PUBLICATIONS
& THE WEB

A GUIDE TO THE REPTILES OF BELIZE, by PETER STAFFORD & JOHN R. MEYER

A complete guide to the reptiles of Belize, this book provides detailed information about local variations, distribution, and ecology. It includes useful identification keys, numerous diagrams and line drawings, and over 180 lavish colour photographs clearly documenting nearly every species. It also features a comprehensive section on snakebites with up-to-date information on first aid and treatment.

This colourful guide to the scaly denizens of Belize will appeal to anyone planning a Central American visit as well as anyone generally interested in herpetology. "A Guide to the Reptiles of Belize" will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested in reptiles, especially those of Belize or any other Central American locale. Published by Academic Press in association with The Natural History Museum, London.

Key Features - Complete hand-size reference to crocodiles, turtles, lizards, and snakes in Belize provides numerous drawings, diagrams, and over 180 colour photographs representing 113 species; gives identification keys for all species; includes a detailed section on snake bites with up-to-date information on first aid, use of antivenom, and clinical treatment.

ISBN: 0126627606 Price: 37.95. Format: Paperback. Size: 450 pp. Published: December 1999. Subject classification: Popular science, natural history, reptiles and amphibians. Order from: Academic Press.

LICHENS, by WILLIAM PURVIS

From rocky coast, urban churchyard to mountain summit, lichens abound. Each lichen is a mini-ecosystem once likened to 'a union between a captive algal damsel and tyrant fungal master'. The delicate balance between partners, easily upset by environmental disturbance, provides us with practical tools to assess the effects of air pollution, radioactive fall-out and climate change.

Lichenologist William Purvis explores their strange life-style, amazing diversity and ecological importance. He explains how the rewards of understanding biodiversity are great and may lead to technological developments in medicine, metal prospecting and pollution control. Ideas for practical projects are outlined. Packed with stunning photographs 'Lichens' reveals the varied and intriguing world of these fascinating organisms.

Key features A unique guide, the first of its kind to explore the fascinating world of lichens Packed with stunning photos - Provides new information on economic uses and project ideas 9.95 0 565 09153 0 Paperback September 2000 203 x 254 mm 112 pp Colour throughout, US Smithsonian.

SIR HANS SLOANE & PAUL HERMANN DATABASES ON-LINE

Two new projects have been recently completed within the Botany Department. Following on from the success of the digitisation of the John Clayton herbarium, housed within the Department's collections, two further historical herbaria have now also been digitised. Using and improving upon the protocols developed during the Clayton project, seven volumes from the Sir Hans Sloane herbarium and the complete, bound Paul Hermann herbarium have recently been digitised. As with Clayton, the complete set of images has now been placed on the web along with searchable databases.

The seven Sloane volumes contain mainly Jamaican plant specimens, the first to reach this country from that region, and are of major historical and scientific importance.

The Paul Hermann herbarium is one of the first major botanical collections from the East Indies. In addition, Linnaeus studied it thoroughly, using it as the basis for his Flora Zeylanica, and the collection contains many important type specimens.

Previously both herbaria were accessible only by visiting the Museum in person. It is now hoped that presentation of digital images on the web, together with associated data, will vastly improve the accessibility of the collections, whilst at the same time enhancing their conservation.

The completion of these projects means the Department now has images of nearly 4,000 important botanical specimens presented on the web. The Department is also currently in the process of digitising the George Clifford herbarium, another major historical collection also studied by Linnaeus. This consists of over 3,000 specimens and will be presented on the web in a similar format together with an extensive searchable database. Both sites can be accessed by using the following addresses:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/botany/databases/sloane/index.htm http://www.nhm.ac.uk/botany/databases/hermann/index.htm

EXTERNAL WEB REVIEWS

About Botany http://botany.about.com/science/botany With articles such as "You can't kill a redwood",and "Learn the truth about some common plant myths", this site has a wealth of information. Although simplistic, and somewhat North American based, it is well presented and has many useful links, e.g. the BGSU Algal Image Archive (a large collection of diatom images). The subjects covered include:

The Flora of Maltese Walls http://opus.tu-bs.de/opus/volltexte/1999/55/ This esoteric site is an account of the flora and vegetation of walls in Malta. Some 140 species! Comes as a pdf file.

GardenWeb http://www.gardenweb.com/ The internet's garden community, with a forum, gardening tips, and a glossary of 2100 botanical terms, this site looked very promising. But with the competition (e.g. "If you're the type of gardener who knows the difference between a geranium and a Geranium"), we doubt it has much to offer the experienced botanist, though it could be of interest to gardeners and professional horticulturists.