Yawi the Wildcat.
Written and illustrated byMarijcke Jongbloed

"In the east the sky was showing the first signs of light. The dawn mist softened the outlines of the low dunes, that stretched in row after row, like the waves of a choppy sea."

So begins another Arabian wildlife story from the talented artist and author, Marijcke Jongbloed. As one has learned to expect from this author, the book is full of accurate wildlife observations while the story itself is both gripping and moving. Yawi, the central character, is a wildcat living in the UAE desert. Like all wild animals the young Yawi is also very much a part of the entire environment. The story begins in springtime, following a period when rain has fallen and ".....the thousands of seeds, that had lain in the sand for many years, became drenched. The seeds became soft and started to grow". It was, in the author's words, "the beginning of an explosion of life in the desert. The new shoots of plants were eaten by the hares, the flowers gave honey to bees and other insects. The seeds fed the gerbils, the jirds and the jerboas. The insects in their turn were eaten by lizards, hedgehogs and the colouful bee-eaters. The lizards, in turn, fed the shrikes and the owls, the snakes and the cats, who also caught the many small rodents."

Such lines are evocative reminders of just how inter-dependent animals and plants are within nature. The term 'ecosystem' is a cold scientific description of a phenomenon which Marijcke understands in all its intricacies and which moulds the very existence of her wildlife characters. There are many other players in her story and these are beautifully illustrated by her own drawings in both black ink and coloured pencil. I challenge anyone, of any age, living anywhere in the world, to read this book and not to be moved by the story of Yawi's life or by the delicate balance of his fragile world. Apart from being a wonderful tale, it also has a serious message and a plea for protection of wildcats in Arabia. Published with assistance from Swaidan Trading Co., Goodyear, and Monroe, this is a little classic that will run and run. Make sure that you obtain an early edition! If you are unable to track it down at the normal retail outlets. try writing to the Arabian Leopard Trust, P O Box 12119, Dubai; or fax 9714 -446191.

Whales and Dolphins along the Coast of Oman.
by Robert Baldwin and Rod Salm.

Greatest of all the beasts are the Whales,
for they shall not be measured by man,
In a world older and more absolute than ours,
With the waves they move, finished and complete,
Gifted with the extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained,
Living by voices we shall never hear.
Anna-Marie Baldwin.

This beautiful poem appears in the very welcome contribution to our knowledge of Oman's whales and dolphins. The book was reviewed in the previous issue of Arabian Wildlife.

Available from Natural History Book Service.

Emirates Bird Report
Emirates Bird Records Committee

For local information on bird-watching in the UAE consult the Emirates Bird Report, the 18th edition of which is presently available. This beautifully produced small volume, published by the Emirates Bird Records Committee (PO Box 50394, Dubai), contains data from the 1993 record keeping programme which is run on a voluntary basis by bird-watchers throughout the UAE. In addition it contains some very interesting feature articles covering subjects such as the spring migration of Lesser Kestrels through the UAE and northern Oman in 1994 as well as a number of first record accounts.

Tribulus
Bulletin of the Emirates Natural History Group ISSN 1019-6919

Volume 4, number 2 of this biannual publication was available at the time of going to press. Tribulus is a superb publication that covers a wide range of themes related to scientific studies of the UAE's environment, encompassing archaeology and natural history in all its forms. This particular issue has articles on investigations of a pre-Islamic Christian site on Sir Bani Yas; results of the 1994 archaeological season in Milheia; the Sabkhat Matti - a forgotten wadi system; Sooty Falcons in the UAE; impact of the April 1994 oil spill; together with a long list of regular features and news items. Further information can be obtained by writing to the Group at P O Box 2380, Abu Dhabi.

Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra
Volume 1
Edinburgh University Press. Edited by A.G.Miller and T.A.Cope

This is the first volume in a comprehensive six part series which charts the flora of the Arabian peninsula and the Socotran archipelago. It covers all native flowering plants and ferns as well as major cultivated and amenity plants. The work is based upon botanical collections and studies made in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, The Sultanate of Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. The first part of this volume gives a concise introduction including sections on topology and geology, climate, vegetation, floristics, phytogeography, and conservation. Part two begins the systematic study of the flora. Each species is separately mapped with notes on ecology and distribution. Illustrations and keys are provided to aid identification. With descriptions of around 700 species in each volume, this will become an essential reference source on Arabian flora, valuable to specialists and non-specialists alike. Volumes 1 to 4 of the series will cover the dicot families while volume 5 will be on the monocot families and volume 6 will provide a monographic introduction. (ISBN 0 7486 0475 8; 544 pages; 94 illustrations, 695 maps). Readers may order from Natural History Book Service and should mention the magazine when placing their order. At the time of going to press the final price of this book had not been confirmed but it will be in the region of stg£50. We hope to bring additional information on this important new title in future issues of Arabian Wildlife magazine.

Conservation and Biology of Desert Antelopes
Christopher Helm. Edited by Alexandra Dixon and David Jones.

Unlike the volume described above, this book has been around for several years, having been originally published in 1988. Given the paucity of literature in book form on Arabian gazelles and oryx however, we are bringing it to the attention of our readers since it remains a valuable reference source. The book's first part chronicles the successful intensive captive breeding and reintroduction programme for the Arabian oryx. Although the outline of the story is well known in conservation circles, the details still make rivetting reading. The first two chapters comprise Ian Grimwood's account of 'Operation Oryx' and Wayne Homan's story of how Riyadh, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Brownsville, Berlin, Antwerp, Zurich, and London Zoos, together with reserves in Arabia became involved in establishment of the 'World Herd'. The early stages of re-introduction of the Arabian oryx in Oman are described by Ralph Daly in the third chapter while Mark Stanley Price 's following chapter describes the field operations and research undertaken as part of the project established on the Jiddat-al-Harasis. The book also has valuable contributions on reintroduction of oryx in Jordan (by Maher Abu Jafar and Copelia Hays-Shahin); the oryx in captivity (David Jones); genetic status of the Arabian oryx (Georgina Mace); veterinary aspects (Richard Kock and Christine Hawkey); chemical immobilisation of oryx (M.H.Woodford and co-authors); social organization in oryx (Timothy Wacher); a chapter on wildlife and attitudes toward animals in Arabia (Jonathon Kingdon); an account of different responses of Arabian tahr and gazelle to protection from hunting in Oman (Paul Munton); a catalogue of the genus Gazella (Colin Groves) and an account on research and management of Arabian sand gazelles in the USA by Stephen Kingswood and Arlene Kumamoto. This is a serious book which is essential reading for all those who are involved in conservation or management of large mammals in Arabia.

ISBN: 0-7470-1604-6; £25. The book is still available from Natural History Book Service. Purchasers should mention Arabian Wildlife Magazine when placing their orders.

Mammals of the Southern Gulf
Motivate. Christian Gross.

This is another book that has been available for several years. The author has a sensitive feel for Arabian wildlife and has written a short but very interesting account of southern Arabian mammals that is full of his first-hand observations. It is refreshing to find accounts of species like the striped hyaena, fennec fox, Ruppell's fox, caracal lynx, wild cat, mongoose, hedgehogs, and mouse-tailed bats (to mention only some of those covered in the book) that are based upon personal field observations of live animals rather than desk studies of dead specimens. Both amateur naturalists and professional biologists will find this book to be a worthwhile addition to their libraries.

(Available at bookshops within the region and from Natural History Book Service. Price upon application.)

Seashells of Southern Arabia
Motivate. Donald and Eloise Bosch.

The authors are renowned for their long interest in Arabian wildlife and in particular for their study of southern Arabia's sea-shells. They have written other, more comprehensive books on the subject but this one is a valuable introduction for those who are seeking a simple straightforward account of what is what among the many seashells that are washed-up along the sea-shores of this region. Readers of Arabian Wildlife are definitely not encouraged to collect live shells but there are plenty of dead specimens that can provide endless hours of enjoyment and this book will help to heighten the pleasure of admiring nature, by helping to identify the individual species and providing information about each of them.

Available from Natural History Book Service. Price on application.

Desmond Morris's World of Animals
River Swift. Desmond Morris. Illustrated by Peter Barrett.

This is a book for children that adults will also enjoy. Although not specifically on Arabian wildlife, several of the accounts are pertinent to readers of this magazine and the younger reader will gain a fascinating insight into the wider picture of our natural world. The book addresses such questions as why do zebras have stripes; how camels travel for days in hot desert without drinking and just how fast can a cheetah run. This reviewer found great enjoyment in the beautiful paintings, and especially in the fascinating account of the humpback whale.

The Bird Atlas
Dorling Kindersley. Barbara Taylor. Illustrated by Richard Orr.

Which birds' eggs are so strong that ou could stand on them? What is bird's nest soup made from? What is the world's heaviest flying bird? These, and many more queries about our planet's birdlife are answered in this fascinating and magnificently illustrated book from the Dorling Kindersley stable. Unfortunately Arabia is not well covered but keen young bird-watchers resident in Arabia will still enjoy the book for the great variety and depth of information that it contains. Would it be too much to dream of such a book on Arabia's birds? Dorling Kindersley's books are in a class of their own and represent very good value for money. This one retails in the UK at £10.95 and is available from the Natural History Book Service. Readers ordering from them should mention Arabian Wildlife Magazine.