food

Published by the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Walter Faxon’s (1848-1920) Notes on the Crayfishes in the United States National Museum and the Museum of Comparative Zoology is just as the title describes. Faxon, who succeeded Dr. Hermann Hagen as the head of the Museum of Comparative Zoology’s crustacean collection, is credited with identifying numerous new species of crayfish (or crawfish, as they are known in certain regions) and publishing over 20 academic articles.

All living things need energy to survive and thrive. Ultimately, all food energy starts with the sun (or, rarely, deep sea hydrothermal vents). Plants make their own food, through photosynthesis, from the energy of the sun. Things eat plants, and other things eat the things that eat the plants. And so on.

Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition is an indispensable reference for the staff and researchers in the Department of Nutrition at the National Zoological Park.  It analyzes the animals' needs for everything from macronutrients to vitamin and minerals, their gastrointestinal anatomy and function, digestion and nutrient metabolism, food intake and regulation, and much more.  The Department of Nutrition serves one of the most important roles for the Zoo:  the nutrition and feeding of the animals in the Zoo’s collection.  Not only does this department feed a very wide variety of species in

U. P. Hedrick was a horticulturist at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York in 1905 when he began writing the first of many monographs of fruit cultivars that could be grown in New York State.  The Grapes of New York is the first of his many works. The Smithsonian Libraries' Botany and Horticulture Library holds all of his works in print.  The works were classic references on the fruit cultivars of the period. These volumes are much sought after by pomologists and fruit enthusiasts for their detailed descriptions and beautiful artwork.

Equal parts science and culture, this charming book provides a scientific and gastronomic tour of the British Isles through the lens of Mollusca. The book describes both the appearance and habitat of various species of ‘British mollusks’ using their Latin (taxonomic) names, while also providing the reader with numerous variations on preparing these creatures for consumption. Recipes hail from all across Europe. The book features 12 colored plates and its cover is adorned with a golden snail upon a leaf.

Abraham Dee Bartlett (1812-1897) was a prominent taxidermist and superintendent of the London Zoological Gardens. He was in regular correspondence with Charles Darwin, and served Queen Victoria by taking care of her pet birds. Bartlett left a mixed legacy. He was a well-respected and influential scientist who was a noted expert on the care and keeping of wild animals, ultimately becoming a household name. However, he was also responsible for the sale of Jumbo, the African elephant, to P. T. Barnum, despite widespread protests. Bartlett later died on the zoo grounds.

When you visit a buffet, do you have a favorite strategy for filling up? What if instead of a long, single table, there are 3-4 stations? Only a handful of people at the buffet? Long lines? What if there were Tupperware available, so you could save food for later? How might each of these circumstances change your strategy? What if a hungry lion was in the room? How might that threat change things? As this book’s preface states “Foraging behavior has always been a central concern of ecology.