Strange Birds and Their Stories

(London: George G. Harrap, 1938). 8vo; original blue cloth, lettered in gilt on spine; no dustwrapper; pp. xvii + (i) + 203, incl. index; colour frontis. with captioned tissue-guard; plates, incl. colour; line drawings in text. All illustrations by the author. Cloth a little rubbed; backstrip frayed at head and tail; gift inscription to front free endpaper; some moderate foxing and occasional browning. Good condition. Subtitle: "Mysteries of bird life. Migrations. Nesting habits. Birds of beaches and deserts. Winged jewels. Clowns of birddom. Valuable birds. Bird law courts. Bird communists. Flightless birds." From the author's introduction: "In telling these stories of strange birds I have not attempted to dwell upon their importance in relation to mankind, which has nothing to do with their interesting ways, and neither have I attempted to delve into their classification, their distribution or their Latin or scientific names. Instead I have endeavoured to describe the unusual, little known and oftentimes astonishing lives and habits of certain birds of our own country and of distant lands. ... And as far as possible I have confined the stories to birds whose strange habits have come under my personal observation, and have surprised, amused or interested me as greatly as I hope these stories will interest my readers." .