24 HAE ASU DU BOON DU se eine 
BOOK REVIEW 
AUDUBON’S WILDLIFE, by Edwin Way Teale. The Viking Press, Inc, 
625 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. 10022. viii plus 256 pages; 113 plates 
(28 in full color) plus numerous text halftones. October 1964; $15.00. 
One’s first impression of this sizeable book (9 x 11% inches) is that 
it demanded publication — a condensed version of Audubon’s written works’ 
and paintings, compiled by one of the outstanding literary stylists among 
American nature writers — Edwin Way Teale. The subtitles are: “A New 
Look at the Birds and Mammals ... with selections from the writings of 
John James Audubon.’ Here, in dramatic (albeit too often black-and- 
white) reproduction, aided by highly competent printing, the work of the 
pioneer artist-naturalist has been distilled into a form that can be held in 
the hand, rather than admired from a distance. 
In effect, this volume gives you close-up impressions of portions of 
Audubon’s original elephant folios, for the reproductions are in the same 
size as his actual paintings. The fine drafting skill, the minute detail, the 
delicate engraving techniques of Audubon are sharply denicted. I, for one, 
wish that all of the drawings could have been reproduced in their original 
colors — but only Audubon was able to publish his works with no regard 
for costs. 
The material in the present book comes from three of Audubon’s 
best-known publications: the monumental BIRDS OF AMERICA, the five- 
vclume ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY, and THE VIVIPAROUS QUAD- 
RUPEDS OF NORTH AMERICA, which Audubon did not live to complete. 
Mr. Teale has divided the text into five chapters: Woods, Fields, end 
Brushland; Marsh and Swamp; Lake and River; Prairie, Desert, and 
Mountain; Sea and Shore. Each division contains drawings and disserta- 
tions on the birds and mammals portrayed in that ecological category. Mr. 
Teale prefaces each section with a brief introduction, and follows with 
descriptions of the wildlife as given in Audubon’s writings, chiefly THE 
ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY, although I noted one excerpt from THE 
MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS. Before each series of plates Mr. Teale 
has added his own short paragraphs of recent data about the species shown. 
In a final footnote, ‘““Wildlife Since Audubon,” Mr. Teale summarizes 
the vast destruction of the wilderness and the wildlife that Audubon knew 
and salutes the rising tide of interest in nature study and conservation as 
a means of preserving some remnants of natural habitat and wild creatures. 
I wish that I could share his optimism. 
The numeration of the many plates in the book is confusing until you 
discover that all pages — text and color plates alike — are numbered in 
continuous sequence. There is an “Index to Illustrations” that presents both 
the scientific and the common names of the species. While Mr. Teale 
follows the latest A. O. U. CHECK-LIST for the most part, in some sections 
he has retained the nomenclature and spelling used by Audubon. While 
this can ke condoned in the lengthy quotations from the original works, 
the incorrect svelling and naming of species in the titles and other text 
matter is distracting. 
However, these are only minor criticisms. AUDUBON’S WILDLIFE 
has preserved and accurately conveyed the flavor of Audubon’s original 
writings and paintings. The flowery literary style of a century and a half 
ago makes a refreshing contrast to the concise and vrecise manner cf 
present-day scientific writing. You will enjoy this book, as I have. 
Paul H. Lobik, 22W681 Tamarack Drive, Glen Ellyn, Ill. 60137 
