A Naturalist in Costa Rica

This book is a record of the life, work, observations, and reflections of a naturalist who has spent 35 years in Costa Rica. He established his own homestead on a forested tract beside an impetuous mountain torrent, where he has lived for nearly three decades. The author deals chiefly with the Valley of El General, in the rainy southern Pacific portion of Costa Rica, where he has watched the conversion of a magnificent wilderness into a multitude of farms. he tells of the year he spent in the mountain forests following the complete nesting cycle of the Quetzal, the most splendid bird in the Western hemisphere. he writes of journeys over rough mountain trails, of life in the backwoods, of primitive agriculture on rough tropical lands, and of curious types of floral and animal behavior. A chapter is devoted to the hardy pioneers among whom the author lived during his early years in El General. An appendix contains a list of over three hundred species of birds that the author has identified in the Valley of El General, with notes on their status, habitat, and the changes they have undergone over the years. Alexander Skutch received his Ph.D. in botany from Johns Hopkins University. Before becoming a resident of Costa Rica, he was a botany instructor at the same university. he was a professor of ornithology at Universidad de Costa Rica in 1964, but since has worked independently. He is an elected Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union and was awarded its Brewster Medal. A complete bibliography of his may publications is included in the book.