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American Society of Mammalogists
Review
Reviewed Work(s): Walker's Mammals of the World by R. M. Nowak and J. L. Paradiso
Review by: J. Knox Jones, Jr.
Source:
Journal of Mammalogy,
Vol. 65, No. 1 (Feb., 1984), p. 171
Published by: American Society of Mammalogists
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1381225
Accessed: 09-07-2020 19:10 UTC
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REVIEWS REVIEWS
J. Mamm., 65(1):171, 1984
Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. WALKER'S MAMMALS OF THE WORLD. The Johns Hopkins Univ. Press,
Baltimore, 4th ed., 1:i-xlvi + 1-568 + xlvii-xli and 2:i-x + 569-1362 + xi-xxv, illustrated, 1983. Price (cloth),
$65.00.
This work represents an updated and expanded version of Mammals of the World by Ernest P. Walker
and associates, the first three editions of which appeared in 1964, 1968, and 1975 (see reviews by Setzer, J.
Mamm., 46:710, 1965, and Findley, J. Mamm., 57:420-421, 1976). As noted in the Foreword (p. xi) by E.
R. Hall, "The uniqueness and value [of earlier volumes] have been maintained . . ., but the authors have so
greatly altered the text and expanded the photographic coverage that the work properly bears its own title."
According to the compilers, the text of the two volumes has been increased by about 50 percent over that
of the 1975 edition, by changes in format (no partly blank pages in accounts, smaller type face) and content,
and by the addition of many new photographs. A number of the suggestions made by reviewers of earlier
editions have been addressed. There is an account for each Recent mammalian order and family (except
where monotypic), and, as in the past, an emphasized treatment of genera (with a list of included species),
accompanied by a variety of black-and-white illustrations, many of which are excellent but a few of which
are redundant. A chart entitled "World distribution of genera of Recent mammals" appears on pp. xix-
xliv. The extensively cited literature is listed in the second volume only (pp. 1307-1362), but a Roman-
paged contents to the entire work appears at the beginning of each volume and a similarly paged index to
the entire work is found at the end of each.
Among the taxonomic categories recognized are 19 orders, 134 families, 1,018 genera, and 4,154 species.
These were gleaned from published sources, of which those that were especially helpful are identified in
the Introduction. The checklist by Corbet and Hill (A World List of Mammalian Species, British Mus.
(Nat. Hist.), viii + 226 pp., 1980) became available at a time when the work was about half completed, and
thus was used "to check our own compilation and as a guide to additional literature, but not as a primary
source." Also, obviously, Honacki et al. (Mammal Species of the World, Allen Press, Inc., and Assoc. Syst.
Collections, ix + 694 pp., 1982) was unavailable to the authors at the time of preparation of the manuscript.
Readers will find some disagreement as to recognizable taxa among the three (and other) publications.
Particularly notable among higher categories is the inclusion by Nowak and Paradiso of the elephant
shrews in Insectivora and the tree shrews in Primates (both now are generally recognized as separate orders);
recognition of the Pinnipedia as an order separate from Carnivora; and failure to regard the two great
whale groups as distinct orders. No doubt users will note other infelicities involving assemblages with which
they have a special interest. Occasionally, conflicting vernacular names are employed. For example, the
black-tailed prairie dog is referred to as the "plains prairie dog" in figure legends on pp. 505 and 506, and
the red squirrel is termed the "eastern red squirrel" in a legend on p. 518. Consistency would have been
desirable.
This is an extremely valuable two-volume set and will prove to be a needed, if not indispensible, reference
for most teachers and students of mammalogy. Those in many related professions also will find it quite
useful. This reviewer certainly can recommend it highly to readers of the Journal of Mammalogy. Aside
from the tremendous assortment of detailed information on mammals contained in the new edition, it is
noteworthy for a pleasing and attractive format and many fine photographs. The price is reasonable,
particularly at the prepublication rate of $52.00-J. KNOX JONES, JR., The Museum and Department of
Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409.
J. Mamm., 65(1):171-172, 1984
Powell, R. A. THE FISHER: LIFE HISTORY, ECOLOGY, AND BEHAVIOR. Univ. Minnesota Press, xvi + 217
pp., 1982. Price, $19.50
The Fisher is an attractive, hard cover book consisting of 10 chapters, including 15 tables, 61 figures and
308 references. The author's intimate knowledge of fishers and his love for them become evident in a 512
page preface relating his experiences and personal feelings while rearing two of his captives.
Seven chapters are devoted to topics often found in species accounts. Included is the most up-to-date,
171
J. Mamm., 65(1):171, 1984
Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. WALKER'S MAMMALS OF THE WORLD. The Johns Hopkins Univ. Press,
Baltimore, 4th ed., 1:i-xlvi + 1-568 + xlvii-xli and 2:i-x + 569-1362 + xi-xxv, illustrated, 1983. Price (cloth),
$65.00.
This work represents an updated and expanded version of Mammals of the World by Ernest P. Walker
and associates, the first three editions of which appeared in 1964, 1968, and 1975 (see reviews by Setzer, J.
Mamm., 46:710, 1965, and Findley, J. Mamm., 57:420-421, 1976). As noted in the Foreword (p. xi) by E.
R. Hall, "The uniqueness and value [of earlier volumes] have been maintained . . ., but the authors have so
greatly altered the text and expanded the photographic coverage that the work properly bears its own title."
According to the compilers, the text of the two volumes has been increased by about 50 percent over that
of the 1975 edition, by changes in format (no partly blank pages in accounts, smaller type face) and content,
and by the addition of many new photographs. A number of the suggestions made by reviewers of earlier
editions have been addressed. There is an account for each Recent mammalian order and family (except
where monotypic), and, as in the past, an emphasized treatment of genera (with a list of included species),
accompanied by a variety of black-and-white illustrations, many of which are excellent but a few of which
are redundant. A chart entitled "World distribution of genera of Recent mammals" appears on pp. xix-
xliv. The extensively cited literature is listed in the second volume only (pp. 1307-1362), but a Roman-
paged contents to the entire work appears at the beginning of each volume and a similarly paged index to
the entire work is found at the end of each.
Among the taxonomic categories recognized are 19 orders, 134 families, 1,018 genera, and 4,154 species.
These were gleaned from published sources, of which those that were especially helpful are identified in
the Introduction. The checklist by Corbet and Hill (A World List of Mammalian Species, British Mus.
(Nat. Hist.), viii + 226 pp., 1980) became available at a time when the work was about half completed, and
thus was used "to check our own compilation and as a guide to additional literature, but not as a primary
source." Also, obviously, Honacki et al. (Mammal Species of the World, Allen Press, Inc., and Assoc. Syst.
Collections, ix + 694 pp., 1982) was unavailable to the authors at the time of preparation of the manuscript.
Readers will find some disagreement as to recognizable taxa among the three (and other) publications.
Particularly notable among higher categories is the inclusion by Nowak and Paradiso of the elephant
shrews in Insectivora and the tree shrews in Primates (both now are generally recognized as separate orders);
recognition of the Pinnipedia as an order separate from Carnivora; and failure to regard the two great
whale groups as distinct orders. No doubt users will note other infelicities involving assemblages with which
they have a special interest. Occasionally, conflicting vernacular names are employed. For example, the
black-tailed prairie dog is referred to as the "plains prairie dog" in figure legends on pp. 505 and 506, and
the red squirrel is termed the "eastern red squirrel" in a legend on p. 518. Consistency would have been
desirable.
This is an extremely valuable two-volume set and will prove to be a needed, if not indispensible, reference
for most teachers and students of mammalogy. Those in many related professions also will find it quite
useful. This reviewer certainly can recommend it highly to readers of the Journal of Mammalogy. Aside
from the tremendous assortment of detailed information on mammals contained in the new edition, it is
noteworthy for a pleasing and attractive format and many fine photographs. The price is reasonable,
particularly at the prepublication rate of $52.00-J. KNOX JONES, JR., The Museum and Department of
Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409.
J. Mamm., 65(1):171-172, 1984
Powell, R. A. THE FISHER: LIFE HISTORY, ECOLOGY, AND BEHAVIOR. Univ. Minnesota Press, xvi + 217
pp., 1982. Price, $19.50
The Fisher is an attractive, hard cover book consisting of 10 chapters, including 15 tables, 61 figures and
308 references. The author's intimate knowledge of fishers and his love for them become evident in a 512
page preface relating his experiences and personal feelings while rearing two of his captives.
Seven chapters are devoted to topics often found in species accounts. Included is the most up-to-date,
171
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