Having finished an autobiography of John J. Audubon not long ago, I thought it was a propitious moment to read through this book. It is a collection of over 200 paintings of birds by Audubon. There is a lengthy introduction by Ludlow Griscom about the state of conservation in America in the 1950s. Also, he wrote a very brief description of each bird and how they were doing at the time of publication.

Audubon was able to paint several species before they went extinct. I am happy to say that most of the species mentioned as very rare or endangered in the 1950s have recovered to "Least Concern" status today. I know this because I looked them up as I read the book. However, there are a few species which were common then but are losing ground now, due to human habitations expanding into their territory. Hopefully we can find ways for both species to coexist and thrive.

It was a joy to look at these pictures. ( )

Paintings of birds by John James Audubon compiled with narrative nearly a hundred years after hid death. A real keepsake. ( )

A compact version of John James Audubon's "Birds of America", with a foreword and Audubon's annotations for each illustration. In color, but the reduced size does much to reduce the majesty of his artwork. Audubon was nearly unmatched in artistic rendering and accuracy in portraying animal species in natural poses. ( )