Discovery

WHAT'S ON THE BEACH -- A GUIDE TO COASTAL MARINE LIFE by Glenys Stace; Viking (Penguin), 1997; 67 pp; $24.95

Vicki Hyde, NZSM

Buy What's on the Beach for your bach/crib or to throw in the car for next time you (or your class) go to the beach. You'll be able to wax forth about how that ram's horn shell is really the flotation control for a small squid, and that the biscuit shell was probably nibbled by a paddle crab trying to get in for lunch! It is nice to be able to put a name to a long-familiar creature, and have a greater understanding of what they're up to when you're not there.

The book itself is very well-produced, with large clear photos, excellent scale diagrams and cleverly designed identification charts that make it easy to sort out what it is you are trying to identify. The text is straightforward and just long enough to whet the appetite. I'm pleased Stace included Maori names, as this is often overlooked, and the use of a general as well as a scientific index makes looking up things simple for beach wanderer and marine biologist alike.

If you want to supplement the book, find space to put up the New Zealand's Rocky Shore poster released by Reed ($7.95). It is a good quick reference to some of the more common things to be found lurking in rock pools around the coast. Dave Gunson's artwork makes the denizens of this jam-packed pool easily recognisable, though it may take you a while to spot the chocolate fish.

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.