Description: The companion volume to his popular Notes on Fishing, Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler is Sergei Aksakov's guide to the bird species of his native Russia.

Written in a style that invites comparison to the works of Gilbert White and Thomas Coward, Aksakov's volume combines a naturalist's sensibility with a literary skill that elevates the work beyond ordinary environmental writing. Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler is filled with precise descriptions of the various game that it treats: detailed accounts of the behavior of birds, observations on their life cycles, and lyrical discourses on the habitats -- marsh, water, and forest -- found in the author's home region.

Aksakov's deep fondness for his homeland permeates his Notes, and he contrasts a gentleman's affectionate observations on both hunter and hunted (Aksakov's passion for the habits and habitats of his subjects are in stark contrast with his enthusiasm for the shooting and eating of his quarry) with an expertly conveyed atmosphere of personal and national nostalgia.

Offering a rich multitude of viewpoints -- philosophical, literary, linguistic, ethnographic, and environmental -- Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler will appeal to a wide audience of readers, from birders to historians to those who relish fine literature.

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