SCIENCES

The Dodo and the Solitaire: A Natural History

by Jolyon C. Parish
Indiana Univ. (Life of the Past). 2012. 432p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780253000996. $75; ebk. ISBN 9780253001030. NAT HIST
COPY ISBN
Paleobiologist Parish presents a tour de force examination of two birds that have been extinct for approximately 400 years. Written in comprehensive detail, it is dense with an amazing amount of history, references, facts, maps, and illustrations. Parish examines written accounts of Europeans who observed the few specimens sent back by European explorers, texts by the explorers themselves, and the islands the birds inhabited. He discusses illustrations (engravings, paintings, and more), including depictions of the birds as well as aspects of their anatomy. The author also carefully identifies conflicts in the documentation and errors and misunderstandings about both birds.
VERDICT The level of detail and frequent citations included within the text slow the reading; it's possible to lose the story for the detail. Recommended for a scholarly audience serious about investigating the dodo and the solitaire.
Reviewed by Michael D. Cramer, Schwarz BioSciences, Research Triangle Park, NC , Feb 01, 2013
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