LEWES, Del., March 13, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Serious birders and novices alike can thank dedicated scientists for the images and information that make field experiences so rewarding. Experiences of an Ornithologist along the Highways and Byways of Bolivia: Collecting Birds in an Isolated, Magnificent Land in the Nineteen Thirties (now available through AuthorHouse), by naturalist Melbourne Armstrong Carriker Jr., invites readers on three expeditions into the lowlands and mountains of South America, where they witness firsthand the excitement and danger of field biology.
Experiences of an Ornithologist along the Highways and Byways of Bolivia is the extraordinary account of Carriker's adventures in the country between 1934 and 1938. The curator of birds at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, he made a series of three expeditions to South America to collect a total of 8,705 specimens, including some that were new to science, and many new species of lice taken from the birds' feathers.
Carriker's flair for narration, attention to detail and fondness of the people he met color the pages of this book, while alternating humor and poignancy entertain a wide range of readers, from ornithology students to casual birders to history buffs to adventure enthusiasts. They join Carriker and his assistants from lush, steaming jungles to frozen mountain valleys and experience the crew's exhilarating moments, crushing frustrations and incredible dangers. Memorable encounters with local residents and expedition members also unfold in vivid detail.
Edited and published posthumously by the author's son, Melbourne Romaine Carriker, the book contains additional photographs and tables, which enhance the naturalist's original, captivating text.
Carriker Jr. was born in Illinois in 1879 and spent his early childhood in Nebraska with his father, a country doctor, and his foster mother. Here, he developed strong interests in ornithology and entered the University of Nebraska. He completed only two years before embarking on expeditions in Costa Rica, Venezuela and Colombia. He remained in Colombia, where he married Carmela, the daughter of an American coffee plantation owner. He developed his own plantation and continued to collect birds and their parasites on the side. In 1927, he and his family immigrated to the United States, where he became an ornithologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He later divorced, returned to Colombia and remarried, spending the rest of his life immersed in the work he loved.
The author's son, Carriker, published this book to honor his father's work. He is also the author of Vista Nieve (English and Spanish editions), Taming of the Oyster and The Bird Call of the Rio Beni.
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