Upon the Tree-Tops

Harriet Mann MillerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 320K 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.Upon The Tree-Tops by Olive Thorne MillerAuthor: Miller, Olive Thorne, 1831-1918,Language: English, Class: QL: Science: Zoology, Release Date: Feb 13, 2010

Editor's review

Upon The Tree-Tops is a work by the late nineteenth-century American nature writer Olive Thorne Miller, a collection of bird-watching essays classified under zoology (QL). With delicate prose the author records the daily activities of birds in the tree canopy, turning observed behavior into highly readable natural narrative that combines literary charm with natural-history value. Unlike taxonomic literature, the book focuses not on identification and naming but on the process of watching birds itself: it shows how an early natural observer patiently tracked, described, and understood bird life. For today's readers it is both a natural-history text with a distinct period flavor and a gentle model for learning to observe nature quietly. The English original carries a nineteenth-century prose style, with rather long sentences and elegant diction, requiring some patience in English reading. It suits short bedtime-style nature reading, or browsing as reference material for nature writing and the history of natural history, rather than a systematic bird guide or identification manual.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nature writing and natural-history essays and are willing to read English prose slowly
Researchers interested in the nineteenth-century American tradition of nature observation and bird narrative
General readers seeking gentle reading to cultivate the habit of quiet observation of nature
Students needing early natural-history texts for nature literature courses

Not a good fit for

Birdwatchers who need accurate species identification, distribution, and morphological data
Readers expecting modern ornithology textbooks or guide-style reference books
Beginners with limited English reading stamina who prefer short sentences and fast-paced content

Reading tips

Read in chapters or separate pieces, a small section at a time, ideally paired with outdoor observation notes.
Note unfamiliar bird names first, then check modern bird guides or name lists to confirm the corresponding species.
Pay attention to the author's observation methods and narrative perspective, and use them as a model for practicing nature writing.
There are many long English sentences; read for the gist of a paragraph first, then return to the detailed descriptions, without checking every word.

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

Can this book be used to identify birds?

No. It is a collection of nature observation essays focused on recording bird behavior and scenes of their life; it does not provide systematic identification keys, distribution maps, or morphological measurements. For species identification, use it alongside modern bird guides or professional name lists.

Is the English original difficult to read?

The language has a nineteenth-century prose style, with rather long sentences and elegant diction, posing some challenge to modern readers. Read it in short sections, grasp the main idea of each paragraph first, then savor the detailed descriptions; there is no need to check every word—reading smoothly is enough.

How is this book different from ordinary popular bird science?

It is closer to the observation notes of an early naturalist, mainly narrative and descriptive, with a distinct period style and personal perspective. Compared with modern popular science, it offers not a systematic framework of knowledge but a demonstration of the attitude and methods of observing nature.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

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.