Our worst fears have come true. A captive mermaid has escaped into the wild, beginning the nightmare anew. But this isn't the only thing we have to contend with. Between civil unrest brewing in Mermaid Cove over the continuing deaths at sea, to the scientific community becoming involved with the capture of an infant mermaid, and sinister threats arriving at my doorstep in the form of anonymous letters, it seems nothing can get worse than it already is. I know, deep down, that this is only the beginning. It is up to me to stop the breeding season from happening.
Dagana wasn't the last of her kind. I learn this the hard way when I witness a mermaid kill a surfboarder just off the coast of Mermaid Cove. With my small town in panic, and my future threatened as a result, I task myself with solving the town's mermaid problem. The only problem? Events beyond my control leave all seeming lost—at least until I receive a mysterious letter from someone who claims to know not only about the mermaids, but a way to potentially rid us of their presence. As the body count continues to rise, it becomes apparent that this one is smarter, faster, and far more dangerous than her predecessor. And worst yet: she’s out for blood.
I have always loved the ocean. Beautiful and tranquil, it seems like it can do absolutely no harm. Until the night my parents go missing, and then are subsequently found dead. Both have been viciously mauled by something off the Gulf—something even the medical examiner claims is an ‘unknown animal.’ But the worst part? I swear I saw something in the water the night they were both killed. But this is no chance occurrence. As the body count begins to rise, and as more tragedies unfold, I realize that something has to be done. Someone has to hunt down, and kill, the monster of Mermaid Cove. That someone is me.
While Denis Summers-Smith's monograph The Sparrows presented his knowledge of sparrow biology, this volume tells the other, human, side of the tale. Denis Summers-Smith first took up the study of the House Sparrow in 1947, thinking that the difficulties of travel in post-war Britain would best suit the study of a species always close at hand. The humble House Sparrow, common everywhere, was surprisingly poorly researched and his work soon provided interesting insights into this successful and adaptable little bird. As new opportunities to travel opened up, his interest blossomed to take in the genus Passer as a whole. His travels would ultimately lead to his study of all but one of the group, found only in deepest Turkestan, and to the publication of his authoritative monograph on sparrows in 1988. His wry descriptions of the tribulations and unexpected pleasures of a traveller on four continents, from the Himalayas and Thailand to Africa and the Americas (with a good few islands in between), are interspersed with observations and speculations on the biology of sparrows in a wide variety of habitats. Everywhere local officials and bird watchers warmed to the eccentric Scot in pursuit of the little birds that nobody notices but which so often make their homes beside us. The author's own photographs and delightful cartoons by Euan Dunn further paint the picture of this lifelong search.
Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding describes breeds of livestock worldwide as well as a range of breed-related subjects such as husbandry, health and behaviour. This definitive and prestigious reference work presents easily accessible information on domestication (including wild ancestors and related species), genetics and breeding, livestock produce and markets, as well as breed conservation and the cultural and social aspects of livestock farming. Written by renowned livestock authorities, these volumes draw on the authors' lifelong interest and involvement in livestock breeds of the world, presenting a unique, comprehensive and fully cross-referenced guide to cattle, buffalo, horses, pigs, sheep, asses, goats, camelids, yak and other domesticants.
Despite their rich fossil history, there are only four surviving species of sirenians or sea cows, the only fully aquatic herbivorous mammals. The three species of manatees and the dugong live in the coastal waters rivers and lakes of more than 80 tropical and subtropical countries and are all on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This book examines sirenian conservation biology through the lens of their behavioral ecology and ethology. Sirenian feeding, diving, movement, social and reproductive behaviors are reviewed by an international team of scientists from eight countries, with an emphasis on data gathered in the past 15 years.
