Description
Book SynopsisThe Lapwing once had many regional names; the Loon has a British-American identity crisis and the respectable-sounding Apostlebird is often called a Lousy Jack. Why do bird names, both common and scientific, change over time and why do they vary so much between different parts of the English-speaking world? Wandering through the scientific and cultural history of ornithology takes us to the heart of understanding the long relationship between birds and people.
Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks uncovers the stories behind the incredible diversity of bird names, explains what many scientific names actually mean and takes a look at the history of the system by which we name birds. Ray Reedman explores the natural history and folklore behind bird names, in doing so unlocking the mystery of the name Scoter, the last unexplained common name of a British bird species.
Trade Review...Reedman’s book on the ‘how and why of bird names’ makes for good reading; informative, sassy, and here and there argumentative. Reedman does not refrain from giving his opinion about bird names and this just adds to the spice of the book. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, as I have done.
-- Harry F. Recher * Pacific Conservation Biology *
It is a playful, well informed personal meander through the technical stuff of ornithological nomenclature, explaining how and why bird names have evolved as they have. Yet it is also a book that takes pleasure in the ideals that humans have entertained about nature, and also in the delightful serendipity that has been at play when birds were christened.
-- Mark Cocker * Birdwatch magazine *
... an eventful journey spanning the full spectrum from Greek mythology, through Chaucer to the undergarments of Queen Isabella. [...] It is an exceptional reminder of how much linguistic diversity, heritage and history is hidden in our bird names.
-- Jurij Hanžel * Acrocephalus *
The work of Reedman was very extensive, he explored the confusions and contradictions in the naming of birds, involving about 10,000 species, but also the ongoing discoveries of ornithologists, the fashions of an age, the passions and opinions of individuals that were causes and effects of so many names. To read nearly 300 pages of this book is very easy and the contents show the very deep research carried out by the author in consulting many bibliographic sources, certainly more than those reported in the book, and present in his library. This very nice book deserves to be present in the library of the inquisitive scientist.
-- Bruno Massa * Avocetta *
[A] very content-rich, informative and enjoyable book, well worth seeking out for those birdwatchers who are curious about naming etymologies.
-- Lennart Nilsson * Anser - ornithological journal *
This new book by Ray Reedman is a delightful addition to this subject, combining Ray’s love of birds, language and history... A fascinating read.
-- Derek Toomer * BTO About Birds *
He writes as a birder, but also, as is very evident, as a man whose professional life has revolved around languages and literature, and I fear that in trying not to create a serious work of reference he has failed! I think I shall go back to this book again and again.
-- Mike Everett * British Birds *
A book you’ll keep picking up to discover more.
-- Kelly Brenner * The Metropolitan Field Guide *
These stories are narrative natural history at its finest! I don’t mean to be cliché, but if I’m honest, I have to say that one of the things I find most appealing about how the British approach natural history is their uncanny ability to make it simultaneously erudite and homey. ... Whether for education, reference, or simple personal enjoyment, Ray Reedman’s Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks is a book that should most certainly be added to the libraries of naturalists, birders, and the generally curious. Its rich and well-composed content will well merit repeated reading – both in part and in full (indeed, I have already found myself repeatedly returning to its pages after my own first reading of it). Furthermore, it will stand the test of time, for even when some of the names Reedman explains have since changed (and as he so well explains, they someday will), Lapwings will remain as a point of reference to what – and more importantly why – they once were.
-- Johannes E. Riutta * The Well-read Naturalist *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Historical Perspectives
Roots and routes
Widening horizons
Frameworks
The milestones
Developments before Linnaeus
Linnaeus and the Linnaean System
The evolution of formal English names
Inside the System
The matrix
Classic deviations
The names behind the names
Things in their place
Cardinal points
And the scientists didn’t always do so well
Warts and all
The names and the stories
New Horizons
North American names - Crossing the Great Divide
Australian names - Let’s go fossicking
Trinidadian names – The Tropical Trail
Journey’s End
Appendix: The Legends behind the Names
Bibliography
