In Nesting Time

Harriet Mann MillerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 313K words
Chapters: 32

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.In Nesting Time by Olive Thorne MillerAuthor: Miller, Olive Thorne, 1831-1918,Language: English, Class: QL: Science: Zoology, Release Date: May 2, 2008

Editor's review

In Nesting Time is a work of nature observation by Olive Thorne Miller, structured around the nesting season and catalogued under zoology. The author's focus is not taxonomic listing but meticulous description of birds' nesting, chick-rearing, and other scenes of daily life, written in the warm tone of late nineteenth-century nature writing; it reads well as observational nature prose. As a public-domain Project Gutenberg ebook, it is easy to search and quote in fragments, making it suitable for enjoying nature writing, introducing nature topics in parent-child reading, or as a sample of early bird-observation writing. Read it slowly, following the author's order of observation and picturing each scene, while noting her anthropomorphic phrasing and period limitations; treat it as observation notes and literary text rather than a modern field guide.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nature essays and bird-watching sketches and are willing to read slowly and attentively
Parents and teachers seeking read-aloud material to introduce nature topics to children
Literature enthusiasts studying the nature-writing tradition who need early textual samples
General readers who want an easy introduction to basic zoology

Not a good fit for

Birders seeking modern identification information and field-guide procedures
Professional researchers expecting rigorous experimental data and current ecological conclusions
Readers who prefer fast-paced plots and have little patience for descriptive writing

Reading tips

Read in the order of the nesting season; after each chapter, recall similar scenes you have seen and compare them with the author's descriptions.
Keep a small observation notebook, record the bird behaviors mentioned in the book, and verify or add to them outdoors when possible.
For parent-child reading, read one selected passage aloud per session, then have the child retell the scene and share their own observations.
Treat it as a sample of nature writing and notice how the author orders observations and selects details.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a scientific work or a literary essay?

It is catalogued under zoology, but its approach is closer to observational nature prose, focusing on detailed descriptions of nesting and chick-rearing scenes rather than classification or data-based argument. Readers can treat it as a text combining natural knowledge with literary style, not as a modern field guide.

Is the bird knowledge in the book still accurate today?

The book was written long ago, and some observations and anthropomorphic explanations reflect the limitations of its time; they should not be taken directly as current ecological conclusions. Read it as observation notes and a writing sample, and check modern bird guides and references for specific species or behavior questions.

Is it suitable for children?

Its vivid scenes of nesting and chick-rearing make it good material for introducing nature topics in parent-child reading. Parents can read clearly written passages aloud and then guide children to retell the scene and connect it with outdoor observation; longer descriptive passages can be excerpted as needed.

What kind of reading does the electronic edition suit?

A public-domain ebook is easy to search and excerpt; it can be read chapter by chapter and passages copied for reading notes or classroom materials. It is best to skim the table of contents first to understand the structure, then choose chapters of interest for close reading rather than trying to finish it in one sitting.

Comments

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About the author

Harriet Mann Miller Author · American · 1831–1918

Olive Thorne Miller (1831–1918), born Harriet Mann Miller, was an American naturalist, ornithologist, and children's author from Auburn, New York. She was known for her vivid and carefully observed essays on birds, which brought field observations to general readers and young people. Six of her works are held in this collection, including A Bird-Lover in the West, In Nesting Time, The Children's Book of Birds, Kristy's Rainy Day Picnic, Upon The Tree-Tops, and Little Brothers of the Air, spanning bird-watching sketches and nature books for children. She was one of the earliest women members of the American Ornithologists' Union and had a notable influence in encouraging public appreciation of birds. Public information on her early education and detailed biography is limited.