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The countryside handbook
98
Book reviews
The Biology of Butterflies. Edited by R. I. Vane-Wright and P. R. Ackery. Academic Press, for the Royal Entomological Society, London. 1984. 429pp. ISBN 0 12 713750 5. Price: $60.00. This volume, aptly dedicated to E.B. Ford, is the report on the l lth Symposium of the Royal Entomological Society. There are 52 contributors representing several different countries but mostly British and American. The papers are arranged in eight sections beginning with Systematics. Part II, on Populations and Communities, begins with a long paper by Paul Ehrlich which ranges over many aspects of butterfly biology. It ends with a short contribution by Ernest Pollard on his methods of estimating butterfly abundance by transect counts which cause no disturbance to the insects. Part III, on the Food of Butterflies, includes some interesting ideas but they are limited to relatively few species in a few areas. Part IV, on Predation, Parasitisation and Defence, reflects the great interest in these subjects and the reader will find a good deal of useful information and much to think about. Genetic Variation and Speciation, and Sex and Communication, are dealt with in Parts V and VI, and Part VII, on Migration and Seasonal Variation, begins with a thoughtful essay by Robin Baker and is followed by three papers on polyphenism which, it is said, is common in all climates with pronounced seasonality. Part VIII, on Conservation, includes three papers, of which two are short, on volcanic activity and Lepidoptera, and the threats to the survival of the birdwing butterfly Ornithoptera alexandrae. The final paper is a very comprehensive and detailed study of British butterflies, causes of their decline and prospects for survival in the future. This is a model for entomologists in other countries. This book was compiled by professionals mainly for other professionals but amateur entomologists should not hesitate to consult it nor should invertebrate ecologists of all types.
E.D. The Countryside Handbook. Edited by Alan Rogers, John Blunden and Nigel Curry. Croom Helm, London. 1985.98 pp. ISBN 0 7099 1948 4. Price: £5.95. The Changing Countryside. Edited by John Blunden and Nigel Curry. Croom Helm, London. 1985.269 pp. ISBN 0 7099 3297 9. Price: £11.95.
Book reviews
The Biology of Butterflies. Edited by R. I. Vane-Wright and P. R. Ackery. Academic Press, for the Royal Entomological Society, London. 1984. 429pp. ISBN 0 12 713750 5. Price: $60.00. This volume, aptly dedicated to E.B. Ford, is the report on the l lth Symposium of the Royal Entomological Society. There are 52 contributors representing several different countries but mostly British and American. The papers are arranged in eight sections beginning with Systematics. Part II, on Populations and Communities, begins with a long paper by Paul Ehrlich which ranges over many aspects of butterfly biology. It ends with a short contribution by Ernest Pollard on his methods of estimating butterfly abundance by transect counts which cause no disturbance to the insects. Part III, on the Food of Butterflies, includes some interesting ideas but they are limited to relatively few species in a few areas. Part IV, on Predation, Parasitisation and Defence, reflects the great interest in these subjects and the reader will find a good deal of useful information and much to think about. Genetic Variation and Speciation, and Sex and Communication, are dealt with in Parts V and VI, and Part VII, on Migration and Seasonal Variation, begins with a thoughtful essay by Robin Baker and is followed by three papers on polyphenism which, it is said, is common in all climates with pronounced seasonality. Part VIII, on Conservation, includes three papers, of which two are short, on volcanic activity and Lepidoptera, and the threats to the survival of the birdwing butterfly Ornithoptera alexandrae. The final paper is a very comprehensive and detailed study of British butterflies, causes of their decline and prospects for survival in the future. This is a model for entomologists in other countries. This book was compiled by professionals mainly for other professionals but amateur entomologists should not hesitate to consult it nor should invertebrate ecologists of all types.
E.D. The Countryside Handbook. Edited by Alan Rogers, John Blunden and Nigel Curry. Croom Helm, London. 1985.98 pp. ISBN 0 7099 1948 4. Price: £5.95. The Changing Countryside. Edited by John Blunden and Nigel Curry. Croom Helm, London. 1985.269 pp. ISBN 0 7099 3297 9. Price: £11.95.