How to tell the Birds from the Flowers, and other Wood-cuts A Revised Manual of Flornithology for Beginners

"How to tell the Birds from the Flowers, and other Wood-cuts" by Robert Williams Wood is a whimsical, illustrated manual of flornithology intended for beginners, written in the early 20th century. This unique work merges elements of humor with educational content, focusing on distinguishing various birds from flowers and other botanical elements. It employs a playful tone to explore natural science in a way that is accessible and entertaining. The book consists of a series of delightful verses and illustrations that humorously contrast various birds and plants, highlighting their similarities and differences. Each pairing, such as "The Crow. The Crocus" and "The Pecan. The Toucan," is presented with witty poetry that captures both the essence and folly of common misconceptions about nature. Through this engaging format, Wood not only educates readers about ornithology and botany but also invites them to appreciate the quirks and intricacies of the natural world, making it a charming read for both children and adults. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Robert Williams Wood was an American physicist and inventor who made pivotal contributions to the field of optics. He pioneered infrared and ultraviolet photography. Wood's patents and theoretical work inform modern understanding of the physics of ultraviolet light, and made possible myriad uses of UV fluorescence which became popular after World War I. He published many articles on spectroscopy, phosphorescence, diffraction, and ultraviolet light.