Field guide

A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife (plants or animals) or other objects of natural occurrence (e.g. minerals). It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects.

History

Popular interest in identifying things in nature probably were strongest in bird and plant guides. In 1902, Florence Merriam Bailey, wife of well-known zoologist Vernon Bailey wrote a Handbook of Birds of the Western United States which was arranged by taxonomic order and had clear descriptions of species size, distribution, feeding and nesting habits, resembling the modern field guide. From this point to the 1930s, many much more modern parts of field guides were tried out by Chester A. Reed and others such as changing the size of the book to fit the pocket, including color plates, and different subjects such as garden and woodland flowers, insects and dogs.

Related Topics:
Bird - Plant - 1902 - Florence Merriam Bailey - Zoologist - Vernon Bailey - Taxonomic order - Species - 1930s - Chester A. Reed - Garden - Woodland - Flower - Insect - Dog

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In 1934, Roger Tory Peterson, using his fine skill as an artist, changed the way modern field guides approached identification. Using color plates with paintings of similar species together - and marked with arrows showing the differences - people could use his bird guide in the field to compare species quickly to make identification easier. This technique was used in most of Peterson's Field Guides from animal tracks to seashells.

Related Topics:
1934 - Roger Tory Peterson - Artis - Painting - Animal track - Seashell

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Also popular in the 1960s were the Golden Guides which expanded the range of subjects of what a field guide could address, including antique glass, wine, photography and hallucinogenic plants (often written by experts in their respective field - the latter was written by Schultes, a respected name in ethnobotany). This series was mostly edited by Herbert Zim for Golden Press.

Related Topics:
1960s - Golden Guide - Glass - Wine - Photography - Hallucinogenic plant - Schultes - Ethnobotany - Herbert Zim

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Today, each field guide has its own range, focus and organization. Peterson, Golden, The Audubon Society, Stokes, National Geographic, Observer Books, HarperCollins, the RSPB and many others all produce quality field guides.

Related Topics:
National Geographic - Observer Books - HarperCollins - RSPB

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