THE SEA, THE SKY AND A FLYING BIRD

by Virginia S. Eifert ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

An ecological ramble on the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin, on the shore of ake Michigan, takes the reader through a wilderness of beaches and bogs, coniferous and deciduous forests, pausing to examine and admire the balanced refinements of nature's master plan for life. The teleology gets tedious, but the flora and small auna of the area are fascinatingly varied and the descriptive writing is vivid. Among the more romantic specimens are the giant mosses, the carnivorous plants, the wild rchids, the wood ferns, the white birches and fragrant tamarack trees. Full justice done to the drama of insect life, with hapless ants falling into the clutches of arvae called ant lions, digger wasps hunting spiders to feed their young and canny bee flies capitalizing on their industry. A brief historical survey traces the area's life back to the last Ice Age, and the efforts of dedicated conservationists are recorded and applauded. The title, derived from a Philippine creation legend, accurately conveys something of the book's evocative quality.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dodd, Mead

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1963

Categories: NONFICTION