An Introduction to Nature

by Richard Martin

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Lee Broderick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This natural history textbook was, no doubt, rather charming in its day but is now creaking. It shows its age most egregiously in stating baldly that 'mushrooms are also plants' and most disarmingly by adopting a style which assumes that the student is to some degree already familiar with Britain's nature and wildlife (by sight if not by understanding). I suspect that familiarity is no longer the norm for those aged under twenty in this country.

Other annoyances for me were the use of 'animal' as a synonym for 'mammal' and the somewhat bizarre 'water rats and water voles' which seems to suggest that they are two separate creatures. They're not; that one really is a synonym.