Animals of New Zealand 
By Sheila Natusch
Published 1967, First edition
Hardcover book with pencil illustrations throughout / some age spotting.
There has been a long-felt need for a comprehensive reference book
on the animal life of New Zealand to serve as a companion volume to Laing and Black-well's well known Plants of New Zealand.
Sheila Natusch, no scientist turned writer, but an arts graduate with interest in natural history', has now filled this gap. In a book designed more for the general reader and young people than for the specialist she has succeeded in giving a complete coverage of a vast subject, dealing with all our native animals in turn and accurately showing all their tamily groups and relationships. Her style throughout is engaging and unsolemn, making for a text which can be casily read and understood while remaining technically sound. Not only that, but she has illustrated most of the creatures discussed, her sketches in the main being done from life. These, she feels, are better than formal diagrams in a book of this type-giving a quick impression of movement, attitude and character, rather than fussing too much over detail'.
A glossary of scientific terms and a full index of both common and scientific names add greatly to the book's general usefulness. In addition, guides to further reading are appended to each section of the text to assist those who wish to gain more specialised knowledge of particular groups.
As L. W. McCaskill writes in his Fore-word, 'This is a book primarily for young people and for those who live and work with young people. It should be in every family home; it should be in every school; it should be used by every student in our teachers' colleges