AM Shapiro (author) and TD Manolis (illustrator), Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions: California Natural History Guides, University of California Press, 2007, xiv+ 345 pp, Paperback, Sterling£ 12.50, ISBN 13: 978-0-520-24957-8

摘要: This is an eminently pocketable book, not too big to slip into a jacket pocket, and with a reasonably water-resistant cover. The first 81 pages are not really ‘field guide’material, but an excellent overview of butterfly biology and ecology. The text is well written and entertaining with a ‘chatty style’. The classic ‘box’format is used for specific and basic core material. If I have a criticism, quite often it is not clear that the general text has changed to ‘box’text—the fonts are different and there are lines at the top and bottom of the ‘boxes’, but the difference is too subtle and becomes a little irritating. Shapiro takes no hostages and uses technical wording, usually explaining this at first mention and a pretty comprehensive glossary is provided to refresh one’s memory; although some terms do not appear in it. It is tempting to give a running commentary of the sections, but suffice to say it is comprehensive: even covering aspects such …