Critters: Adventures in Wildest Suburbia

Although the critters we read of here are ``nuisance wildlife'' to many suburbanites, Whipple, former executive editor of Time-Life Books, has come to admire them for their adaptability and shrewdness. During the 40 years he has lived in Connecticut, he has coped with skunks in his cellar, rabbits in the garden, raccoons in the garbage, deer in the orchard, squirrels at the bird feeder, Canada geese on the lawn; with gulls, bats, swans and mockingbirds. Along with amusing examples of wildlife incursions into suburbia, Whipple recounts the natural history of each species. This collection of pieces reprinted from Reader's Digest and Smithsonian magazine is entertaining and informative. (Mar.)