Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana by William Beebe, G.Inness Hartley & Paul G. Howes 1917 The New York Zoological Society is a richly illustrated scientific monograph and foundational natural history work that documents the pioneering field research of the New York Zoological Society's Tropical Research Station in what was then British Guiana (now Guyana). First published in 1917 by The New York Zoological Society, this volume represents one of the earliest comprehensive studies of tropical ecosystems, combining detailed zoological observations with maps, photographs, and analysis drawn from intensive work conducted at the station near Bartica.
In Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana, renowned American naturalist William Beebe along with his research associates George Inness Hartley and Paul Griswold Howes presents a systematic survey of the region's fauna and flora, focusing on the discoveries made during exhaustive field work around the tropical research station established in 1916. The text is divided into numerous sections that explore forest ecology, bird life, mammalian species, insect communities, and other aspects of the neotropical environment.
Beebe's narrative, supported by their collective observations and photographic documentation, reveals the astonishing diversity of tropical life from birds and reptiles to the intricate behaviors of insects and the structure of rainforest habitats at a time when such ecosystems were still little understood by Western science.
The 1917 New York Zoological Society edition runs to more than five hundred pages and contains both scientific description and evocative natural history writing. An introduction by former U.S. President and conservation advocate Theodore Roosevelt underscores the broader significance of Tropical Wild Life, situating it within early twentiethcentury efforts to advance ecological understanding and field biology. More than a survey of species, Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana reflects the intensive, placebased research ethos that Beebe championed observing organisms in their natural habitats and interpreting ecological relationships firsthand.
For collectors of classic natural history literature, students of neotropical ecology, and readers drawn to the origins of modern field biology, Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana by William Beebe, G. Inness Hartley & Paul G. Howes 1917 The New York Zoological Society remains a landmark and enduring study, capturing both the scientific rigour and the wonder of early exploration into one of the world's richest biological frontiers.
Condition: Very Good - Original green cloth with gilt study of nestling Hoatzin on front board under gilt titles, gilt titles on spine. Binding is bright with wear confined to edges at ends of spine. A little 'soft'. Although stated as Volume I, only this volume ever appeared.
