Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler

One of nineteenth-century Russia’s finest prose writers, Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov’s “Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler” is companion to his popular “Notes on Fishing” and a classic of nature writing. “Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler” is filled with precise descriptions of bird behavior, observations of their life cycles, and lyrical discourses on the habitats of the Russian steppe. Aksakov’s nostalgic fondness for his homeland permeates his “Notes, ” and his passion for the habits of his subjects provides a stark contrast with his enthusiasm for the shooting–and eating–of his quarry.