The Journal of San Diego History
SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
Winter 1985, Volume 31, Number 1
Thomas L. Scharf, Editor
Book Notes
Raymond Starr, Book Review Editor
The Birds of San Diego County. By Philip Unitt. San Diego: San Diego Society of Natural History, 1984. Maps. Illustrations. Color Plates. Index. 276 pages. $20.00 Cloth. $14.00 Paper.
While it is true that Birds of San Diego County is not a history book, that does not mean it is not of interest to historians. To really understand the past of an area, historians should have a firm grounding in the natural setting. This book contains an excellent short introduction (with maps) of the geography and the vegetation of San Diego County. It would be hard to find a better starting point for researching those topics. There is also bibliographical material which will be of value to historians. (Aside from all of that, the book is primarily a beautifully illustrated account of the species of birds found in San Diego and is essentially designed for the ornithologist.)