Books in British Natural History Series series

This is part of an eight-volume series providing short biographies of men and women from Roman to Victorian times. Each entry places the subject in the context of their age and evokes what was distinctive and interesting about their personality and achievement. The biographies are arranged in a broadly chronological rather than alphabetical sequence so that the reader may easily browse from one contemporary to the next. The index, with its many cross-references, reveals further linkages between contemporaries. Each volume is a portrait of an age, presenting history in a biographical form which complements the conventional approach.

* Over 100 illustrations, including 28 color plates* Drawings by Peter Schouten* New information on the two hairy-nosed species of wombatsOne of Australia’s most engaging marsupials, the wombat is also one of the most disparaged and least understood. Often depicted as slow, muddle-headed and clumsy, it can, in fact, outpace a human or a dog over a short distance. Wombats are quick to learn and superbly adapted to their burrowing way of life.This book gives a full account of the wombat’s way of life and examines the many hazards that wombats face. Dealing mainly with the Bare-nosed Wombat, Vombatus ursinus, it includes the latest information on the Southern and Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats, Lasiorhinus latifrons and Lasiorhiunus krefftii, among the world’s most endangered animals. The book also gives practical advice on rearing orphan wombats.