The Nature Magpie: A Cornucopia of Facts, Anecdotes, Folklore and Literature from the Natural World (Icon Magpie)

Cover; Endorsements; Also available in same series; Title page; Copyright information; Dedication; About the author; Contents; Epigraph; Introduction; The Nature Magpie; In the beginning; Species discoveries; Panda diplomacy; Ships of the desert; Hopping around; Making tracks; What is the difference between a?; How long do animals live?; Linnaeus set in order; Magpie myths; Eurasian otter facts; Swiftlet saliva; A home away from home; Expensive aliens; Most wanted invaders; Everglades; Python Challenge ; Is it a bird or a plane?; Bats: horrors or heroes?; Red hot chili peppers.;A collection of anecdotes, facts, figures, folklore and literature, The Nature Magpie is a veritable treasure trove of humanity's thoughts and feelings about nature. Join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, see London Zoo through the eyes of its earliest visitors, consider the regional accents of animals, and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Be amazed by the natural wonders of the world, amused by ancient explanations for earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, and in awe of nature's forms, from majestic mountains t. A collection of anecdotes, facts, figures, folklore and literature, The Nature Magpie is a veritable treasure trove of humanity's thoughts and feelings about nature. Join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, see London Zoo through the eyes of its earliest visitors, consider the regional accents of animals, and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Be amazed by the natural wonders of the world, amused by ancient explanations for earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, and in awe of nature's forms, from majestic mountains to beautiful bacteria. Daniel Allen offers an irresistible addition to any nature lover's book collection. nature,environment,animals,plants Cover 1 Endorsements 2 Also available in same series 3 Title page 4 Copyright information 5 Dedication 6 About the author 7 Contents 8 Epigraph 12 Introduction 13 The Nature Magpie 15 In the beginning 15 Species discoveries 18 Panda diplomacy 20 Ships of the desert 21 Hopping around 23 Making tracks 25 What is the difference between a ...? 29 How long do animals live? 31 Linnaeus set in order 33 Magpie myths 34 Eurasian otter facts 36 Swiftlet saliva 38 A home away from home 40 Expensive aliens 42 Most wanted invaders 43 Everglades 44 Python ChallengeTM 45 Is it a bird or a plane? 48 Bats: horrors or heroes? 48 Red hot chili peppers 51 King of fruits 53 Bathroom fruit 56 Truffles 57 Daffodils 59 Oh, bee hive! 61 Seven natural wonders 61 New7wonders of Nature 63 Danger 64 Schmidt sting pain index 65 Fear 66 Most disliked animals 67 Venom 68 10 ‘deadliest’ snakes 71 Snap! 76 Speaking up for sharks 78 Ambergris 79 Heavenly dew 80 The birth and death of an island 81 We are not alone 82 Bats in Britain 84 Otter spotting in Britain 85 Platypus 88 Cracked it? 90 What’s in a name? 92 Naming tropical storms 94 Conservation movement 96 Endangered 98 Kakapo 99 Biodiversity hotspots 101 Most polluted 104 Biosecurity Britain 105 TB or not TB 108 Roadkill 110 Baiting, fighting, hunting 112 The voyage of H.M.S. Beagle 114 A day at London Zoo with Charles Darwin 114 The Hippopotamus Polka 117 Jumbo mania 120 Soft gold 121 TigerTime 124 Earth Day 126 Earth energy 128 Earthquake fatalities 128 Volcanic eruptions 130 Cloud classification 133 Cloud Appreciation Society 137 Who Likes the Rain? 138 Snow 139 Weather wisdom 142 Great hippocampus question 144 Monkeyana 146 Evolution of evolution 150 Evolution of vertebrates 152 The March of Progress 153 Space race 155 Extreme expeditions 157 Identifying individual turtles 159 Solitude 161 National parks 164 Dam hetch hetchy! 167 Dam 168 Beaver as national symbol 169 Grey owl 172 Go’bbles America 173 The United States of Animals 175 Great Lakes 182 A day in the life of Gilbert White 184 ‘Intestines of the earth’ 187 Dawn chorus 189 Bird song 189 Silent Spring 194 Poison 196 Deadly delicacy 198 Vegetable Lamb of Tartary 200 Oz and them 203 Woolly thinking 205 Holy cow 207 Beef 208 The Cow-Puncher’s Elegy 208 Antlers 211 Shed hunting 213 Healing the mind 214 Healing horses 216 Pet nation 219 Dickin medal 220 Skinny pigs 223 Wild at heart 225 Plant perception 228 Giants of the forest 229 Prometheus 231 Sakura season 232 The future of tree diseases 232 Cloning 237 Extinction 238 Acknowledgements 241 Bibliography 243 Books/articles 243 Websites and online articles 248 A collection of anecdotes, facts, figures, folklore and literature, The Nature Magpie is a veritable treasure trove of humanity’s thoughts and feelings about nature. With acclaimed nature writer Daniel Allen as your guide, join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, choose your side – pineapple or durian – in the great 'king of fruits' debate and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Meet the roadkill connoisseurs, learn to dance the Hippopotamus Polka, find out the likelihood of sharing your name with a hurricane – and much more. With acclaimed nature writer Daniel Allen as your guide, join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, choose your side - pineapple or durian - in the great 'king of fruits' debate and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Meet the roadkill connoisseurs, learn to dance the Hippopotamus Polka, find out the likelihood of sharing your name with a hurricane - and much more."--Back cover