Posted by Jeff Weber on December 03, 2003 at 12:00:17:
I dropped $55 for Hilty's new Birds of Venezuela at the Coral Gables Barnes & Noble last Wednesday. I was too busy to look through it for a few days, but when I did I found that someone had RIPPED OUT one of the color plates of parrots, leaving a messy ragged edge as proof of the crime. I know none of our local birders would do such a thing, but I can't help but wonder what kind of a person would wantonly destroy an expensive field guide without a second thought for the ultimate customer. I guess you can expect this sort of thing when you let people use your bookstore like a library.
To the perp: If by any chance you are reading this, I hope your thieving fingers have a nasty run-in with a PO'd Scarlet Macaw.