This is the first book entirely devoted to a study of the Hilbre islands, which are situated about one mile from the extreme north-western corner of the Wirral Peninsula. These tidal islands have been famous among bird watchers for many years, during which time the ringing and continuous recording of birds has provided much valuable data about migration patterns. The Hilbre nature reserve is also of great importance to anyone carrying out serious research in the fields of botany and zoology, with its unique species of marine algae and spiders, and the particularly interesting grey seals. All of the contributors to this volume are specialists in their field, and have been engaged in research on Hilbre for many years; much of the data contained in their essays is based on research carried out especially for this publication. This comprehensive account of the human and natural history of the islands, richly illustrated with line drawings and photographs, will be of importance to all natural historians and will also be of considerable interest to many general readers.