Bird Life. [Vogelleben] [The Study of Behavior; Courtship and Display; Nest Building and Brood Care; Sharing the Ecosystem; Bird Flight; Great Migrations; etc] [Rare Birds 24th Annual Holiday Banquet]

224 p. : 144 col. ill. ; 31 cm. ; ISBN: 0399113959 :; 9780399113956 LCCN: 74-80031 ; Translation of Vogelleben ; Jürgen Nicolai ; with an introd. by Konrad Lorenz ; [translated by Ronald Bryce for ELB Language Group, London]. ; Blue cloth with gold lettering in full color photographic dustjacket ; SIGNATURES of members of the Rare Birds, including millionaire Lipizzan owner and breeder, Tempel Smith, and Eduard Sperling, probably the hero of the Rape of Nanjing incident during World War II ; along with several photographs pasted into the book featuring an inebriated 1973 Nobel Prize winner and author, Konrad Lorenz, surrounded by a bevy of nearly nude belly dancers (!) at a wild party given at the Retreat on December 27th, 1974, and on a fishing expedition to Ontario and Wisconsin with Tempel Smith ; signatures by several prominent citizens ; first signature fold starting ; back hinge shaken ; a truly bizarre Nobel Prize winner collectible! ; G/VG.