BEASTLY BRITAIN

A compendium of creatures.

Jones, a professor of environmental and cultural history, brings expertise and a lively curiosity to her close look at a select bestiary of 10 animals—eight real and two vividly imagined—from four habitats: woodland, farm, underground, and sea. Each animal’s special relationship to humans emerges as Jones investigates its habits and habitat, morphology, evolutionary history, mating and breeding, and literary appearances. The hedgehog, for one, long chosen by Britons as their favorite animal, is a fitting choice for Jones’ first chapter. “Industrious and friendly,” it has the cute behavior of curling into a ball to defend itself. Hedgehogs have made their way into literature (notably, children’s books), as well as into the pharmacopeia, where its left eye, fried in oil, was once thought to have medicinal qualities. The “mysterious and enigmatic” fox is beloved by Britons for “intellect and hunting acumen combining in devastating and innovative ways.” Sheep, one of the first animals to be domesticated as livestock, are found in many idioms (such as black sheep and a wolf in sheep’s clothing), as are pigeons, which happen to be living dinosaurs. Stag beetles inspired Victorian beetle-mania, appearing, sometimes alive, in women’s jewelry, dress, and hats. A flea, while not among Britons’ favorites, is surely among the most ancient: a supersize flea, Jones reports, feasted on the blood of dinosaurs. Dogs have been humans’ friends since prehistoric times, as archeological evidence attests; ghostly dogs howled in tales of the supernatural, which proliferated as spiritualism gained popularity in the 19th century. The Loch Ness monster, Jones finds, is not the only underwater plesiosaur believed to inhabit the British Isles, connecting humans to “deep time” and, like all animals, to untamed spirit.

A generously illustrated, entertaining celebration of wildlife.