Complete with all illustrations. Signed by Richard Meinertzhagen (1878–1967), soldier, intelligence officer, and ornithologist, who served as Chief of British Military Intelligence during the East African campaign in Nairobi, Kenya. In this work, Meinertzhagen examines birds as predators - hunters and killers - analysing their strategies, territorial rivalries, and their exploitation of other species within their environment. He records detailed observations of avian predators including hawks, herons, and cormorants, describing methods of pursuit and dispatch, competition for ground, and the complex relationship between birds and snakes. Meinertzhagen’s prose was notably admired by Ian Fleming. He was one of Ian Fleming’s models for James Bond. Dust jacket worn, with markings and a tape repair; cover with light discolouration to head and foot of spine. ix, 230 pp.