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How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers
This is the largest collectino of Wood's drawings and verses ever printed. It contains the complete text of the latest edition of "How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers," (including "Animal Anatomies") together with three complete illustrated poems and two sketches that appears in earlier editions and had been omitted. A new introduction has been written for this book by Margaret Wood White.
28 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1917
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About the author
Robert Williams Wood
81 books7 followersRobert Williams Wood (May 2, 1868 – August 11, 1955) was an American physicist and inventor. He is often cited as being a pivotal contributor to the field of optics and a pioneer of infrared and ultraviolet photography. Wood's patents and theoretical work shed much light on the nature and physics of ultra-violet radiation and made possible the myriad uses of uv-fluorescence which became popular after World War I.
Although physical optics and spectroscopy were Wood's main areas of study, he made substantial contributions to the field of ultrasound as well. His main contributions were photographing sound waves and working with Alfred Lee Loomis in the development of power ultrasonics.
His first contribution to the field of ultrasonics was from the photography of sound waves. Wood's primary research area was physical optics, but he found himself confronted with the problem of demonstrating to his students the wave nature of light without resorting to mathematical abstractions, for which he cared little. He therefore resolved to photograph the sound waves given off by an electric spark as an analogy to light waves. An electric spark was used because it produces not a wave train, but a single wavefront, making it much simpler to study and visualize. Although he did not pioneer that method, an honour belonging to August Toepler, he did more detailed studies of the shock waves and their reflections than Toepler.
Rumford Medal of the Royal Society, for his work in physical optics, 1938.
Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences, for his contributions to astrophysics, 1940.
The crater Wood on the far side of the Moon is named after him.
Honorary degrees from Berlin University, Clark University, University of Birmingham, and Edinburgh University.
Member of the Royal Society, London ( (ForMemRS), London Optical Society (honorary), Konigliche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen (corresponding), Accademia dei Lincei, Rome (foreign), Russian Academy of Science, Leningrad, American National Academy of Science, Academy of Arts and Sciences, Philosophical Society, Physical Society, Royal Institution, London (honorary), Physical Society of London (honorary fellow), Royal Swedish Academy, Stockholm (foreign), Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta (foreign).
Medal awarded by the Royal Society of Arts for his diffraction process in color photography, 1899.
Franklin Institute John Scott medal, awarded by the City of Philadelphia for further progress in diffraction color photos, 1907.
J. Traill Taylor medal, awarded for photography by invisible rays, 1910.
Gold medal, Societa’ Italiana della Scienze, for general outstanding scientific achievement, 1918.
Frederic Ives Medal, awarded by the Optical Society of America for distinguished work in physical optics, 1933.
Served as vice-president (1934) and president (1935) of the American Physical Society.
R. W. Wood Prize of the Optical Society of America, recognizes an outstanding discovery, scientific or technological achievement or invention.
Although physical optics and spectroscopy were Wood's main areas of study, he made substantial contributions to the field of ultrasound as well. His main contributions were photographing sound waves and working with Alfred Lee Loomis in the development of power ultrasonics.
His first contribution to the field of ultrasonics was from the photography of sound waves. Wood's primary research area was physical optics, but he found himself confronted with the problem of demonstrating to his students the wave nature of light without resorting to mathematical abstractions, for which he cared little. He therefore resolved to photograph the sound waves given off by an electric spark as an analogy to light waves. An electric spark was used because it produces not a wave train, but a single wavefront, making it much simpler to study and visualize. Although he did not pioneer that method, an honour belonging to August Toepler, he did more detailed studies of the shock waves and their reflections than Toepler.
Rumford Medal of the Royal Society, for his work in physical optics, 1938.
Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences, for his contributions to astrophysics, 1940.
The crater Wood on the far side of the Moon is named after him.
Honorary degrees from Berlin University, Clark University, University of Birmingham, and Edinburgh University.
Member of the Royal Society, London ( (ForMemRS), London Optical Society (honorary), Konigliche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen (corresponding), Accademia dei Lincei, Rome (foreign), Russian Academy of Science, Leningrad, American National Academy of Science, Academy of Arts and Sciences, Philosophical Society, Physical Society, Royal Institution, London (honorary), Physical Society of London (honorary fellow), Royal Swedish Academy, Stockholm (foreign), Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta (foreign).
Medal awarded by the Royal Society of Arts for his diffraction process in color photography, 1899.
Franklin Institute John Scott medal, awarded by the City of Philadelphia for further progress in diffraction color photos, 1907.
J. Traill Taylor medal, awarded for photography by invisible rays, 1910.
Gold medal, Societa’ Italiana della Scienze, for general outstanding scientific achievement, 1918.
Frederic Ives Medal, awarded by the Optical Society of America for distinguished work in physical optics, 1933.
Served as vice-president (1934) and president (1935) of the American Physical Society.
R. W. Wood Prize of the Optical Society of America, recognizes an outstanding discovery, scientific or technological achievement or invention.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 3, 2023
If you like Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll nonsense, you’ll probably enjoy this little book that might take ten minutes to read. It is free on-line at Project Gutenberg.
Wood was an American physicist specializing in optics. His life spanned from mid nineteenth century to the mid twentieth. An academic like Carroll, he must have needed an outlet for a zany side. The book includes some of his ingenious drawings, also zany.
Example sans drawing—-
The Ape. The Grape.
The Apes, from whom we are descended,
Hang ape-x down from trees suspended,
And since we find them in the trees,
We term them arbor-ig-i-nes.
This quite explains the Mon-key-shines
Cut up by those who pluck from vines
The Grape, and then subject it’s juices,
To Bacchanalian abuses.
Wood was an American physicist specializing in optics. His life spanned from mid nineteenth century to the mid twentieth. An academic like Carroll, he must have needed an outlet for a zany side. The book includes some of his ingenious drawings, also zany.
Example sans drawing—-
The Ape. The Grape.
The Apes, from whom we are descended,
Hang ape-x down from trees suspended,
And since we find them in the trees,
We term them arbor-ig-i-nes.
This quite explains the Mon-key-shines
Cut up by those who pluck from vines
The Grape, and then subject it’s juices,
To Bacchanalian abuses.
September 1, 2020
If you thought the British had a monopoly on nonsense for children, think again. Robert Wood's charming book of "flornithology" is every bit as wonderful as Edward Lear's botanical alphabet or Hilaire Belloc's Bad Child's Book of Beasts (not to be missed). Tongue firmly in cheek, Wood distinguishes between the crow and the crocus, the tern and the turnip, the parrot and the carrot, and my personal favorite, the puffin and nuffin. Charming line drawings accompany the text.
Why didn't Wood write more? He did, but it was all optics and physics and way over my hairdo: he was a most distinguished scientist who just happened to turn out this little gem on the side.
Why didn't Wood write more? He did, but it was all optics and physics and way over my hairdo: he was a most distinguished scientist who just happened to turn out this little gem on the side.
October 22, 2019
A quirky little book, I dipped in and out of it over the last few days. This is the sort of book that would get you in trouble at school, to make the poems rhyme the words sometimes get manipulated to sound how the poet wants them. For example Peculiar becomes P-Q-Liar.
Favourite comparison was the PENguin and the SWORDfish. I had no idea how they could be compared and when I read the rhyme it gave me a good chuckle, very clever stuff.
I know nothing about this author, his humour is very surreal, am left wondering if he knew Salvador Dali, might have been too early for Dali though.
You can read this book for free here> https://archive.org/details/cu3192402...
Favourite comparison was the PENguin and the SWORDfish. I had no idea how they could be compared and when I read the rhyme it gave me a good chuckle, very clever stuff.
I know nothing about this author, his humour is very surreal, am left wondering if he knew Salvador Dali, might have been too early for Dali though.
You can read this book for free here> https://archive.org/details/cu3192402...
October 11, 2019
Inventive and lovely.
September 15, 2025
THE BIBLE. This was everything I needed and more. Educational, beautifully crafted, mood-lifting, full of references, witty remarks and, I dare not forget, amazing illustrations. Will print some if these out and look into getting a copy of my own. Perfection. I will never mistake quail and kale ever again
July 12, 2012
A charming little book full of witty wordplay, self-referential humor, and a few tongue-twisters. (In an added geeky twist (unsurprising coming from a theoretical physicist), even a footnote on Greek etymology is in rhyme.)
As his daughter writes in her 1958 introduction, "Here, dear Reader, is the true zest for living. No barbed satire, no insults, no attacks, no grounds for libel suits." Instead there is "simple, whimsical humor".
As his daughter writes in her 1958 introduction, "Here, dear Reader, is the true zest for living. No barbed satire, no insults, no attacks, no grounds for libel suits." Instead there is "simple, whimsical humor".
April 15, 2024
2.5 stars.
March 20, 2025
Amazing book, you have to read,
It will make you wise indeed!
This is the best book I have ever read in my entire life from birth until now! I now know how to tell the difference between a Parrot and a Carrot, A sparra’ and asparagus, among other such common confusions so insightfully cleared up!
The best part is it's a standard ebook, so you can read it for free on any e-reader, and I would highly recommend you do if you want some fun facts for your next trivia night!
It will make you wise indeed!
This is the best book I have ever read in my entire life from birth until now! I now know how to tell the difference between a Parrot and a Carrot, A sparra’ and asparagus, among other such common confusions so insightfully cleared up!
The best part is it's a standard ebook, so you can read it for free on any e-reader, and I would highly recommend you do if you want some fun facts for your next trivia night!
January 11, 2024
I read this clever poetry book in Project Gutenberg's online library. It was first published in 1917. Each poem compares two living things which have similar sounding names and, believe it or not, appearances, e.g, The Crow and the Crocus. The poems are accompanied by comical drawings. I suppose the poems are corny, but I found them delightful.
February 12, 2021
No illustrations!
The actual book accompanies each poem with an excellent and very amusing woodcut, which the ebook version leaves out!
It's like the icing without the cake. What's the point?
The actual book accompanies each poem with an excellent and very amusing woodcut, which the ebook version leaves out!
It's like the icing without the cake. What's the point?
May 3, 2019
How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers: A Manual of Flornithology for Beginners
Absolutely delightful. I love it. Five stars.
Absolutely delightful. I love it. Five stars.
April 26, 2022
https://archive.org/details/howtotell...
just go and read it. It's worth it.
just go and read it. It's worth it.
August 9, 2022
Wundervoll humorvolle Zeichnungen und Gedichte! Für jede:n zu empfehlen!
January 26, 2023
A very charming vintage read; nonsensical and whimsical poems accompanied with simple line drawings depicting the sometimes random comparisons that go beyond birds and flowers.
April 25, 2023
This book is great! I love the silly rhymes and the even sillier illustrations. I will study up on my flornithology and never confuse a bird for a plant again!
April 30, 2023
This is a short and charming book! Poetry and pareidolia
May 6, 2023
A joy to read! Witty and cute.
April 20, 2024
Dear GR,
I have decided to take up Flornithology!
Signed
Carrot
I have decided to take up Flornithology!
Signed
Carrot
May 12, 2025
the puns are so bad they made me cry w laughter as a warning
October 13, 2025
Anyone who gives this book less than 5 stars for its unashamed silliness should be put in the stocks. (Stocks and storks should be Woods’ next comparison!)
July 12, 2022
Cute and clever wordplay.
August 1, 2010
possibly my best purchase ever.
Read
August 26, 2010A charmingly bizarre little book. Knowing that it was written by a distinguished physicist adds to the enjoyment.
October 10, 2011
This book is spectacular! I'll probably give this to everyone who has quirky kids.
November 6, 2012
Delightful wordplay and drawings of birds and plants that look similar. Full book online here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1593/1...
December 20, 2015
This is just delightful. Great to read out loud.
July 29, 2016
This book is hilarious.
May 28, 2011
A paragon of puns, to be shelved beside such oddities as The Devil's Dictionary.
sony-or-android
February 9, 2019Indirectly from Wreade1872's shelf of the Merril collection at the Toronto public library.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews