Edward Step
Encyclopedia
Edward Step was the author of books on various aspects of nature
. He produced many books on insects, shellfish
, trees and flowers, which were published between 1896 and 1940. Those on flowers were beautifully illustrated, some if not all by Mabel Emily Step (his daughter - b 1881). These include a ‘pocket guide’ entitled Wayside and Wayside Blossoms published in 1905.
When Arthur Mee
produced the first edition of his famous Children's Encyclopædia - initially as a fortnightly series from 1908 till 1910 - he asked Edward Step to contribute the articles on "Plant Life". These provided a comprehensive and interesting survey of all the common plants in Britain and many less well-known ones, giving an incentive to young readers to take an intelligent interest in the natural history
of the world around him. There were numerous illustrations, but they consisted exclusively of photographs in black-and-white
(attributed to a Edward Connold).
Illustrations from Step’s first work of 1896, Favourite Flowers of the Garden and Greenhouse, have been reproduced on some internet websites.
Although a careful naturalist, Step overstepped the mark by creating the myth of a mouse-eating grasshopper in his book Marvels of Insect Life (1915) where he wrote :"In the British Museum (Natural History) there is a specimen of one of the largest known locust
s, which was received from a missionary in the Congo Free State
a few years ago, who had taken it in the act of feasting upon a mouse it had caught. ... The locust in question does not confine its attention to mice; large spiders, beetles and other insects, and probably small nestling birds serve it equally for food." No grasshopper is however known to feed on mice.
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. He produced many books on insects, shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
, trees and flowers, which were published between 1896 and 1940. Those on flowers were beautifully illustrated, some if not all by Mabel Emily Step (his daughter - b 1881). These include a ‘pocket guide’ entitled Wayside and Wayside Blossoms published in 1905.
When Arthur Mee
Arthur Mee
Arthur Henry Mee was a British writer, journalist and educator. He is best known for The Harmsworth Self-Educator, The Children's Encyclopaedia, The Children's Newspaper, and The King's England...
produced the first edition of his famous Children's Encyclopædia - initially as a fortnightly series from 1908 till 1910 - he asked Edward Step to contribute the articles on "Plant Life". These provided a comprehensive and interesting survey of all the common plants in Britain and many less well-known ones, giving an incentive to young readers to take an intelligent interest in the natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
of the world around him. There were numerous illustrations, but they consisted exclusively of photographs in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
(attributed to a Edward Connold).
Illustrations from Step’s first work of 1896, Favourite Flowers of the Garden and Greenhouse, have been reproduced on some internet websites.
Although a careful naturalist, Step overstepped the mark by creating the myth of a mouse-eating grasshopper in his book Marvels of Insect Life (1915) where he wrote :"In the British Museum (Natural History) there is a specimen of one of the largest known locust
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
s, which was received from a missionary in the Congo Free State
Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa which was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Its origins lay in Leopold's attracting scientific, and humanitarian backing for a non-governmental organization, the Association internationale africaine...
a few years ago, who had taken it in the act of feasting upon a mouse it had caught. ... The locust in question does not confine its attention to mice; large spiders, beetles and other insects, and probably small nestling birds serve it equally for food." No grasshopper is however known to feed on mice.