Old Bird Books.

[Merlin]

I like to rumage through second hand book shops for old bird books, and can't help buying the more quirky or downright incorrect , some of the notables are Birds of Britain - Hamlyn, Graves Garden Birds - Parsimony Press (2000 re-print), Birds of the Countryside - Hutchinson & Co, Bird Book for the Pocket - Oxford University Press and Birds as Indivduals - Collins.
Watch this space I'll scan some of the more interesting bits and upload them to here some are very funny some blatantly inacurate and some just amazing. (Bet you can't wait)
P.S. I have run some of these on WAB about a year ago so if you've already seen them let me know.

[Neil Rigby]

I can't wait – really!

I love books, old ones particularly.

I have a copy of Birds of Europe by J. Lewis Bonhote from 1907.

It has 406 pages with 100 colour plates.

It's a great old bird book!

[Merlin]

Perhaps I should move this to Just for Fun ?

Here we go, this scan is taken from "Birds of Britain" by Maurice Burton, D.Sc. printed by Hamlyn 1st published 1962 this version 1971.
1st Can you name the bird.
2nd Under what name do you think it was listed.

[clydebirder]

It's a Banded Plover (A.K.A. Banded Lapwing) Vanellus tricolor (an Australian Bird !!)

Can't think for the life of me what else they could list it as other than Lapwing

cheers, John

[bassist]

No idea what the bird is.......!but could have been named under plover..!not been cheating honest.......!

[Merlin]

It is indeed a Banded Plover/Lapwing (Australian) but amazingly listed under KENTISH PLOVER. I am reliably in formed by Rob Hume (editor of "Birds" RSPB magazine, though he thought it was an Indian Red Wattled Plover) that this mistake was also in the earlier 1962 version, seems unbelievable that they couldn't correct it in 9yrs. The author Dr Maurice Burton, D.Sc has a prodigious 152 books to his name including the multi volumed International Wildlife Encyclopdia lets hope they employed better proof readers than this little offering.

[clydebirder]

Originally Posted by Merlin

It is indeed a Banded Plover/Lapwing (Australian) but amazingly listed under KENTISH PLOVER. I am reliably in formed by Rob Hume (editor of "Birds" RSPB magazine, though he thought it was an Indian Red Wattled Plover) that this mistake was also in the earlier 1962 version, seems unbelievable that they couldn't correct it in 9yrs. The author Dr Maurice Burton, D.Sc has a prodigious 152 books to his name including the multi volumed International Wildlife Encyclopdia lets hope they employed better proof readers than this little offering.

I would never have dreamed of it being tagged as a Kentish Plover, how on earth did that go unnoticed for 9 years

[Merlin]

Worst thing is this was my book I had from being a kid. Just think how many Kentish Plovers I may have seen and discarded them because they didn't fit the pic .

[Merlin]

Think I've kind of neglected this thread of late so its time to add some more. As I have said I like to rumage through second hand book shops for old bird books, and can't help buying the more quirky or downright incorrect.
This next book "Birds of the Countryside" third edition by Frank Finn B.A. F.Z.S. Published in 1910 by Hutchinson, Is one that might make you feel a little uneasy. To start with most of the pictures are of stuffed posed birds like these Sparrowhawks, or are quite odd as the author had no problem publishing this ill looking Fulmar.

[Merlin]

Another from "Birds of the Countryside" third edition by Frank Finn B.A. F.Z.S. in this case the author must have gone to the local falconry centre to get this picture of a Merlin. If that was not bad enough it would seem a Song Thrush, even though he thinks its a Blackbird kind of shows the measure of the man, must have broke cover and the Merlin pounced on it.
Sorry for the wonky scan.