Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 07:19:34 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Scott Crabtree Subject: The Sibley Guide to Birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The UPS dude delivered my copy last night. The book is stunning - in all aspects: extensive representations of postures and plumages and morphs of each covered species; also, being a third again as big as the NGS guide, it's stunning in its size and weight. Sibley's artwork is watercolor, so there isn't the every-pin-feather kind of detail we've seen from some artists, but it's a bit more "representational" like Peterson. Format is much different, with the pages laid out vertically - species are addressed across the page, rather than down it. There is much more info in the "white spaces" - commentary on field marks is next to the arrow pointing to the marks, with less in the text. Small quibble: Sibley admits up front that he only treats species that have have occurred roughly 10 times in NA. Consequently, there are a number of birds in the NGS guide that don't appear in Sibley. Really small quibble. CAVEAT EMPTOR: Knopf has some quality control problems. The book is 544 pages - mine ends at 528. The pages with some finches and crossbills, and the index are blank. If you want it now, you might be wise to wait until it's in the stores and you can check it out. I have to deal with amazon! Scott Crabtree Baltimore, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================