placed within an historical context. Beginning with an examination of the stunning eggs of the guillemot, each of which is so variable in pattern and colour that no two are ever the same, acclaimed ornithologist Tim Birkhead then looks at the eggs of hens, cuckoos and many other birds, revealing weird and wonderful facts about these miracles of nature. Woven around and supporting these facts are extraordinary stories of the individuals who from as far back as Ancient Egypt have been fixated on the study and collection of eggs, not always to the benefit of their conservation.
Firmly grounded in science and enriched by a wealth of observation drawn from a lifetime spent studying birds,A Bird's Egg is an illuminating and engaging exploration of the science behind eggs and the history of man's obsession with them.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Tim Birkhead FRS is an author and biologist, emeritus Professor of Behaviour and Evolution at the University of Sheffield, one of Britain's foremost ornithologists, and a leading light in popular science communication. His professional interests span ornithology, evolution and reproductive biology, as well as the history of science. He is known for his work on both the mating systems of birds and the history of ornithology. He has also led one of the world's best-known long-term research projects, studying the biology and population dynamics of Britain's auks and other seabirds.
Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2004, Tim's awards include the Elliot Coues Medal for outstanding contributions to ornithological research, the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour medal, the BOU's Godman-Salvin Medal, for distinguished ornithological work, the Zoological Society of London's Silver Medal, and the Stephen Jay Gould Prize.
Tim has written or edited 15 books, including four popular science titles published by Bloomsbury - The Wisdom of Birds (2008), Bird Sense (2012), The Most Perfect Thing (2017) and The Wonderful Mr Willughby (Bloomsbury 2018), with his latest work devoted to the life and afterlife of a true icon of extinction, The Great Auk (2024).
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
PEMBERLEY NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS BA, ABA
Iver, United Kingdom
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Pemberley Books - Established 1989. Specialist Natural History Booksellers, providing a mail order service for individual, museums, research institutes, universities and libraries around the world. We supply new, used and antiquarian books on all aspects of natural history, particularly specialising in entomology. We also have a specialist bookshop in Iver (just west of London, close to M25, Iver Rail Station and Heathrow Airport) We list only books which are immediately available from stock on ABE, but can supply many other books to order.…
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