Animals In Action

by Gayle Pickwell, Ph.D.

Front Cover:

This is a wonderful old book about animals. It was published in 1940 by Whittlesy House, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London. The book measures 9 inches by 11 ½ inches and contains 190 pages. The gray cloth cover shows minor signs of wear to the edges, corners and to the top and bottom of the spine. The spine is tight and the hinges are strong. The pages are printed on good quality, glossy paper and show no signs of rips. The reverse side of the photographs are blank. The book contains 68 vintage black and white photographs. There is a personal book plate on the inside front cover from a previous owner. Exceptions noted, the overall condition of this wonderful old book is very good.

Spine

Title Page

Title Page - Verso

Contents:

1. Why Know Animals?
2. Animals At Home
3. Animals As Parents
4. Animals Growing Up
5. Animals Getting Food
6. Animal Protection
7. Animals Getting Air
8. Animals Getting About
9. Animal Kinds
10. How To Know Animals
Index

Frontispiece – Materials from a Monarch Butterfly farm.

Excerpt - Preface:
Animals in Action puts its emphasis on the activities that animals present in living. The portion of the book dealing with animal parents considers the broad topic of animal reproduction. It takes up the subject of parenthood, from simple animals to the highest. The parental behavior of lowly animals, such as spiders, yellow jackets, and a deer mouse, is emphasized.

Many animals are shown growing up. They range through the snowshoe rabbit young, which grow up merely by growing, through that mystery of never-ending fascination, the metamorphosis of a butterfly passing from the caterpillar through pupa to adult.

Animals get many different foods in many different ways. Some protect themselves by “freezing,” as does the lovely spotted fawn. Some disappear, though still in view, as does the Horned Lark on her nest. Animals get air by means of gills, by means of thickened toes, but chiefly through their skins. Animals get about by walking on threads of silk, by sliding on slime, by walking flat-footed, by walking on toes, by walking on toe nails.

A survey of the animal kingdom is given, using the animals illustrated in the book as examples. Some problems of animal homes are discussed early in the book and methods of studying them are given.

The illustrations were procured in many regions. With but one or two exceptions, the animals were alive when photographed. The methods of the photography are discussed in the last chapter.
Thanks are due Mrs. Eva McRae, who conducted the butterfly farm, assisted with the photography, and kept the experimental records that produced the Monarch story.

Gayle Pickwell.
End excerpt