THE MOST PERFECT THING: INSIDE (AND OUTSIDE) A BIRD’S EGG

Book ID/图书代码： 02000016B89448

English Summary/英文概要： ’I think that, if required on pain of death to name instantly the most perfect thing in the universe, I should risk my fate on a bird’s egg’ Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 1862

How are eggs of different shapes made, and why are they the shape they are? When does the shell of an egg harden? Why do some eggs contain two yolks? How are the colours and patterns of an eggshell created, and why do they vary? And which end of an egg is laid first – the blunt end or the pointy end?

These are just some of the questions A Bird’s Egg answers, as the journey of a bird’s egg from creation and fertilisation to its eventual hatching is examined, with current scientific knowledge placed within an historical context. Beginning with an examination of the stunning eggs of the guillemot, each of which is so variable in pattern and colour that no two are ever the same, acclaimed ornithologist Tim Birkhead then looks at the eggs of hens, cuckoos and many other birds, revealing weird and wonderful facts about these miracles of nature. Woven around and supporting these facts are extraordinary stories of the individuals who from as far back as Ancient Egypt have been fixated on the study and collection of eggs, not always to the benefit of their conservation.

Firmly grounded in science and enriched by a wealth of observation drawn from a lifetime spent studying birds,A Bird’s Egg is an illuminating and engaging exploration of the science behind eggs and the history of man’s obsession with them.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 这是一本由外向内、从形状到颜色、从博物学到微生物学，深入探索鸟蛋秘境的“旅行指南”。鸟蛋的形成始于一颗卵子，随后是受精卵的产生和发育，接下来鸟蛋成形、产出，直到雏鸟出壳，鸟蛋这一生命阶段便画上了圆满的句号。

本书以历史上收藏家对崖海鸦蛋的痴迷与狂热作为开篇，以生动的笔触回顾了鸟蛋与人类生活千丝万缕的关联。随着数百年来科学家的研究不断深入，当排除了种种猜测与假说之后，人们发现鸟蛋的神奇绝不仅仅体现于它们的精巧外形而已。基于数十年的野外观察，鸟类学家伯克黑德将缤纷各异的鸟蛋呈现于我们面前。通过图解严谨的科学实验，伯克黑德阐释了它们独特的外形和构造所具有的适应性意义。小小一枚鸟蛋，实际上是在多种自然选择的压力之下形成的完美产物。(DB)

Awards/获奖情况：◎媒体评论

这是一次激动人心的旅程，即便你不是鸟类爱好者，也可以畅读书中的故事。但若要送礼物给鸟类爱好者，这本书将是完美之选。——《柯克斯书评》

非常精彩！科学性强而富于思辨，但绝不高冷。书中的概念和表达通俗易懂，8岁的孩童也完全能够理解。——大卫·爱登堡爵士

伯克黑德的书不容错过。翻开它，享受其中蕴含的宝藏。——《博物学》杂志

伯克黑德对历史的再现和犀利的文风，让我对冰箱里必备的鸡蛋有了全新的认识。——约翰·马兹卢夫，《自然》杂志

著名生物学家蒂姆·伯克黑德擅长以一种生动幽默的方式解释复杂的科学原理。在这本书中，他将目光投向自然界最伟大的奇迹之一：鸟蛋。每年都有一卡车关于鸟类的书籍出版，但很少有人关注它们的蛋。这是我2016年读过的最好的鸟类学图书。——乔纳森·埃尔菲克，BBC野生动物频道

About the Author/作者介绍： 蒂姆·伯克黑德（Tim Birkhead）是英国谢菲尔德大学的教授，英国皇家学会会员，主要研究方向是动物行为和演化。在他的研究生涯中，伯克黑德曾前往世界各地去了解鸟类的生活。他曾为《独立报》、《新科学家》和《BBC野生动物》杂志撰写科普文章，著有《鸟的感官》《鸟的智慧》等多部科普图书。

Tim Birkhead is a professor at the University of Sheffield where he teaches animal behaviour and the history of science. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and his research has taken him all over the world in the quest to understand the lives of birds. He has written for the Independent, New Scientist, BBC Wildlife. Among his other books are Promiscuity, Great Auk Islands, The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Birds which won the McColvin medal, The Red Canary which won the Consul Cremer Prize, The Wisdom of Birds and Bird Sense. He is married with three children and lives in Sheffield.

Format:HARDCOVER

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE(到期可授)

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE(到期可授)

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