Howard was born at Stone House near Kidderminster and studied at Stoke Poges and Eton. He showed from his earliest childhood an intense love of natural history. It was not until 1914 that his first work, British Warblers, was published. Continually working on the theory of territory, he published Territory in Bird Life in 1920, followed by An Introduction to the Study of Bird Behaviour, Nature of a Bird's World and lastly A Waterhen's World, in 1940.
Although his home was always in Worcestershire, much of his time was spent on the wild coast of Donegal and in the west of Ireland shooting, fishing and studying natural history. He died at his home, Clareland, Stourport-on-Severn, leaving a wife and family.
Be- tween the years 1907 and 1914 H. EliotHoward published his sumptuous two-volume work on the British Warblers, an intimate study or history of these birds from the point of view of their problems in life.
The general problem discussed in Howard's book is the be- havior of birds during the breeding-season, commencing with the earliest inception of the territorial reaction of the males, before the females have arrived or are in condition to respond, and continuing until the young are fully fledged and are able to care for themselves.
Bird-banders may well wish that Howard had banded his birds to be sure of their individual identity, but this is a rather minor matter, as his results show clearly that he is an uncommonly keen and accurate observer.
And Howard maintains that many states that have become nations since 1945 "have not developed as nations at all" -- in part because they never had to go through "that essential rite of passage" of fighting for independence.
Howard suggests several threats to peace -- not the least of which is simple boredom.
Howard raises interesting points and he presents his arguments well, but one does wish for more exposition (as can be found in some of his other works).
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