Cultural History Book Shelf
V. F. Thomas Co. - P. O. Box 400 - Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
207-BOOKS-4-U (=207-266-5748) - info@vfthomas.com
GIFT CERTIFICATES
Gift certificates in any amount are available. They are good for on-line or on-site purchases of any books and videos below or any item on the Natural History Book Shelf. Gift certificates may be paid for by check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard) and can be sent to the buyer or to the recipient of the gift.
TO ORDER
You may place your order by calling 207-266-5748 (=207-BOOKS-4-U), e-mailing info@vfthomas.com, or writing to V. F. Thomas Co.; P. O. Box 400; Southwest Harbor, ME 04679. You may pay by check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). If you pay by credit card, I need to know your card number and expiration date.
Sales tax: Please add 5% sales tax to orders shipped to addresses in Maine.
Shipping: For orders mailed to continental U.S. addresses, please add $6.00 or 20% of order (before sales tax), whichever is LOWER. For orders mailed to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and other non-U.S. addresses, you will be billed the actual postage charge, subject to a minimum of $6.00, plus $2.
| NEW ENGLAND |
| National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England Peter Alden, Brian Cassie, Richard Forster, Richard Keen, Amy Leventer, Wendy B. Zomlefer. This book is "an easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the region's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more; a complete overview of New England's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habits, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns, and the night sky; and extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries." Soft cover, 4" x 7-3/4", 447 pp. ISBN 0-679-44676-1. $19.95 |
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| Native Names of New England Towns and Villages: Translating 211 Names Derived from Native American Words C. Lawrence Bond. Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 88 pp. ISBN 0-9638180-2-3, 2000. $9.50 |
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| MAINE |
GENERAL
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Maine: The Pine Tree State from Prehistory to the Present Richard W. Judd, Edwin A. Churchill, and Joel W. Eastman (editors). "The first comprehensive history of Maine to be published in decades, [this book] surveys the region's rich history from pre-historic times to the early 1990s. Chapter authors are respected scholars in Maine history from the fields of archaeology, anthropology, ethnic studies, and the various subdisciplines of history: political, cultural, economic, labor, military, maritime." Soft cover, 6" x 9-1/4", 616 pp. ISBN 0-89101-082-3, 1995. $30.00 |
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Bates Through the Years: An Illustrated History Charles E. Clark. "With careful and critical scholarship, an affectionate and wide knowledge of Bates, and a gentle sense of humor, Professor Clark tells the stories of Bates in nine topical essays--focusing on its presidents, faculty, curriculum, Bates during wartime, debate, college life, sports, students, and alumni. A building chronology of the campus, the first of its kind, concludes the book." Soft cover, 9" x 12", 131 pp. ISBN 0-9769921-0-8, 2005. $18.95 |
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The Old Somerset Railroad: A Lifeline for Northern Mainers Walter M. Macdougall. Soft cover, 7" x 9", 192 pp. ISBN 0-89272-492-7, 2000. $19.95 |
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Lighthouses of Maine Bill Caldwell. "In his conversational way, Bill Caldwell leads his readers on a historical tour of nearly all the Maine lighthouses." Soft cover, 6" x 9", 252 pp. ISBN 0-89272-585-0, 1986. $15.95 |
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The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife Connie Scovill Small. "In a genuine and remarkable captivating voice, Connie Scovill Small writes about her twenty-eight years of lighthouse living and service along the Maine and New Hampshire coasts with her husband, Elson." Soft cover, 6" x 9", 170 pp. ISBN 0-89191-098-X, 1999. $14.95 |
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Maine Lobsterboats: Builders and Lobstermen Speak of their Craft Virginia L. Thorndike. The author"provides a series of wonderful interviews with a wide range of Mainers who have made a living and a life from the Maine lobsterboat." Is there any such thaing as a left-handed lobsterboat, or is that a tall tale to fool tourists? This book will tell you. Soft cover, 7" x 9-1/2", 168 pp. ISBN 0-89272-403-X, 1998. $16.95 |
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Maine's Coastal Cemeteries: A Historic Tour Karen Wentworth Batignani. The author says, "On these pages, I offer thirty-eight of my favorite Maine coast cemeteries. ... Features that influenced me included a rich history, well-carved stones, a variety of stones, notable people, stunning water views, park-like grounds, woodland settings, location, and those indefinable qualities that create personality and ambience." Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 215 pp. ISBN 0-89272-604-0, 2003. $14.95 |
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Rivers of Fortune: Where Maine Tides and Money Flowed Bill Caldwell. This book "covers a vital part of Maine's history too long overlooked: the cultural history of the Penobscot, Kennebec, Saco, and Damariscotta Rivers. ... More than three hundred years are covered, from the days of pioneer settlers to sea captains, river men, and lumberjacks, to the merchant princes, shipbuilders, and lumber barons who made millions on sawmills, power dams, textiles, luxury yachts, and warships; all from Maine's vast human and natural resources." Soft cover, 6" x 9", 256 pp. ISBN 0-89272-568-0, 1983. $17.95 |
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The Language of Fire Lawrence T. Dolby. "This book is a series of vignettes and other stories drawn from my experiences of some forty years with the State of Maine as a Fire Investigator, and then ten more in 'private practice'." Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 316 pp. ISBN 0-9665704-0-5, 1997 (first edition). $19.95 |
NATURAL HISTORY (including 1947 FIRE)
| The Story of Baxter State Park Bill Silliker Jr. and Steve Pulos. "In this remarkable video, [the] filmmakers ... explore the history of the park and the efforts of the man who had the courage, perseverence, and ability to buy it all and then give it all away so others could enjoy its magic too." Video, VHS, 45 min. 1998. $19.95 |
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| Wild Maine: Discoveries of a Wildlife Photographer Bill Silliker Jr. "In Wild Maine, renowned wildlife photographer Bill Silliker ... uses ... personal stories of his unusual encounters with wild creatures to introduce us to the "grand mosaic" of natural Maine." Hard cover, 8-5/8" x 9-3/4", 96 pp. ISBN 0-89272-630-X. $25.00 |
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| Saving Maine: An Album of Conservation Success Stories Bill Silliker Jr. Hard cover, 11-1/4" x 8-3/4", 96 pp. ISBN 0-89272-566-4. 27.00 |
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| Lobsters Great & Small: How Scientists and Fishermen are Changing our Understanding of a Maine Icon Philip Conkling and Anne Hayden. Soft cover, 10-1/2" x 10", 119 pp. ISBN 0-942719-32-8, 2002. $24.95 |
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| Islands in Time: A Natural and Cultural History of the Islands of the Gulf of Maine Philip W. Conkling. "Conkling, as president of Maine's Island Institute, has an intense understanding of the social and environmental factors that have shaped and continue to affect this coast's thousands of islands." Soft cover, 8-1/2" x 11", 319 pp. ISBN 0-89272-478-1, 1999. $19.95 |
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| Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned Joyce Butler. This is the classic book about the fire of 1947. It contains many black and white photographs of the fire and its aftermath. Soft cover, 6" x 9", 278 pp. ISBN 0-89272-409-9, 1997 (50th anniversary edition). $15.95 |
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| Fire: The Big Story of 1947 Lawrence T. Dolby. A first-person, first-hand account of the 1947 fires in the Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard area by a long-time State Fire Inspector. Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 32 pp. 1997. $4.95 |
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MOUNT DESERT ISLAND / ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
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A History of the Houses of West Tremont, Maine Raymond E. Robbins Jr. This two-volume set of books tells the history and recollections of the houses of West Tremont, Maine, and the people who owned them. Volume 1 contains an introductory section about the history of the area and includes many maps. Section two of Volume 1 and all of Volume 2 (image shown) covers each house in the area with a history of ownership, a photograph of the house, and sometimes photographs of earlier inhabitants. West Tremont is fortunate to have such a detailed history. Soft cover, 8-1/2" x 11", 256 pp. (Vol. 1) and 284 pp. (Vol. 2), b&w photographs. 1997 (Vol 1), 1998 (Vol. 2). $35.00 per volume, $65.00 for the set of 2 [Volume 1 is no longer available.] |
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The Shore Path, Bar Harbor, Maine Steve Perrin. This book tells the history of the Shore Path through well crafted text and 81 beautiful photographs taken in all seasons. The namesake of the book is a short path in Bar Harbor that passes by historic cottages on one side and provides picturesque views of the islands of Frenchman Bay on the other. Among the topics is this diminutive (only in size) volume are Cottagers, Village Improvement Association, and Natural History. This book will bring pleasant memories to anyone who has ever visited the area where this path resides. Soft cover, 5-1/4" x 5", 96 pp. ISBN 0-9651058-6-5, 2000. $8.95 |
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The Park Loop Road Robert A. Thayer. This book, the first in a series of three, takes you on an incredibly beautiful tour along the "Loop Road" of Acadia National Park. The author said that many people compliment him on this book and then add that they "haven't read it yet". Bob's color photography (often full page) is so good that one might expect the text to be superfluous, but his writing is well worth your time. Soft cover, 11" x 8-1/2", 47 pp. ISBN 0-89272-443-9, 1999. $12.95 ($35.00 for the set of 3) |
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Beyond the Park Loop Road Robert A. Thayer. This is a sequel to the "Park Loop Road", but unlike many sequels, it is as good as the first book. In this book, Bob takes you away from the Loop Road to less visited portions of Acadia National Park on the west side of Mount Desert Island as well as on nearby islands. Soft cover, 11" x 8-1/2", 47 pp. ISBN 0-89272-522-2, 2001. $12.95 ($35.00 for the set of 3) |
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Acadia's Carriage Roads Robert A. Thayer. Here is "the third volume in the popular series by author/photographer Bob Thayer, a naturalist at Maine's only national park since 1982. ... The photographs in this book span a twenty-year time frame and reflect the many changes that have occurred in the carriage-road system over the past two decades." Soft cover, 11" x 8-1/2", 48 pp. ISBN 0-89272-551-6, 2002. $12.95 ($35.00 for the set of 3) |
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Cemeteries of Cranberry Isles and the Towns of Mount Desert Island Thomas F. Vining. Recorded in this book are every name and every date on all grave tones in all 110 known cemeteries in the Hancock County, Maine, towns of Bar Harbor, Cranberry Isles, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, and Tremont. Detailed directions are given to each cemetery. All grave stone references to Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans are included. All maiden names are cross-referenced, and every surname is indexed. For more details, click here. Soft cover, 6" x 9", 592 pp., b&w photographs. ISBN 0-9664874-1-9, 2000. $35.00 |
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Census Records of Cranberry Isles and the Towns of Mount Desert Island - Volume 1: 1790-1840 edited and with notes by Thomas F. Vining. A companion to the cemetery book (see above) for the same towns. Includes the decennial reports plus a special 1837 report for the town of Mount Desert. All records are presented in their original order and alphabetically arranged. Indexed by surname. For more details, click here. Soft cover, twin wire binding (enabling the book to lay flat), 8-1/2" x 11", 139 pp. ISBN 0-9664874-3-5, 2002. $25.00 |
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Census Records of Cranberry Isles and the Towns of Mount Desert Island - Volume 2: 1850 edited and with notes by Thomas F. Vining. Volume 2 in the series. All records are presented in their original order and alphabetically arranged. Soft cover, twin wire binding (enabling the book to lay flat), 8-1/2" x 11", 178 pp. ISBN 0-9664874-8-6, 2004. $25.00 |
| GENEALOGY |
| Cemeteries of Cranberry Isles and the Towns of Mount Desert Island Thomas F. Vining. Recorded in this book are every name and every date on all grave tones in all 110 known cemeteries in the Hancock County, Maine, towns of Bar Harbor, Cranberry Isles, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, and Tremont. Detailed directions are given to each cemetery. All grave stone references to Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans are included. All maiden names are cross-referenced, and every surname is indexed. For more details, click here. Soft cover, 6" x 9", 592 pp., b&w photographs. ISBN 0-9664874-1-9, 2000. $35.00 |
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| Census Records of Cranberry Isles and the Towns of Mount Desert Island - Volume 1: 1790-1840 edited and with notes by Thomas F. Vining. A companion to the cemetery book (see above) for the same towns. Includes the decennial reports plus a special 1837 report for the town of Mount Desert. All records are presented in their original order and alphabetically arranged. Indexed by surname. For more details, click here. Soft cover, twin wire binding (enabling the book to lay flat), 8-1/2" x 11", 139 pp. ISBN 0-9664874-3-5, 2002. $25.00 |
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| Census Records of Cranberry Isles and the Towns of Mount Desert Island - Volume 2: 1850 edited and with notes by Thomas F. Vining. Volume 2 in the series. All records are presented in their original order and alphabetically arranged. Soft cover, twin wire binding (enabling the book to lay flat), 8-1/2" x 11", 178 pp. ISBN 0-9664874-8-6, 2004. $25.00 |
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| PRIMITIVE SKILLS |
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Wild Plants I Have Known ... and Eaten Russ Cohen. This book is divided into four parts--The Basics (why, when to, and where to forage), More Useful Information (safety, conservation, endangered species, and invasive plants), Plant Profiles and Recipes (e.g., Strawberry-Knotweed Pie, Wild Fruit and Nut Granola, and Cream of Stinging Nettle Soup[!]), and Tasty Tidbits about More Wild Edibles. In addition, there is a bibliography and an appendix (a checklist and rarity ranking, plus two helpful charts telling when to pick/gather the wild edibles). Soft cover, 6" x 9", 86 pp. ISBN 0-9719668-1-8, 2004. $15.00 |
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Peterson Field Guide - Edible Wild Plants [of] Eastern/Central North America Lee Allen Peterson. "More than 370 edible wild plants, plus 37 poisonous look-alikes, are described here, with 400 drawings and 78 color photographs showing precisely how to recognize each species. Also included are habitat descriptions, lists of plants by season, and preparation instructions for 22 different food uses." Soft cover, 4-1/2" x 7-1/4", 330 pp. ISBN 0-395-92622-X, 1977. $19.00 |
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Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants Bradford Angier. This book is "a quick, all-in-color identifier of more than 100 edible wild foods growing free in the United States and Canada". Each entry includes the botanical family and genus, common name(s), description, distribution, and edibility. Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/4", 255 pp. ISBN 0-8117-2018-7, 1974. $19.95 |
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Peterson Field Guide to Venomous Animals & Poisonous Plants Steven Foster and Roger Caras. "This essential guide to safety in the field features 90 venomous animals and more than 250 poisonous plants and fungi. The 340 line drawings make identification fast and simple; 160 species are also illustrated with color photographs." Soft cover, 4-1/2" x 7-1/4", 244 pp. ISBN 0-395-93608-X, 1994. $21.00 |
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Peterson Field Guide - Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs Steven Foster and James A. Duke. "With more than 300 photos, this new edition shows how to identify more than 500 healing plants. Descriptive text includes information on where the plants are found, as well as their known medicinal uses. An index to medical topics, symbols next to plant descriptions, and organization of plants by colors all make this an essential guide to understanding the traditional medicinal uses of the plants around us." Soft cover, 4-1/2" x 7-1/4", 411 pp. ISBN 0-395-98814-4, 2000. $19.00 |
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Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants Bradford Angier. This book is "a full-color reference to the history, habitat, and identifying characteristics of over 100 medicinal wild plants of North America." Each entry includes the botanical family, common names, characteristics, habitat and geographic range, and uses. Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/4", 320 pp. ISBN 0-8117-2076-4, 1978. $19.95 |
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Guide to Indian Herbs Raymond Stark. "This well-illustrated handbook describes 52 of the best-known herbs used by the Indians of North America. Each plant is identified by locale, sketch and photograph, and the uses to which each one was put are briefly described." Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 48 pp. ISBN 0-88839-077-7, 1981. $7.95 |
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Acadian Root Baskets of Atlantic Canada Joleen Gordon. "Seeking to recapture this stunning tradition, author Joleen Gordon profiles three of the last master basket makers in the Atlantic Provinces. Their practices and techniques are carefully explored and incorporated into step-by-step instructions, and are complemented with plentiful and excellent illustration. Gordon also examines the history of the craft, describing how Acadian, Black, and Mi'kmaq styles overlapped and influenced each other, and how important the baskets have been to the Acadians who have created them over the centuries." Soft cover, 7-1/2" x 9", 86 pp. ISBN 1-55109-524-6, 2005. $14.95 |
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Withe Baskets, Traps and Brooms: Traditional crafts in Nova Scotia Joleen Gordon. The author "examines the development of this type of basketry in Nova Scotia from its earliest occurrences until the present day." Soft cover, 7-5/8" x 9", 56 pp. ISBN 0-919680-23-2, 1984. $9.95 |
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Handwoven Hats: A History of Straw, Wood and Rush Hats in Nova Scotia Joleen Gordon. The book was written "to record the art of straw, rush and wood hatmaking as it is now practiced in Nova Scotia and to give the reader a little insight into the fascinating historical background of an ancient art." Soft cover, 11" x 8", 71 pp. ISBN 0-919680-18-6, 1981. $9.95 |
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The Traditional Bowyer's Bible
Volume 1: Steve Allely, Tim Baker, Paul Comstock, Jim Hamm, Ron Hardcastle, Jay Massey, and John Strunk. "Volume One introduces the traditional bow, seasoning and cutting wood, bow design and performance, finishes and handles, and much more." Soft cover, 6" x 9", 324 pp. ISBN 1-58574-085-3, 2000. $22.95 --- Volume 2: G. Fred Asbell, Tim Baker, Paul Comstock, Dr. Bert Grayson, Jim Hamm, Al Herrin, Jay Massey, and Glenn Parker. "Volume Two covers ancient European bows, Eastern Woodland bows, recurves, strings, steel points, quivers, and much more." Soft cover, 6" x 9", 316 pp. ISBN 1-58574-086-1, 2000. $22.95 --- Volume 3: backordered |
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Bows & Arrows of the Native Americans: A Complete Step-by-Step Buide to Wooden Bows, Sinew-backed Bows, Composite Bows, Strings, Arrows & Quivers Jim Hamm. The title well describes this book. Soft cover, 6" x 9", 156 pp. ISBN 1-55821-168-3, 1989. $14.95 |
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A Guide to Wildlife Sounds Lang Elliott. This guide includes an hour-long audio CD with the "songs, calls, buzzes, rattles, and other sounds of one hundred species ... of animal life east of the Great Plains", full-color photographs for each species, and information on range, habitat, and behavior. Soft cover, 6" x 8", 106 pp. (plus audio CD). ISBN 0-8117-3190-1, 2005. $24.95 |
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Bird Tracks & Sign Mark Elbroch with Eleanor Marks. "This book provides you with ways to recognize and identify the presence of birds from other clues they leave that are far more enduring than a wisp of song or the brief glimpse of a tail flared for landing. Birds leave other clues to their presence in the forms of tracks and sign. Sign refers to all the possible signs of their passing: sign of feeding, gathering materials for nesting, the nests or cavity holes themselves, pellets, droppings, feathers lost during molt, or kill sites." Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/4", 456 pp. ISBN 0-8117-2696-7, 2001. $34.95 |
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Mammal Tracks & Sign Mark Elbroch. "This amazing guide brings together concise text, detailed line drawings, range maps, and more than 1000 color photographs to illustrate and describe the tracks and sign left by North American mammals--feeding signs, scat, burrows, tunnels, bedding areas, rubbings, and remains. Organized for in-the-field use or at-home reference, it includes a handy section of 104 life-size tracks. An invaluable resource for wildlife enthusiasts and beginning or experienced trackers." Soft cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/4", 779 pp. ISBN 0-8117-2626-6, 2003. $44.95 |
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Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks Olaus J. Murie. This field guide includes "descriptions of the habits, habitats, tracks, signs, and ranges of all the mammals of North America. More than 1,000 illustrations show individual tracks, different track patterns, animals in their habitats, droppings, and gnawed trees--every type of clue the tracker needs." Soft cover, 4-1/2" x 7-1/4", 375 pp. ISBN 0-395-91094-3, 1982. $19.00 |
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Tracking & the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign Paul Rezendes. This book "provides complete information on the behavior and habitat of over 50 animal species and shows you how to identify animals by their tracks, trail patterns, droppings, dens, scratches and other sign." Soft cover, 7" x 10", 336 pp. ISBN 0-06-273524-1, 1999. $25.00 |
| MAPS |