This natural history classic,
first published in 1909, is a minutely observed, endlessly
fascinating and graphic tale of wild animals in the Cornish
countryside. The result of many years spent studying these
fascinating creatures at close quarters, this is an unsentimental
study of a family of otters, from the birth of cubs to childhood
and maturity. We see the seasons change as the youngsters mature
in river waters, upland pools and estuary creeks. We read of
their nocturnal journeys in search of food, of their skirmishes
with buzzards and domestic dogs; of being chased and sometimes
killed, by otter hounds in the endless cycle of Nature. Said
to have been the inspiration for Henry Williamson’s
classic work, Tarka the Otter, this beautifully written celebration
of these glorious creatures presents a vivid snapshot of wild
animals in a countryside teeming with interest, beauty and danger – mostly
in human form. All is set in Tregarthen’s beloved West
Cornwall and written in his own inimitable style, almost from
the point of view of the otters themselves. The text includes
an appraisal of Tregarthen and this book by Clara, Lady Vyvyan
of Trelowarren.
The late John Coulson Tregarthen (1854-1933) remains one of Cornwall’s most famous and learned naturalists. Past President
of the Royal Institution of Cornwall (1927-29) and a Fellow of
the Zoological Society, he listed his recreations as ‘reading,
fishing and the observation of wild animals’. His studies
of wild creatures were so detailed and sensitive that he enables readers to live, for a time at least, among the animals themselves.
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