The New Naturalist Library (also known as The New Naturalists) is a series of books published by Collins in the United Kingdom, on a variety of natural history topics relevant to the British Isles. The aim of the series at the start was: "To interest the general reader in the wild life of Britain by recapturing the inquiring spirit of the old naturalists."Guy Mountfort, The Hawfinch. Collins, 1957. An editors' preface to a 1952 monograph says: "An object of the New Naturalist series is the recognition of the many-sidedness of British natural history, and the encouragement of unusual and original developments of its forgotten or neglected facets."Miriam Rothschild and Theresa Clay, Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos. Collins, 1952.
History
The first volume to appear was E. B. Ford's Butterflies in 1945. The authors of this series are usually eminent experts, often professional scientists. This gives the series authority, and many are or have been authoritative introductory textbooks on a subject for some years. The books are written in scientific style, but are intended to be readable by the non-specialist, and are an early example of popular science in the media.
The books of the series have had considerable influence on many students who later became professional biologists, such as W. D. Hamilton and Mike Majerus. The latter was inspired by Ford's Butterflies and Moths, and has since added two volumes of his own to the series.
A parallel series known as the New Naturalist Monograph Library (and often referred to as The New Naturalist Special Volumes) was also published. Its aim was to cover "in greater detail... a single species or group of species". There have been no additions to the Monograph Library since 1971.
Volume 82 of the main series, The New Naturalists,Peter Marren, The New Naturalists. Collins, 1995. 2nd edition 2005. described the series to date, with authors' biographies and a guide to collecting the books.
The original editorial board consisted of Julian Huxley, James Fisher, Dudley Stamp, John Gilmour and Eric Hosking. Until 1985, the highly characteristic dust jacket illustrations were by Rosemary and Clifford Ellis; since then they have been by Robert Gillmor.
Being a numbered series, with a very low print run for some volumes, the books are highly collectable. Second-hand copies of the rarer volumes, in good condition, can command high prices. The 100th volume, Woodlands by Oliver Rackham was published in 2006. Woodlands (volume 100) was also published in 2006 as a "leatherbound" edition, limited to 100 copies. In fact it was fake leather. The second "leatherbound" New Naturalist - Dragonflies by Philip Corbet and Stephen Brooks - was published in 2008. The (fake) leather edition of Dragonflies (volume 106) was initially limited to 400 copies, which was subsequently limited to 303, and finally to 250. According to the New Naturalist website only 217 were actually sold and the remaining unsold stock is being kept secure at HarperCollins's offices. HarperCollins continue to produce limited numbers of "leatherbound" editions of all volumes published since Dragonflies, but only from Islands (volume 109) was real leather actually used. All recent volumes have only 50 leatherbound copies.
The series won the 2007 British Book Design and Production Award for "brand or series identity", and in 2008 the official website was launched, with features including the latest news, a members only area with access to exclusive content and downloads, and a forum.
In around 1990, Bloomsbury produced a series of facsimile editions, as hardbacks with new dustjacket designs, and with all plates in black and white, including those which were originally in colour.
Main series
(B) refers to the Bloomsbury reprints.
NumberTitleAuthor(s)Editions1ButterfliesE. B. Ford1945, 1946, 1957, 1977, 1990 (B)2British GameBrian Vesey-Fitzgerald19463London's Natural HistoryR. S. R. Fitter1945, 1990 (B)4Britain's Structure and SceneryL. Dudley Stamp1946, 1947, 1949, 1955, 1960, 19675Wild FlowersJohn Gilmour and Max Walters 1954, 1955, 1962, 1969, 1973, 1990 (B)6aNatural History in the Highlands and IslandsF. Fraser Darling19476bThe Highlands and IslandsF. Fraser Darling and J. M. Boyd 1964, 1973, 1989 (B)7Mushrooms and ToadstoolsJohn Ramsbottom1953, 1989 (B)8Insect Natural HistoryA. D. Imms1947, 1956, 1971, 1990 (B)9A Country ParishA. W. Boyd195110British Plant LifeW. B. Turrill1948, 1958, 1962, 1989 (B)11Mountains and MoorlandsW. H. Pearsall1950, 1989 (B)12The Sea ShoreC. M. Yonge1949, 1966, 1990 (B)13SnowdoniaF. J. North, B. Campbell and R. Scott194914The Art of Botanical IllustrationWilfrid Blunt195015Life in Lakes and RiversAn edition of Life in Lakes and Rivers was published by Readers Union in 1959.T. T. Macan and E. B. Worthington1951, 1968, 1974, 1990 (B)16Wild Flowers of Chalk and LimestoneJ. E. Lousley1950, 1969, 1989 (B)17Birds and MenMax Nicholson1951, 1990 (B)18aA Nat. Hist. of Man in Britain H. J. Fleure195118bA Natural History of Man in BritainH. J. Fleure and Margaret Davies1970, 1989 (B)19Wild Orchids of BritainV. S. Summerhayes1951, 196820The British Amphibians and ReptilesMalcolm Smith1951, 1954, 1964, 1969, 197221British MammalsL. Harrison Matthews1952, 1968, 1989 (B)22Climate and the British SceneGordon Manley195223An Angler's EntomologyJ. R. Harris1952, 1956, 1990 (B)24Flowers of the CoastIan Hepburn195225The Sea CoastJ. A. Steers1953, 1954, 1962, 196926The WealdS. W. Wooldridge and F. Goldring195327DartmoorL. A. Harvey and D. St Leger-Gordon1953, 196228Sea-BirdsJames Fisher and R. M. Lockley 1954, 1989 (B)29The World of the HoneybeeColin G. Butler195430MothsE. B. Ford1954, 1967, 197231Man and the LandL. Dudley Stamp1955, 1964, 196932Trees, Woods and ManH. L. Edlin1956, 1966, 197033Mountain FlowersJohn Raven and Max Walters195634The Open Sea: The World of PlanktonAlister Hardy1956, 197035The World of the SoilSir E. John Russell1957, 1959, 1963, 1967, 197136Insect MigrationC. B. Williams1958, 196537The Open Sea: Fish & FisheriesAlister Hardy1959, 1964, 197038The World of SpidersW. S. Bristowe195839The Folklore of BirdsEdward A. Armstrong195840BumblebeesJohn B. Free and C.G. Butler195941DragonfliesPhilip S. Corbet, Cynthia Longfield and N. W. Moore196042FossilsH. H. Swinnerton1960, 1989 (B)43Weeds and AliensSir Edward Salisbury1961, 196444The Peak DistrictK. C. Edwards1962, 1974, 1990 (B)45The Common Lands of England and WalesW. G. Hoskins and L. Dudley Stamp196346The BroadsA.E. Ellis196547The Snowdonia National ParkW. M. Condry1966, 196748Grass and GrasslandIan Moore196649Nature Conservation in BritainL. Dudley Stamp1969, 197450Pesticides and PollutionKenneth Mellanby1967, 197051Man and BirdsR. K. Murton197152Woodland BirdsEric Simms1971, 1990 (B)53The Lake DistrictW. H. Pearsall and W. Pennington1973, 1989 (B)54The Pollination of FlowersMichael Proctor and Peter Yeo197355FinchesIan Newton197256Pedigree: Words from NatureStephen Potter and Laurens Sargent197357British SealsH. R. Hewer197458HedgesE. Pollard, M. D. Hooper and Norman W. Moore197459AntsM. V. Brian197760British Birds of PreyLeslie H. Brown1976, 1989 (B)61Inheritance and Natural HistoryR. J. Berry1977, 1990 (B)62British TitsChris Perrins197963British ThrushesEric Simms197864The Natural History of ShetlandR. J. Berry and J. Laughton Johnston198065WadersW. G. Hale198066The Natural History of WalesWilliam M. Condry1982, 1990 (B)67Farming and WildlifeKenneth Mellanby198168Mammals in the British IslesL. Harrison Matthews198269Reptiles and Amphibians in BritainDeryk Frazer1983, 1989 (B)70The Natural History of OrkneyR. J. Berry198571British WarblersEric Simms198572HeathlandsNigel Webb198673The New ForestColin R. Tubbs198674FernsChristopher N. Page198875Freshwater FishesP. S. Maitland and R. N. Campbell 199276The HebridesJ. M. Boyd and I. L. Boyd199077The SoilB. Davis, N. Walker, D. F. Ball and A. Fitter199278British Larks, Pipits and WagtailsEric Simms199279Caves and Cave LifePhilip Chapman199380Wild and Garden PlantsMax Walters199381LadybirdsMike Majerus199482The New NaturalistsPeter Marren1995, 200583The Natural History of PollinationMichael Proctor, Peter Yeo and Andrew Lack199684IrelandDavid Cabot199985Plant DiseaseDavid Ingram and Noel Robertson199986LichensOliver Gilbert200087Amphibians & ReptilesTrevor Beebee and Richard Griffiths200088Loch LomondsideJohn Mitchell200189The BroadsBrian Moss200§90MothsMike Majerus200291Nature ConservationPeter Marren200292LakelandDerek Ratcliffe200293British BatsJohn Altringham200394A Natural History of the SeashorePeter Hayward200495NorthumberlandAngus Lunn200496FungiBrian Spooner and Peter Roberts200597Mosses and LiverwortsRon Porley and Nick Hodgetts200598BumblebeesTed Benton200699Gower Jonathan Mullard2006100Woodlands Oliver Rackham2006101Galloway and the Borders Derek Ratcliffe2007102Garden Natural History Stefan Buczacki2007103The Isles of Scilly Rosemary Parslow2007104A History of Ornithology Peter Bircham2007105Wye ValleyGeorge Peterken2008106Dragonflies Philip Corbet and Stephen Brooks2008107GrouseAdam Watson and Robert Moss2008108Southern EnglandPeter Friend2008109IslandsR. J. Berry2009110WildfowlDavid Cabot2009111DartmoorIan Mercer2009112Books and NaturalistsDavid Elliston Allen2010113Bird MigrationIan Newton2010114BadgerTimothy J. Roper2010115Climate and WeatherJohn Kington2010116Plant PestsDavid V. Alford2011117Plant GallsMargaret Redfern2011118MarchesAndrew Allott2011119ScotlandPeter Friend2012120Grasshoppers and CricketsTed Benton2012121Partridges: Countryside BarometerG. R. Potts2012122Vegetation of Britain and IrelandMichael Proctor2013123TernsDavid Cabot and Ian Nisbet2013124Bird PopulationsIan Newton2013125OwlsMike Toms2014126Brecon BeaconsJonathan Mullard2014127Nature in Towns and CitiesDavid Goode2014128Lakes, Loughs and LochsBrian Moss2015129Alien PlantsClive A. Stace and Michael J. Crawley2015130Yorkshire DalesJohn Lee2015131Shallow SeasPeter Hayward2016132FalconsRichard Sale2016133Slugs and SnailsRobert Cameron2016134Early HumansNicholas Ashton2017135Farming and BirdsIan Newton2017136BeetlesRichard Jones2018137HedgehogPat Morris2018138The BurrenDavid Cabot & Roger Goodwillie2019139GullsJohn Coulson2019140Garden BirdsMike Toms2019141PembrokeshireJonathan Mullard2020142Uplands and BirdsIan Newton2020143Ecology and Natural HistoryDavid M. Wilkinson2021144Peak DistrictPenny Anderson2021145TreesPeter A Thomas2022146Solitary BeesTed Benton, Nick Owens 2023147ShieldbugsRichard Jones2023148Ponds, Pools and PuddlesJeremy Biggs & Penny Williams2024149Stoats, Weasels, Martens and PolecatsJenny MacPherson2024150ExmoorFlemming Ulf-Hansen2025
Monographs NumberTitleAuthorEditionsM01The BadgerErnest Neal1948M02The RedstartJohn Buxton1950M03The WrenEdward A. Armstrong1955M04The Yellow WagtailStuart Smith1950M05The GreenshankDesmond Nethersole-Thompson1951M06The FulmarJames Fisher1952M07Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos Miriam Rothschild and Theresa Clay 1952M08AntsDerek Wragge Morley1953M09The Herring Gull's WorldNiko Tinbergen1953M10Mumps, Measles and MosaicsKenneth M. Smith and Roy Markham1954M11The HeronFrank A. Lowe1954M12SquirrelsMonica Shorten1954M13The RabbitHarry V. Thompson and Alastair N. Worden1956M14The Birds of the London Area Since 1900London Natural History SocietyThe London monograph was authored by an editorial committee chaired by R. C. Homes and including C. M. Acland, C. B. Ashby, C. L. Collenette, R. S. R. Fitter, E. R. Parrinder and B. A. Richards. Per: 1957M15The HawfinchGuy Mountfort1957M16 The SalmonJ. W. Jones1959M17Lords and LadiesCecil T. Prime1960M18OystersC. M. Yonge1960M19The House SparrowJ. D. Summers-Smith1963, 1967M20The Wood PigeonR. K. Murton1965M21The TroutW. E. Frost and M. E. Brown1967M22The MoleKenneth Mellanby1971
See also :Category:New Naturalist writers
Notes and references
External links Official website for the series List of monographs with jacket illustrations