100 Birds and How They Got Their Names
In this little volume, Wells (100 Flowers and How They Got Their  Names) offers 100 two- to three-page essays that provide brief  but satisfactory descriptions of an individual bird or bird  group (e.g., sparrows, owls, and hawks). Tidbits and trivia, as  well as literary, folkloric, biblical, mythical, or other  references, help explain why a bird is named as it is. Wells  discusses the origin of the scientific name, clarifying the  meaning of the original Latin terminology, and often recounts  who selected the name and why or for whom the bird was named.  Each of the alphabetically arranged entries includes a  black-and-white sketch. There is a satisfying mix of common  birds (e.g., cardinal, crow, and goose) and more exotic species  (e.g., cassowary, bird of paradise, and hoatzin). Especially  well timed with the recent publication of new field guides by  David Sibley and Kenn Kaufman, this volume will make a likable,  but not imperative, addition to public and academic libraries  with ornithological collections. (Index not seen.) Nancy  Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OHCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.