In this Book

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"Spring on the Sonoran Desert can be a four-month-long spectacle of life and color. Within these well-written pages, Alcock exposes us to the plant and animal life of a land many regard as desolate. To Alcock, the desert has a constant evolutionary beauty he never seems to tire of. Alcock's approach to his subject is an elegant combination of science and literature. Only the desert itself, arrayed in its April apparel, can rival the beauty of this book."—Arizona Highways

"Deserts are not as bereft of life as they seem; their barren landscapes can support a remarkable variety of plant and animal life, though it may require a patient and skilled naturalist to reveal its mysteries. John Alcock is just such a naturalist. . . . Alcock provides delightful insights into how insects provision their developing young, how parasites find their victims and how flowers attract pollinators. A book of this kind allows its author, more accustomed to the rigours and constraints of writing academic papers and books, to relate revealing anecdotes and simply to express their fascinating for natural history. . . . Books such as this serve a vital function in bringing the mysteries of the desert to the attention of a wider public." —Times Literary Supplement

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Title Page, Copyright
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  1. Contents
  2. p. vii
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  1. Preface to the Second Edition
  2. pp. ix-x
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  1. The Sonoran Desert
  2. pp. 1-3
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  1. Usery Ridge
  2. pp. 4-8
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  1. February
  1. Three Robins
  2. pp. 11-14
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  1. White-throated Swifts
  2. pp. 15-17
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  1. Clouds
  2. p. 18
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  1. March
  1. The Great Purple Hairstreak
  2. pp. 21-26
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  1. Tarantula Hawks
  2. pp. 27-32
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  1. Diamondbacks
  2. pp. 33-36
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  1. April
  1. Desert Annuals
  2. pp. 39-43
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  1. Brittlebush
  2. pp. 44-51
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  1. Desert Tortoise
  2. pp. 52-55
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  1. Hedgehog Cacti
  2. pp. 56-58
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  1. Varmint Hunters and Other Gunners
  2. pp. 59-60
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  1. Collared Peccaries
  2. pp. 61-66
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  1. May
  1. Gambel's Quail
  2. pp. 69-72
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  1. Palo Verde
  2. pp. 73-77
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  1. Digger Bees
  2. pp. 78-83
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  1. Ravens
  2. p. 84
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  1. Saguaro
  2. pp. 85-90
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  1. Teddy-bear Cholla
  2. pp. 91-95
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  1. Tiger Whiptails
  2. pp. 96-100
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  1. Horned Lizards and Harvester Ants
  2. pp. 101-104
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  1. Wood Rats
  2. pp. 105-110
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  1. June
  1. Summer
  2. pp. 113-114
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  1. A New Spring
  1. Giant Saguaro
  2. pp. 117-120
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  1. Appendix
  2. pp. 121-122
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  1. Scientific Names of Some Frequently Mentioned Species
  2. pp. 123-124
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  1. Selected Biography
  2. pp. 125-130
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 131-134
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  1. About the Author
  2. p. 135
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