Further Details

Title: A Conspiracy of Ravens
Condition: New
EAN: 9781851244096
ISBN: 9781851244096
Publisher: Bodleian Library
Format: Hardback
Type: Hardback
Release Date: 12/09/2014
Item Height: 170mm
Item Length: 110mm
Illustrator: Thomas Bewick
Contributor: Thomas Bewick (Illustrated by), Bill Oddie (Foreword by)
Language: English
Subtitle: A Compendium of Collective Nouns for Birds
ISBN-10: 1851244093
Country/Region of Manufacture: GB
Author: Bill Oddie
Genre: Language & Reference
Topic: Home Garden & Pets
Release Year: 2014
Description: ‘A murder of crows’, ‘a charm of goldfinches’, ‘an ostentation of peacocks’: collective nouns for British birds have existed since at least the mid fifteenth century. They are thought to originate in texts about hunting, but have since evolved into evocative, witty and literary expressions, each striving to capture the very essence of the animal they describe.Some are portentous – ‘a conspiracy of ravens’ perfectly evokes this sinister bird – others convey sound, such as ‘a murmuration of starlings’ or ‘a chattering of choughs’. Yet more reflect with a flourish the beauty of the bird itself: what could be more celebratory than ‘a crown of kingfishers’, or ‘an exaltation of larks’?The best of these imaginative expressions are collected here, illustrated with charming woodcuts by Thomas Bewick, the renowned naturalist engraver of the eighteenth century. Featuring songbirds, aquatic birds, birds of prey and garden favourites, this beautifully presented book will delight both bird-lovers and word-lovers in equal measure.

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