Sunday, July 01, 2012

A Naturalist in Borneo - An understanding of nature


Last week’s article on Robert WC Shelford led me on a search for his influential book, ‘A Naturalist in Borneo’, which was first published in 1916 and most recently in 1999 by Natural History Publications in Kota Kinabalu.

This book, one of Shelford’s many legacies, laid some of the groundwork that led to the development of the understanding of the complexities of the natural world. His friend and mentor, Edward B Poulton, actually completed the book as Shelford passed away from tuberculosis at the young age of 39.

Poulton, in addition to editing and painstakingly adding the professional touches, included some biographical information about the author, who as a sickly child in Singapore developed an interest in natural history.

Shelford’s passion for all that composes the natural world – in particular animals – are at the very core of this ground-breaking book. In the first chapter on mammals, Shelford delights readers with accounts of his personal encounters and those of his peers with the exotic apes and monkeys of Sarawak. He starts with the majestic, now endangered, orangutans working his way through the orders.

Detailed descriptions are prevalent through fluid writing. His description of the Bornean lemur – including habitat, feeding habitats and skeletal descriptions – are in depth. In addition, he pulls from personal accounts to draw in readers. Descriptions and accounts lead us through chapters on birds, snakes and other reptiles, which include crocodiles, turtles and tortoises.

The next chapters focus on the insect world starting with despised cockroaches. The readers, us, are gently reminded that cockroaches, sometimes called black beetles, are ecologically important and most species are not found in our kitchens. He delves into the mysteries of praying mantises and other stick insects, all of which are members of the Dictyoptera family. The clear and precise observations enable readers to fully appreciate this group. The following chapters deal with beetles and ants and plants. He sets out a hypothesis on evolution and the benefits of the relationship between plants and ants, including shelter and nutrition.

Observation within the insect world was central to Shelford’s study on mimicry with an entire chapter devoted to animals, mostly insects, which attempt to escape from predators by pretending to be something else that is dangerous and poisonous. This tactic scares away predators, which may remember the bad taste. Shelford discusses this phenomenon across a range of species before next inviting us to join the journeys he made.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: A Naturalist in Borneo - An understanding of nature
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