WE have had many fine naturalists but never, until now, a really comprehensive account of the island's habitats and wildlife. Expert and enthusiastic, Ireland: A Natural History, By David Cabot (Harpercollins New Naturalist Series, £34.99 Hardback; £17.99 Paperback, both UK prices) is a book for browsing and consulting: a heavyweight present for the ecologically-minded.
Collins Bird Guide, By Killian Mullarney, Lars Svensson, Dan Zetterstrom and Peter J. Grant (Harpercollins, £25 in UK) is another lifetime book: a definitive field-guide to the birds of Ireland And Europe, if a bit robust for the anorak pocket. For bird-watchers at any level of expertise, with superlative paintings By Killian Mullarney .
with the corncrake almost at its last croak, Ireland's Lost Birds By Gordon D'Acy (Four Courts Press, £14.95) is a timely exploration of the history of our Eagles, Goshawks, Cranes and Bitterns, Capercaillie and other vanished birds. It draws some well-considered lessons for today's conservation, and D'Arcy's drawings help to make this a particularly handsome paperback.
One of the most stimulating pop science reads of the year is Almost Like A Whale By Steve Jones (Doubleday, £20 in UK). An English genetics professor of broad intellect and dashing turn of phrase dares to update the the origin of species, using Darwin's own chapter headings and summaries as a scaffold. Next is The Complete Ulster Way By Paddy Dillon (O'Brien Press, £9.99). Celebrate changing times in the north by exploring the island's longest waymarked trail. Dillon follows it through 41 self-contained walks as different as sheep-trails in donegal and towpaths on newry canal.
