3 Review(s)

Third in the BNHS series of books after the enchanting Salim Ali's India (1996) and Treasures of Indian Wildlife (2005), this book features paintings and drawings, articles and notes on Indian natural history, from rare sources in the Library collection, and a fresh selection of writings that will excite, edify, and amuse the reader. While including some unique paintings of birds and mammals, the focus of the plates in this book is Himalayanwild flowers. After a section of excerpts from books, and newspaper/journal articles, some of which illustrate the bloodthirsty field sports of previous centuries, the inimitable story of 'How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin' provides a comic interlude. The second half of the book consists of gleanings from the Miscellaneous Notes section of back issues of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, which provide interesting observations and accounts illustrating aspects of animal habits andbehaviour. A valuable addition to the collection of any nature enthusiast, this volume along with the previous ones makes a handsome set, providing hours of reading and visual pleasure.