With 50 new paintings and entries for the collective nouns of animals, birds and insects, artist and author Steve Palin presents a fresh take on his best-selling A Murmuration of Starlings.

Some are beautifully illustrated classics: a pride of lions, even a raft of otters perhaps – but what about a business of ferrets or a descent of woodpeckers?

Many collective nouns have their roots in medieval times, in particular applied to those creatures hunted by man, and subject to the etiquette of their proper group names.

This elegant hardback gift book will appeal to all those with a fascination for the English language, those who want the answers for quizzes and crossword puzzles, and those with an interest in animals and birds.