Aal
Aal (A'l, Ach, Aich) is the native name for Morinda tinctoria and Morinda citrifalia, two plants extensively cultivated in India for the reddish dye-stuff (Suranji) which their roots contain. The name is also sometimes used to describe the dye.
Aardvark
The aardvark is a south African ant eating animal.
Aardwolf
The aardwolf is a carnivorous mammal.
Aaron's Rod
Aaron's Rod is the only British species of Golden-rod (Hag Taper). It is found in woods and thickets.
Aasvogel
The aasvogel are south African vultures.
Abalone
The abalone is the popular name for various species of the shell-fish of the Haliotidae family. They have a richly coloured shell yielding mother-of-pearl. This sort of Haliotis is also commonly called ear-shell, and in Guernsey the ormer. The abalone shell is found especially at Santa Barbara and other places on the southern Californian coast, and when polished makes a beautiful ornament. The mollusc itself is often eaten, and dried for consumption in China and Japan
Abele
Abele is an alternative name for Populus alba, the white poplar.
Abelmoschus
Abelmoschus is a genus of tropical plants of the mallow family. It yields edible fruits, called okro (okra, ochro) which is used in soups.
Aberdeen-Angus
see "Angus"
Aberdevine
see "Siskin"
Abroma
The Abroma is a genus of small trees which are native to India.
Abscess Root
see "Blue Bell"
Abutilon
The Abutilon are a genus of plants of the order Malvaceae, also known as The Indian Mallows and American Jute.
Abyssinian cat
The Abyssinian cat (Rabbit Cat) is a breed of domestic shorthaired cat, possibly descended from antiquity. In modern times, it was imported from Abyssinia to Britain in the 1860s. The coat of the usual variety is ruddy brown with each hair ringed with two or three darker coloured bands. It has a medium-length body, long, slender legs, large wideset ears, and deep gold or green eyes. It resembles cats that appear in ancient Egyptian wall paintings. The breed was recognized in Britain 1882 and is now most widely bred in the USA. There are many varieties.
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of plants of the order Leguminosae sub order Mimoseae consisting of trees or shrubs with compound pinnate leaves. They grow in Africa, Arabia, Australia and the East Indies.
Acalepha
Acalepha was a name once used to describe the Medusae (jelly-fishes).
Acamthocephala
Acamthocephala are a compact group of cylindrical, parasitic worms, with no near allies in the animal kingdom. Its members are quite devoid of any mouth or alimentary canal, but have a well-developed body cavity into which the eggs are dehisced and which communicates with the exterior by means of an oviduct. The size of the animals varies greatly, from some forms a few millimetres in length to Gigantorhynchus gigas, which measures from 10 to 65 cms. The adults live in great numbers in the alimentary canal of some vertebrate, usually fish, the larvae are as a rule encysted in the body cavity of some invertebrate, most often an insect or crustacean, more rarely a small fish. The body is divisible into a proboscis and a trunk with sometimes an intervening neck region.
Acanthaceae
The Acanthaceae are a natural order of dicotyledonous herbaceous plants or shrubs with opposite leaves and mono-petalous corolla. There are around 1400 species, mostly tropical.
Acanthads
see "Acanthaceae"
Acanthus
The acanthus is a herbaceous plant of south Europe, Asia and Africa. It has large hairy, shiny leaves.
Acaridae
Acaridae is the mite family of insects
Acarina
Acarina is the mite and tick order of the arachnida. They have a rounded body with no demarcation between the prosoma and the opisthosoma.
Accentor
An accentor is a type of bird of the prunelliadae family.
Acephala
The Acephala are the headless Mollusca with a bivalve shell.
Acer
Acer is a genus of plants of the order Aceraceae to which belongs the Maple.
Achene
In botany, an achene is a small, dry carpel containing a single seed, the pericarp of which is closely applied but separable and which does not open when ripe.
Achillaea
The Achillaea are a milfoil genus of plants.
Achimenes
The Achimenes are a genus of tropical American plants with scaly underground tubers. They are of the order Gesneraceae.
Acipenser
The acipenser is a genus of cartilaginous ganoid fishes to which the sturgeon belongs.
Aconite
Aconite (Monkshood) is a genus of hardy herbaceous plants of the order Ranunculaceae. The are remarkable for their poisonous and medicinal properties. Aconite is found in temperate regions of Europe in woods and on shaded stream banks.
Acorn
The acorn is the fruit of the oak tree.
Acorus
Acorus is a genus of plants which includes the calamus.
Acotyledon
see "Acotyledons"
Acotyledons
Acotyledons are plants not furnished with cotyledons or seed-lobes, such as ferns, mosses and sea-weeds.
Acouchi
The acouchi is a cavy-like rodent of the genus Myoprocta, family Dasyproctidae. They are found in the Amazon forests where they eat plants.
Acrita
Acrita is another name for the animals called Protozoa.
Acrogaster
Acrogaster is a genus of fossil fish of the order Beryciformes, found in the Cretaceous period.
Acrogen
Acrogen is a term used to describe ferns, mosses and lichens which grow by extension upwards.
Actinia
Actinia is a member of the order zoantharia.
Actinopterygii
Actinopterygii is a division of bony fishes. The paired fins have broad bases and lack fleshy lobes. External nares are double, internal nares are absent. Scales are of the ganoid type.
Actinozoa
Actinozoa are a class of animals belonging to the sub-kingdom Coelenterata. They have rayed tentacles around the mouth.
Adda
The adda is a species of lizard also called the skink.
Addax
The addax is a species of antelope found in North African deserts. It has wide-sweeping twisted horns about 4 feet long.
Adder
The adder is a venomous snake of the viper family (Viperidae) found in England and Australia. There are three species, the Vipera berus (European adder) is the only venomous British snake.
Adder's-tongue
Adder's-tongue is a species of British fern whose spores are produced on a spike which resembles a snake's tongue.
Adder's-wort
Adder's-wort is a plant supposed to be able to cure snake bites.
Adder-pike
The Adder-pike is a small species of the weever fish. Also called the Lesser Weever or Sting-fish.
Adenanthera
Adenanthera is a genus of trees and shrubs native to the East Indies and Ceylon of the order Leguminosae.
Adiantum
Adiantum is a genus of ferns.
Adjutant-bird
The adjutant-bird is a large wading bird of the stork family. It is native to the warmer parts of India where it is called Hurgila or Argala.
Admiral
Admiral is any of several species of butterfly in the same family (Nymphalidae) as the tortoiseshells. The red admiral Vanessa atalanta, wingspan 6 cm, is found worldwide in the northern hemisphere. It migrates south each year from northern areas to subtropical zones.
Adonis
Adonis (pheasant's eye) is a genus of ranunculaceous plants. They are found throughout Europe, Asia and America and are highly poisonous.
Aechmophorus clarki
see "Clark's Grebe"
Aechmophorus occidentalis
see "Western Grebe"
Aegagrus
The aegagrus are a wild species of ibex found in the Caucasus and other Asiatic mountains.
Aegilops
Aegilops is a genus of grasses native to southern Europe closely allied to wheat.
Aepyornis
Aepyornis was a genus of gigantic birds once found in Madagascar. It had three toes and laid eggs 14 inches in length.
Aesculus
Aesculus is a genus of plants which includes the horse-chestnut.
Aesculus californica
see "California Buckeye"
Afghan hound
The Afghan hound is a breed of fast hunting dog resembling the saluki in build, though slightly smaller. It was first introduced to the West by British army officers serving on India's North-West Frontier along the Afghanistan border in the late 19th century. The Afghan hound hunts by sight. It is about 70 cm tall and has a long, silky coat that may be black, grey, or a wide range of beige or tawny colours.
Africana
The Africana (Pelona, Camura, Red African, Rojo Africana, Colombian Wooless, West African) is a breed of sheep found in Colombia and Venezuela. They are usually brown, ranging in shade from tan to brown and cherry-red to dark red. They are very similar to the Pelibuey in size and confirmation. The breed is polled and the male is sometimes maned.
Africander
The Africander (Afrikaner) is a native South African breed of cow. It belongs to the Sanga type and is used primarily for meat production. The breed is usually red with long lateral horns. Sanga type cattle, in huge herds, were owned by the Hottentots when the Dutch established the Cape Colony in 1652. The animals were obtained by the colonists who improved them for use as draft animals. It was Africander oxen that drew the wagons which carried Boer farmers and families on the Great Trek of 1835 - 1836 from the Cape of Good Hope to the Orange Free State, Natal and the Transvaal to escape British rule. The Africander is South Africa's most popular native breed, comprising 30% of the cattle population. Africander cattle exhibit good resistance to heat, a high level of tick resistance, quiet temperament and a satisfactorily high level of fertility under harsh conditions. Mature cows weigh approximately 525 to 600 kg and bulls weigh 750 to 1000 kg. The Africander was used with Shorthorn in developing the Bonsmara breed and with Holstein in creating the Drakensberger.
Agama
Agama is a genus of several species of lizards allied to the iguana common in Africa and Asia.
Agama Stellio
Agama Stellio is a lizard of the genus Agama. It is brown in colour, reaches a length of 35 cm and is found in Egypt, Asia Minor and parts of Greece.
Agami
Agami (Psophia crepitans) is a family of birds of the trumpeters found in tropical America.
Agamidae
The Agamidae are a family of lizards in which the teeth are inserted on the edge of the jaw (acrodont). The family includes Draco volans, Moloch horridus and Chlamydosaurus.
Agapanthus
Agapanthus or African Lily (Agapanthus umbellatus) is a plant native to South Africa. It has white or blue flowers and is grown indoors in England.
Agaric
The agaric is a family of fungus including the cultivated mushroom.
Agave
Agave is a genus of plants of the order Amaryllidaceae which includes the daffodil and narcissus. They are popularly known as American aloes and formerly called the century plant from the mistaken belief that it lives a hundred years before flowering, then flowers and dies. It lives for a varying number of years before flowering; the flowering axis sometimes rises to 6 meters or more; then the plant apparently dies down to the ground but a lateral bud springs from the underground part of the stem and a new plant is formed. The Mexicans grew the plant to form dense hedges, and removed the buds for the sugary sap which exudes from the wounds thus made. The sap was collected and fermented and distilled to form pulque.
Ageratum
Ageratum is a genus of composite plants found in the warmer parts of America.
Agnatha
The agnatha are a branch of the sub-phylum craniata group of animals. They are the lampreys and hagfishes. These are the most primitive of the craniates. The mouth is round and not bounded by jaws. The brain is primitive.
Agnus Castus
Agnus Castus is a shrub of the order Verbenaceae native to Mediterranean countries. It has white flowers and acrid aromatic fruits. It was thought to have the property of preserving chastity, hence the name Castus from the Latin chaste.
Agouara
The agouara is a crab-eating racoon of South America.
Agouta
The agouta is an insectivorous mammal peculiar to Haiti. It is of the tanrec family and somewhat larger than a rat.
Agouti
The agouti is a small rodent of the genus Dasyprocta, family Dasyproctidae. It is found in the forests of Central and South America. The agouti is herbivorous, swift-running, and about the size of a rabbit.
Agrimony
Agrimony is a genus of plants of the order Rosaceae consisting of slender perennial herbs found in temperate regions. The leaves of common agrimony are used as a yellow dye.
Agrostis
Agrostis is a genus of pasture grasses.
Aigrette
Aigrette is a term used to describe the feathery crown attached to the seeds of various plants such as the thistle and dandelion.
Air-plants
Air-plants (Epiphytes) are plants that live upon other plants or trees apparently without receiving any nutriment other than by the air. They are abundant in Java and tropical America.
Airedale terrier
The Airedale terrier breed of large terrier, about 60 cm tall, with a wiry red-brown coat and black saddle patch. It originated about 1850 in England, as a cross between the otterhound and Irish and Welsh terriers.
Ajolote
The ajolote is a Mexican reptile of the genus Bipes. It and several other tropical burrowing species are placed in the Amphisbaenia, a group separate from lizards and snakes among the Squamata. Unlike the others, however, which have no legs, it has a pair of short but well-developed front legs. In line with its burrowing habits, the skull is very solid, the eyes small, and external ears absent. The scales are arranged in rings, giving the body a worm-like appearance.
Ajowan
Ajowan is an umbelliferous plant which is cultivated in India, Persia and Egypt for the seeds which are used in cooking and medicine.
Ajuga
The ajuga are a genus of plants belonging to the Labiate family.
Alactaga
The alactaga is a rodent mammal closely allied to the jerboa but larger. It is found across central Asia.
Albacore
The albacore is a species of fish.
Albatross
The albatross is a long winged oceanic bird.
Albino
An albino is an animal with no skin pigment and pink eyes.
Alburnum
The alburnum is the recently formed wood in trees.
Alcelaphus albifrons
see "Blesbok"
Alcelaphus pygarga
see "Bontebok"
Alchemilla
Alchemilla is a genus of plants of the order Rosaceae. The flowers are small and greenish; the leaves rounded in outline. The alpine species has compound leaves like a miniature lupine and is found over the Scottish Highlands.
Alco
The alco is a small variety of dog, with a small head and large pendulous ears found wild in Mexico and Peru.
Alcyonaria
Alcyonaria is an order of anthozoa. They have eight pinnate tentacles and eight mesenteries.
Alcyonium
Alcyonium is a member of the order of alcyonaria.
Alder
The alder is a genus of plants of the order Betulaceae, consisting of trees and shrubs found in the temperate and colder regions of the world.
Alexanders
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) is a plant of the order Umbelliferae, formerly used as celery.
Alfa
Alfa is a name for esparto grass obtained from Algeria.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa or lucerne (Medicago sativa) is a prolific perennial tall herbaceous plant of the pea family Leguminosae. It is native to Eurasia and bears spikes of small purple flowers in late summer. It is now a major fodder crop, generally processed into hay, meal, or silage. Alfalfa sprouts, the sprouted seeds, have become a popular salad ingredient.
Algarobilla
Algarobilla are the seed-pods of trees of the Prosopis genus, valued for their tannin.
Alimentary canal
The alimentary canal is a tube beginning at the mouth and passing through the body to the anus. It is primarily used for the reception of food.
Alisma
see "Water-Plantain"
Alkanet
Alkanet is a perennial Boraginaceae found in warmer parts of Europe. It has a black taproot and funnel-shaped flowers which commence red and then turn blue.
Allamanda
Allamanda is a genus of American tropical plants of the order Apocynaceae, with large yellow or violet flowers.
Alliaria
Alliaria is a genus of plant of the order Cruciferae.
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian reptile. It differs from the true crocodile by having a shorter and flatter head, much less webbed feet, and cavities in the upper jaw into which the long canine teeth of the lower jaw fit.
Alligator lizard
The Alligator lizard is a reptile of the family Anguidae, the legless lizards; it is the only member of the group to have well developed limbs. It is found in North and Central America.
Alligator-apple
The alligator-apple is a narcotic fruit similar to the custard-apple. It is found in marshy areas of Jamaica.
Alligator-pear
Alligator-pear is an old name for the Avocado-pear (Avocado).
Allium
Allium is a genus of plants of the order Liliaceae which are distinguished by a peculiar pungent smell and taste characterised as alliaceous. These include the onion, garlic, leek and shalot.
Allosaurus
Allosaurus was the biggest and fiercest carnivorous dinosaur of the jurassic period. It was 15m tall and weighed about 3 tons.
Aloe
Aloe is a genus of plants of the order Liliaceae. They are natives of Africa and other hot regions. The leaves are fleshy, thick and spinous at the edges. The flowers have a tubular corolla.
Alopecurus
Alopecurus is a genus of grasses.
Alopias vulpes
see "Thresher"
Alpaca
The alpaca (paco) is a close relative of the llama and a native of South America. It is smaller than the llama and has a fleece of around 24 inches long from which cloth is woven.
Alpine Crow
The Alpine Crow or Alpine Chough is a European bird closely akin to the chough of England.
Alpine Warbler
The alpine warbler is a European bird of the same family as the hedge-sparrow.
Alsatian
Alsatian is another name for the German shepherd dog.
Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria are a genus of South American plants of the order Amaryllideae.
Altay
The Altay is a breed of sheep that originated in the in the regions of China typified by dry, cold mountain basins. They belong to the Kazakh group of sheep which are found in the desert and mountainous areas in west Xinjiang. Altay belong to the fat-rumped carpet wool type. They gradually formed the fat tail (or rump) as a biological characteristic. The tail (or rump) weighs about 7 kg. The rams average 82 kg and the ewes 69 kg at maturity. Due to the sharp seasonal contrast in forage availability in these pastorial areas the sheep tend to deposit a large amount of fat in the body in order to meet nutritional demands during the winter and spring. In addition, the herdsmen working under these climatic conditions need fat as the main source of energy supply, and so have selected towards sheep with high fat deposits.
Alveoli
The alveoli are air-sacs within the lung at the end of bronchioles.
Alyssum
Alyssum is a genus of cruciferous plants including the madwort.
Amadavat
The amadavat is a small Indian singing bird allied to the finches.
Amadou
Amadou is the name of several fungi of the genus Polyporus, they have a leathery appearance and grow on trees. When cut into slices and beaten into a felt it was used to plug wounds and to stop bleeding. The felt steeped in saltpetre forms German tinder.
Amanita
Amanita is a genus of fungi including fly-agaric.
Amaranthaceae
The Amaranthaceae (amaranths) are an order of apetalous plants mainly found in tropical countries. They are remarkable for the white or reddish scales of which their flowers are composed.
Amaranths
see "Amaranthaceae"
Amaranthus
Amaranthus is a genus of plants of the family Amaranthaceae, found in tropical and temperate climates.
Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae is an order of monocotyledonous plants which are generally bulbous with a highly coloured flower, six stamens and an inferior three-celled ovary. They are native to Europe and most other warm parts of the world.
Ambatch
Ambatch is a thorny leguminous shrub with yellow flowers growing in the shallows of the Upper Nile and other rivers of tropical Africa. It grows to around 15 to 20 feet tall. The wood is very light and spongy and is used to make rafts.
Amblyopsis
Amblyopsis is a genus of blind fishes comprised of a single species found in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky.
Amelanchier
Amelanchier is a genus of small trees native to Europe and North America.
Amentaceae
Amentaceae is the family of trees and plants where the flowers are arranged in the form of catkins.
Amentum
Amentum is a botanical term for the catkin.
American Bittern
The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a medium-large heron-like bird of the order Ciconiiformes, family Ardeidae, with a brown back, brown-streaked front, black cheek stripe and blackish primary feathers. It is an uncommon winter visitor and resident in freshwater marshes of southern california.
American Greek Valerian
see "Blue Bell"
American Kestrel
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon of the order Falconiformes, family Falconidae, with white cheeks and two black vertical cheek stripes. The male has a rusty back and tail, grey wings. The female is brownish. It forages for mice, lizards and insects by hovering above the ground, then diving for its prey. It occurs in many habitats, including borders of wetlands.
American Orioles
see "cassicus"
Ametabola
Ametabola are a division of insects which are wingless and do not undergo any metamorphosis, but which hatch from the egg nearly in the same form they keep throughout their life. This includes the lice and spring-tails.
Ammonite
An ammonite is one type of extinct sea creature, often found as a fossil.
Amoeba
The amoeba (subphylum Sarcodina) is a simple single celled animal of the group sarcomastigophora. They move by extending lobelike projections of their cytoplasm called pseudopodia. Food is obtained by phagocytosis.
Amoebina
The amoebina is an order of rhizopoda. The order is comprised of the amoeba and its relatives. Reproduction is usually by binary fission.
Amomum
Amomum are a genus of plants of the order Zingiberaceae which includes ginger. They are native to warm climates and are remarkable for the pungency and aromatic properties of their seeds.
Amphibia
Amphibia is a class of craniates which during their evolution have only partialy adapted to life on land. They breed in water.
Amphibians
see "amphibia"
Amphineura
The amphineura is a class of phylum mollusca. The body is bilaterally symmetrical. The mouth and anus are at opposite ends of the body. The foot is flattened and the mantle bears calcareous plates.
Amphipoda
Amphipoda is an order of malacostraca where the carapace is absent and the body is laterally compressed. The abdomen is elongated.
Anableps
Anableps is a genus of fish of the order Cypriniformes, found in tropical America. They are remarkable for their projecting eyes, which are divided horizontally into upper and lower halves, for vision above and below water. They reach up to 30 cm in length.
Anacardium occidetale
see "Cashew"
Anaconda
The anaconda is a South American snake, a member of the python and boa family, the Boidae. One of the largest snakes, growing to 9m more, it is found in and near water, where it lies in wait for the birds and animals on which it feeds. The anaconda is not venomous, but kills its prey by coiling round it and squeezing until the creature suffocates. The anaconda is a climber as well as a swimmer, and may be found in trees along river banks.
Anapsida
The anapsida are a subclass of reptiles in which there are no temporal vacuities.
Anarhichadidae
see "Cat-fish"
Anatomy
Anatomy is the study of animal's structure.
Anchovy
The anchovy is a small fish (Engraulis encrasicholus) of the herring family. It is fished extensively, being abundant in the Mediterranean, and is also found on the Atlantic coast of Europe and in the Black Sea. It grows to 20 cm. Pungently flavoured, it is processed into fish pastes and essences, and used as a garnish, rather than eaten fresh.
Ancylostoma
Ancylostoma is a phylum nematoda.
Anemone
The anemone is any plant of the genus Anemone, of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The function of petals is performed by its sepals. The white or lavender-tinged wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) grows in open woods, flowering in spring.
Anemone coronaria
see "Poppy anemone"
Anemone quinquefolia
see "Anemone"
Angelfish
Angelfish is any of a number of unrelated fishes. The freshwater angelfish, genus Pterophyllum, of South America, is a tall, side-to-side flattened fish with a striped body, up to 26 cm long, but usually smaller in captivity. The angelfish or monkfish of the genus Squatina is a bottom-living shark up to 1.8m long with a body flattened from top to bottom. The marine angelfishes, Pomacanthus and others, are long narrow-bodied fish with spiny fins, often brilliantly coloured, up to 60cm long, living around coral reefs in the tropics.
Angler
Angler is any of an order of fishes Lophiiformes, with flattened body and broad head and jaws. Many species have small, plant-like tufts on their skin. These act as camouflage for the fish as it waits, either floating among seaweed or lying on the sea bottom, twitching the enlarged tip of the threadlike first ray of its dorsal fin to entice prey. There are over 200 species of angler fish, living in both deep and shallow water in temperate and tropical seas. The males of some species have become so small that they live as parasites on the females.
Angora
The angora is a small domesticated goat with a thick flat fleece kept for milk production. They are found in Turkey, South Africa and the USA.
Angorra
The Turkish angora is a breed of long-haired cat renowned for its ability to remain immobile for long periods and for its love of water and bathing. The coat is very fine, silky, and wavy. The ears are large, wide at the base, and pointed, the tail is long, tapering, and usually carried curled, the eyes are large and almond-shaped.
The angora is very responsive to its owner's wishes and enjoys retrieval games.
Angus
The angus (Aberdeen-Angus) is a hornless, black, compact, low-set domestic breed of beef cattle. It originated in Scotland and is now found throught the USA and UK.
Animal
An animal is a living creature endowed with voluntary movement.
Annelid
Annelid is any segmented worm of the phylum Annelida. Annelids include earthworms, leeches, and marine worms such as lugworms. They have a distinct head and soft body, which is divided into a number of similar segments shut off from one another internally by membranous partitions, but there are no jointed appendages.
Annelids
see "phylum annelida"
Ant
An ant is a small hymenopterous insect. Ants have a complex social structure, and instincts.
Anteater
The anteater is a mammal of the family Myrmecophagidae, order Edentata, native to Mexico, Central America, and tropical South America. An anteater lives almost entirely on ants and termites. It has toothless jaws, an extensile tongue, and claws for breaking into the nests of its prey. Species include the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla, about 1.8m long including the tail, the tamandua or collared anteater Tamandua tetradactyla, about 90cm long, and the silky anteater Cyclopes didactyla, about 35cm long. The name is also incorrectly applied to the aardvark, the echidna, and the pangolin.
Antedon
The antedon is a type of crinoidea.
Antelope
An antelope is any of several cloven hoofed ruminates.
Anthozoa
The anthozoa is the class of marine animals known as sea anemones, sea fans, sea pens and stony corals. They are solitary or colonial animals in which only hydroid individuals are represented.
Anthropoidea
The anthropoidea are an order of eutheria. They have the most highly developed Brain of the mammals. The digits bear nails.
Antiaris toxicaria
see "Upas"
Antilocapra americana
see "Prong Buck"
Antilope cervicapra
see "Blackbuck"
Anura
Anura is a subclass of amphibia. They are the frogs and toads. These are amphibians which lose their tail at the metamorphosis. In the adult the gill slits close. The hind limbs are very powerful and have webs between the digits.
Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus was a herbivore dinosaur from the jurassic period. It was 20m long and weighed 30 tonnes. It digested food with the aid of stones in the stomach.
Apennine
The Apennine (Appenninica) is a breed of sheep found in the Appennine Mountain, Emilia and Abruzzi Regions of Italy. It is a medium wool breed kept primarily for meat production. It is polled and has semi-lopped ears.
Apes
Apes are a group of primates closely related to humans.
Aphetohyoidea
Aphetohyoidea is a subclass of fish. They have a bony endoskeleton and primitive jaws.
Apocynum Cannabinum
see "Canadian Hemp"
Apoda
The apoda are a subclass of amphibia. They are limbless, burrowing animals with a sub-terminal anus and small practically useless eyes covered by opaque skin.
Appenninica
see "Apennine"
Apple
An apple is the edible fruit of the trees of genus malus, rosaceae family.
Apricot
The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a species of of the plum division of the Rosaceae. It is a native of China, brought to England in 1652.
Apterygota
Apterygota is a subclass of insecta.
Apulian Merino
see "Gentile di Puglia"
Aquilegia vulgaris
see "Columbine"
Arabi
The Arabi is a breed of sheep found in southwestern Iran, southern Iraq and northeastern Arabia, the Arabi is a meat breed of the Near Easter Fat-Tailed type. The wool is of carpet quality. The breed is usually black, pied, or white with a black head. The males are horned and the females are hornless (polled). The Arabi is the foundation breed of the Wooled Persian of South Africa.
Arachnida
Arachnida is a class of arthropods. They are the spiders, scorpions, king-crabs and mites. The body is divided into an anterior prosoma and a posterior mesosoma. There are four pairs of walking legs on the mesosoma.
Aralia
Aralia is a genus of the ivy order, natives of the temperate and tropical regions. Ginseng is produced by one species.
Araneida
Araneida is the spider order of arachnida. Spinnerets are present in the abdomen for spinning the web.
Arapawa Island
The origin of the Arapawa sheep is not certain but they have been on the New Zealand island of Arapawa for at least 135 years. They are considered a rare and endangered breed. There are many theories on the origin of the sheep. One theory implies that they are Middle Eastern breed introduced by the whalers. Another theory suggests that they originated from Austalian Merinos. The most intriguing theory is that the sheep landed on the Arapawa island from a Spanish galleon as far back as the 1500s. According to the Maori legend on the island, the Spanish galleon sailed into a bay 400 years ago and befriended the people. But when the Spaniards stole the Maori Women, the men turned upon them and burned the ship. The ancestors of the Arapawa sheep escaped the wreck and swam ashore. The sheep are prehistoric looking wild sheep with fine black wool and white points. They are also horned.
Araucaria
Araucaria is a genus of Coniferae with evergreen leaves, of a singularly geometric habit of growth.
Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx was the first bird. It appeared on earth during the jurassic period. It was about 35cm long and unlike modern birds had teeth.
Archerfish
The archerfish is a surface-living fish of the family Toxotidae, such as the genus Toxotes, native to South-East Asia and Australia. The archerfish grows to about 25 cm and is able to shoot down insects up to 1.5 m above the water by spitting a jet of water from its mouth.
Archiannelida
The archiannelida are a class of phylum annelida.
Ardea herodias
see " Great Blue Heron"
Arenicola
The arenicola are polychaeta.
Argala
see "Adjutant-bird"
Argali
The argali is a wild sheep found in Siberia.
Argus-flounder
The argus-flounder is a species of flounder found in American seas.
Armadillo
The armadillo is a mammal native to South and Central America.
Armeria
Armeria (Thrift) is a genus of plants of the order Plumbaginaceae.
Arolla Pine
see "Cembra Pine"
Arrow worm
see "phylum chaetognatha"
Arrowgrass
Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris and Triglochin maritima) are plants of the family Juncaginaceae. The former species is common in marshes and pools and the latter grows in saltwater marshes in Britain.
Arrowhead
The arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia) also known as Wapatoo and Is-ze-kn, is a water plant of the order Alismaceae wideky distributed throughout Europe, northern Asia and North America. The stem is swollen at the base and throws out creeping stolons or runners, which produce globose winter tubers 1 cm in diameter, composed almost entirely of starch. The leaves are borne on triangular stalks that vary in length with the depth of the water in which the plant is growing. The leaves don't lie on the surface of the water, but stand above it. The leaves are large, glossy and shaped like an arrowhead. The flower stem rises directly from the root and bears several rings of buds and blossoms, three in each whorl. Each flower is composed of three outer sepals and three large petals which are white in colour with a purple base. The root of the arrowhead has long been eaten by the Chinese, Japanese and North American Indians.
Arrowroot
Arrowroot (Maranta arundinaceae) also known as Araruta, is a herbaceous perennial of the order Marantaceae, native to the West Indies and Cemtral America. It has a creeping rhizome with upward-curving, fleshy, cylindrical tubers covered with large, thin scales that leave rings of scars. The flowering stem reaches a height of two meters and bears creamy flowers at the ends of the slender branches that terminate the long peduncles. They grow in pairs. The numerous, ovate, glabrous leaves are from 5 to 25 cm long with long sheaths often enveloping the stem. A starch is extracted from the rhizomes and used in cooking and in herbal medicine for treating scorpion and spider stings.
Artemisia Absinthium
see "Wormwood"
Arthropod
see "phylum arthropoda"
Arthropods
see "arthropod"
Artiodactyla
Artiodactyla is an order of eutheria. They are even toed ungulates: cattle and sheep.; pigs, deer and camels. They are specialised to deal with large quantities of vegetable food. The cheek teeth are adapted for grinding. The stomach is complex.
Ascaris
see "Ascaris lumbricoides"
Ascaris lumbricoides
Ascaris lumbricoides are nematode worms ranging from 20-45 cm long and are 5 mm in diameter in the adult form, the female being larger than the male. They cause the disease ascariasis which is caught by ingesting water or food contaminated with feces containing Ascaris ova or from fingers contaminated with polluted soil.
Asexual
Asexual is a term applied to reproduction by a single parent.
Ash
The ash is a type of tree yielding strong elastic timber.
Asiatic wild dog
see "Dhole"
Asp
The asp is a type of poisonous snake.
Aspen
The aspen is a tree native to Europe, north Africa and north Asia.
Ass
The ass is an animal related to the horse and zebra.
Asterias
Asterias is an asteroidea.
Asteroidea
Asteroidea is a subclass of stelleroidea. These are the starfishes. Tube feet are in a groove along the under surface of each of the 'arms', these feet can be retracted.
Auchenia
Auchenia is a genus of animals to which the llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuna all belong. The genus is confined to South America.
Auricle
An auricle is a heart chamber which receives blood.
Autumn Scilla
see "Scilla"
Aves
The aves are the bird class of craniates. They are similar to the reptiles, but have become adapted to flying. The fore limbs are modified to form wings.
Avocado
The avocado-pear (avocado) is an evergreen tree of the order Lauraceae. It has a fruit similar to a pear, weighing around 1 to 2 pounds. It is a native tree of tropical America and the West Indies.
Awassi
The Awassi (Ivesti, Arab, Baladi, Deiri, Shami, Gezirieh, Syrian) is a nomadic sheep breed created through centuries of natural and selective breeding to become the highest milk producing breed in the Middle East. The breed is of the Near Eastern Fat-tailed type. The average ewe has single lactions over 300 liters per 210 day lactation and it is not uncommon for outstanding females to have 210 day lactations above 750 liters. The breed is calm around people, easy to work with and easily milked. When machine milked, they can be milked in 4-6 minutes. The breed also has the advantage of natural hardiness and grazing ability. The breed is well suited to a grazing production system as well as a confinement operation. The Awassi has a brown face and legs with the fleece varying in colour from brown to white. Individuals can also be found with black, white, grey or spotted faces. The males are horned and the females are usually polled. The fleece is mostly carpet type with a varying degree of hair.
Ayrshire
The ayrshire is a fleshy bodied red or brown coloured breed of domestic dairy cattle found throught the temperate regions of the world.
Babiroussa
The babiroussa is a ferocious wild pig found in Sulawesi.
Baboon
The baboon is a medium sized monkey of the genus papio. They are characterized by a dog like snout, cheek prominences, and coloured bare patches on the buttocks. Baboons are found in Africa and Arabia.
Bacteria
Bacteria are micro organisms.
Badger
The badger (Meles taxus) or brock is an omnivorous mammal of the family Mustelidae found in England and Europe. It is a nocturnal animal about 900 cm in length with shirt stout limbs, a pointed nose and of a blackish-grey colour with white markings over its head.
Balantidium
Balantidium is a member of the order of heterotricha.
Balkhi
The Balkhi is a fat tailed mutton type of breed of sheep. It is found in the NWF Province of Pakistan and tribal areas and in adjoining areas of Afghanistan. They are a large size with body colour varying from black, tan, gray or their admixture, often extending to the head and legs as well. The ears are moderately long, the body is muscular and compact, and a tucked up fat tail.
Ballan Wrasse
The Ballan wrasse (Labrus maculatus) is a British edible fish of the wrasses family occuring in rock pools.
Balm
Balm is a plant native to Europe and western Asia.
Balsam
Balsam is a genus of herbs.
Baltic Cod
see "Dorse"
Baluchi
The Baluchi (Baluchi dumda, Mengali, Taraki, Shinwari, Araghi, Farahani, Kermani, Khorasani, Khurasani, Naeini, Neini, Yazdi) is a breed of sheep that originated in the area which is now southwest Pakistan, eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. They are a fat-tailed meat breed with a carpet grade wool. They are white with black marks on the head and legs. Rams can be either horned or polled and ewes are polled.
Baluchi dumda
see "Baluchi"
Balwen Welsh Mountain
The Balwen Welsh Mountain is a breed of Welsh mountain sheep. The Balwen has a base colour of black/brown or dark grey, with a white blaze on the face, four white feet and a half white tail. The name Balwen is derived from the Welsh phrase Bal meaning white blaze. It is thought farmers over the years used the Balwen as landmarks on the hills as a means of recognizing ones flock. By whatever means, the Balwen has been preserved by the continued belief of committed enthusiasts that the Welsh Mountain is a 'sheep for all seasons'. For many years the Balwen was confined to an area of central Wales on the borders of the old counties of Cardigan, Brecon and Carmarthen. The catchment area of the river Tywi, north of Rhandirmwyn (now the Llyn Brianne Dam) was the breeding grounds for the Balwen sheep, and the ancestry of all Balwens can be traced back to the Tywi valley. The Balwen Welsh Mountain Sheep is a small very hardy breed. They are easy to manage having very few health problems associated with many of the larger breeds. They have excellent feet requiring little attention and can get by with only the minimum of feeding at peak times of the year. The Balwen is an excellent mother, having very few lambing problems with plenty of milk capable of rearing twin lambs under the right circumstances.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a genus of grasses found in warm climates.
Banana
The banana is a perennial herb. Cultivated in tropical and sub tropical climates.
Bandicoot
The bandicoot is a small marsupial peculiar to australasia.
Bantam
Bantams are miniature fowls.
Banyan
The banyan is a large fig tree native to India.
Barbado
The Barbado is a breed of sheep originated in Texas. The breed originated from Barbados Blackbelly sheep which were crossed with Rambouillet and mouflon. One of the uses of the Barbado is as a trophy animal on game ranches due to its large curled horns. It is typically tan, tan with a pale or black belly or pied. The coat varies from short hair to coarse wool with a large amount of kemp fibers. Males show the horns for which the breed was selected and the females are polled. The Barbado should not be confused with the Barbados Blackbelly although the two are related. Barbados Blackbelly exhibit the distinctive colour pattern of the breed, tan with black belly and face, which is often times absent in the Barbado. In addition, both sexes of the Barbados Blackbelly are polled while the males of the Barbado are horned.
Barbados Blackbelly
The Barbados Blackbelly is a breed of sheep African in origin and developed on the island of Barbados. The Barbados Blackbelly has a variety of colour phases varying from basic black and tan colour through black, yellow, and variegated pinto patterns. The black colour covers the under parts completely in the basal pattern and extends up the neck with black extending down the inside of the legs, on the plank and back of the thighs. The inside hair of the ears is black with a small dash at the rear of the eye. The chin and poll are black. The black underparts and black lines medial to the eye contrasting with the normal tan to reddish coat in most other areas, gives an exotic contrasting appearance. Yellow ewes (pale to reddish yellow) have a white abdomen. The yellow colour phase may have been originally derived from a different breed of hair sheep. There has also been noted a reddish, and also a white, hair sheep in northeast Brazil and light brown colours characteristic of hair sheep from Tobago. Further north there is a light to pale brown sheep in the Bahamas, the long island sheep in Cuba called the Pelibuey. All of these sheep are thought to be at least partially related to the Barbados Blackbelly. The mature rams have a neckpiece of long hair, up to six inches, which extends down the neck to the brisket. The cape reaches full development in the fall of the year. In some rams this is a full cape which extends over the sides and top of the neck and shoulders as a showy blanket. Rams and ewes on the island of Barbados are polled or with short scurs.
Barbados Pride
Barbados Pride (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is a tropical, leguminous evergreen shrub with brilliantly coloured flowers.
Barbary Ape
The Barbary Ape (Macaca sylvanus) is a monkey (and not an ape) native to north Africa, and kept artificially on Gibraltar.
Barbel
The barbel is a type of fresh water fish related to the carp.
Barberry
The common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) also known as Berbery and Pipperidge Bush is a bush growing to about 3 meters tall. The stems are woody, upright and branched, smooth, slightly grooves, brittle with a white pith and covered wish an ash-coloured bark. The leaves are alternate, 3 cm long, shortly petioled and present various graduations from leaves into spines into which they transform in the succeeding year. The flowers are small, pale yellow and arranged in pendulous racemes. For a long time farmers in Europe maintained that a barberry bush planted near a field of wheat would blight the wheat. Actually a fungus which attacks barberry throws off spores which do attack wheat.
Bark
Bark is the external coating of tree trunks.
Barley
Barley is the name of several cereal plants of the genus Hordeum, order Gramineae, which yield a grain used in food and for making malt. Barley has been known by man since ancient times and was used by the Egyptians to brew beer.
Barnacle
Barnacles are crustaceans often attaching themselves to ships.
Barramunda
see "Ceratodus"
Barren Strawberry
Barren Strawberry (Potentilla fragariastrum) is a species of the herbaceous perennial Potentilla.
Basil
Basil is an aromatic herb.
Bass
The bass is a fish of the perch family.
Basset hound
The basset hound is a long bodied, short crooked legged dog.
Bat
A bat is a nocturnal creature of the order cheiroptera.
Bay tree
The bay tree is a small evergreen tree. Its leaves are used in cooking.
Bay-winged Bunting
see "Vesper Sparrow"
Bazougers
see "Bleu du Maine"
Beach Plum
The beach plum (shore plum, Prunus maritima) is a tall shrub bearing tart, purple to yellow plums, 5 cm in diameter which are used in jams. It grows to 3 m tall and bears showy white flowers, about 2.5 cm wide and grows in sandy soil along the north-eastern coast of North America.
Beagle
The beagle is a small dog of the fox hound type.
Bean
A bean is the seed of a plant of the order leguminosae.
Bear
A bear is an omnivorous mammal animal of the order ursus.
Beard-Moss
see "Usnea"
Bearded Collie
The bearded collie (highland collie, mountain collie, hairy mou'ed collie) is a hardy breed of herding dog known for its unique ''fading'' puppies, which may be born dark and lighten significantly with age. They have a long to medium-length shaggy, yet wispy coat which follows the natural line of the body and may be black, blue, brown, or fawn in colour with or without white markings. The ears are long, shaggy, and hang down the side of the head, seeming to blend in with the rest of the body. The tail is long, furry, and carried low and the eyes are large and dark, with a bright, inquiring expression. The adult dog stands 51 to 56 cm tall at the shoulder and weighs about 25kg.
Beaver
The beaver is a large amphibian rodent.
Bebeeru
see "Greenheart"
Bec-fin
Bec-fin is the French name for various small birds of the family Muscicapidae, order Passeriformes. It includes such thin-billed birds as the stone-chat and hedge sparrow or dunnock.
Bee
The bee is a four winged stinging insect of the order hymenoptera.
Beech
The beech is a deciduous, shallow-rooted forest tree of the genus Fagus, family Fagaceae, native to the northern hemisphere. The leaves are oval with wavy margins and resistant to decay they form a nutrient poor soil in beech forests which resist the growth of other plants. Young beech trees keep their dead leaves, and are often used as hedges.
Beef
Beef is the meat derived from the carcass of bulls and cows.
Beefmaster
The beefmaster is a red, usually with white spots breed of beef cattle which was developed at Texas in 1908.
Beetle
The beetle is an insect of the order coleoptera.
Begonia
Begonias are succulent herbs native to tropical climates.
Behaviour
Behaviour is an organism's mode of life.
Belarus Red
The Belarus Red (Krasnaya belorusskaya, Krasnobelorusskaya, Byelorussian Red, Red White-Russian, White-Russian Red) is a breed of cow characterized by a medium long head, not wide, with a long face. The poll is pronounced. The horns are of medium size. The neck is thin and of moderate length. The withers are not sharp, occasionally divided. The chest is of medium depth, wide enough. The back is level, slightly narrow. The loin is long and level, of medium width. The mid-part of the body is well developed. The abdomen is capacious, not drooping. The rump is level, slightly raised. The hindquarters are of medium length and width, with protruding hips. The legs are comparatively thin, bony, not long, correctly set. Sometimes legs are splayed or bowed. The udder is medium in volume, glandular, cup-shaped or roundish. The teats are cylindrical, of medium size. The skin is thin, elastic, mobile. The skeleton is light and strong. The musculature is moderately developed. The conformation is harmonious and compact; the constitution delicate. The colour is red or rust-red of various shades. many animals are noted for their longevity.
Belemnite
Belemnites are extinct, squid-like molluscs of the Cephalopoda class with a bullet-shaped internal shell. Fossils are found from the Upper Carboniferous period to the Eocene epoch.
Belladonna
Belladonna is a poisonous plant from which atropine is derived.
Beluga
The beluga is a large dolphin.
Bengal
The Bengal is a breed of short-haired domestic cat which was developed in the USA in 1970 by breeding an Asian leopard with a domesticated tabby cat. The fur is leopard-patterned, thick, soft and consists of random rosettes of light spots within darker outer circles on a rufus-coloured background. The ears are small and slightly pointed, the tail is long and tapering, the eyes are very large and round and golden. The hind legs are shorter than the forelegs, a trait that makes the cat look like it is stalking when it walks and it has the gentle temperament of its tabby ancestor.
Berberis vulgaris
see "Barberry"
Bergamacia
see "Bergamasca"
Bergamasca
The Bergamasca (Bergamasker, Gigante di Bergamo, Bergamacia) is a breed of sheep found in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is the basic breed of the Lop-eared Alpine group and is polled. It is coarse wooled meat breed. The Bergamasca is the foundation of the other Lop-eared Alpine breeds and of Fabrianese, Pavullese, Perugian Lowland and Zakynthos.
Bergamasker
see "Bergamasca"
Bergamot
The bergamot is a tree of the genus citrus. The rind of its fruit provides a fragrant orange scented essence used in perfume.
Bergylt
The bergylt (Sebastes norvegicus) is a fish found in northern seas and belonging to the gurnard family but resembling a perch. It is of a red colour and grows to 60 cm in length. It is also called the Norway haddock and the Norway carp.
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) is a perennial grass with erect branches cultivated as fodder in the West Indies and the USA.
Bernicla Brenta
see "Brent Goose"
Betel
Betel (Piper betel) is a climbing shrub of the order Peperaceae indigenous through Madagascar and the Malay peninsular. The leaves contain a volatile oil which contains betel-phenol and chavicol, and is used as a masticatory.
Betel-Nut
The Betel-Nut is the kernel of the fruit of the palm Areca Catechu found in southern India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Malay Archipelago. It is so named from being chewed along with betel-leaf. When ripe the fruit is the size of a cherry, conical in shape with a brown outside and mottled inside. The fruit grows in bunches of about 300 nuts, each tree bearing two or three bunches.
Betonica Officinalis
see "Betony"
Betony
Betony is the popular name of Stachys Betonica, also known as Betonica Officinalis. It is a labiate British plant with purple flowers which grows in woods. It was once used extensively in medicine and may be used to dye wool a dark-yellow colour.
Bhang
Bhang is the Indian name for cannabis indica.
Bhuteer
see "Tibetan Terrier"
Bibrik
The Bibrik is a fat tailed, mutton type of breed of sheep that is found in parts of Loralai and Sibi districts in Baluchistan Province of Pakistan. They are a medium sized breed. Their body colour is white with a black or brown head. The fat tail is short and wide.
Bidens
Bidens is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs of the natural order Compositae. Two species are British marsh plants.
Biellese
The Biellese (Biellese-Bergamasca) is a breed of sheep from the Piedmont region of Italy. It is a carpet wool breed used for meat production. One of the Lop-eared Alpine group of sheep breeds, the Biellese is polled.
Biennial
Biennial refers to plants that live for two years/seasons.
Bighorn
The bighorn (Ovis cervina) is a large sheep with massive horns. It is found in the Rocky Mountains from Alaska to Mexico. Also called the Rocky Mountain Sheep.
Bignonia
Bignonia is a genus of plants of many species. They are inhabitants of hot climates and belong to the natural order Bignoniaceae. They are usually climbing shrubs with tendrils. The flowers are mostly interminal or axillary panicles. The corolla is trumpet-shaped giving rise to their common name of trumpet-flower.
Bignonia Leucoxylon
Bignonia Leucoxylon is a tree native to Jamaica which grows to some 10 meters in height.
Bilberry
The bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a small shrub of the order Vacciniaceae. It is found on copses and on heaths where it grows to about 60 cm tall and bears oval leaves with serrated edges and solitary, drooping, globular, flesh-coloured flowers and dark-blue berries.
Bilharzia
Bilharzia is a parasitic worm of the fluke group.
Bind-Weed
Bind-Weed is the common name of plants of the genus Convolvulus, especially Convolvulus arvensis and also of plants of the allied genus Calystegia.
Bindweed
Bindweed is a perennial herb of the order convolvulaceae.
Biology
Biology is the science of life and living things.
Birch
The birch is a slender tree.
Birchirs
The birchirs are members of the palaeonisciformes order.
Bird of prey
A bird of prey is a bird with a hooked beak and sharp claws which hunts other animals.
Bishopweed
Bishopweed is a perennial herb used to treat gout.
Bison
The bison is a division of the ox family.
Bistort
Bistort (Polygonum Bistorta) is a perennial plant of the buckwheat family found in Britain. It contains a lot of tannin, which gives it astringent properties and led to its use in medicine. In northern England it is commonly called Easter Giant and around Manchester it is called Patience Dock.
Bittern
The bittern is a British marsh bird related to the heron.
Black Alder
see "Winter Berry"
Black Bass
Black Bass is a species of spiny-finned fish of the sea perch and bass family. They are dark freshwater fish weighing up to 5 lbs.
Black Bean
The black bean or Moreton Bay chestnut (Castanospermum australe), is an Australian leguminous tree with a thin, smooth bark and yellow or reddish flowers. It is used in furniture manufacture.
Black Bryony
Black Bryony (Tamus communis) is a plant of the natural order Dioscoreaceae (the yams) and not a Bryony at all. It has cordiate undivided leaves, greenish flowers, red berries and a black fleshy root.
Black Cypress
The Black cypress (Taxodium distichum) is an American tree found in swampy areas. It's timber is widely used.
Black Gram
see "Urd"
Black snake
The black snake (coluber constrictor) is a common non-venomous snake found in the USA. It is about 5 feet long and is so agile it was nicknamed the Racer. It feeds on small animals and birds and was used for catching rats.
Black-bass
see "Growler"
Black-Beetle
Black-Beetle is a popular name for the cockroach.
Black-Boy
Black-Boy is a popular name for the grass-tree
Black-crowned Night-heron
The Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium sized, stocky American heron of the order Ciconiiformes, family: Ardeidae. It is grey with a white throat and breast, black cap; immature birds are brown with a streaked front; breeding individuals have two long white plumes extending from the back of the head. They are active mainly from dusk to dawn, roosting during the day.
Black-fish
see "Tautog"
Black-shouldered Kite
The Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a medium sized, slender, long-winged American hawk of the order Falconiformes, family Accipitridae with white head and tail, grey wings and black shoulders. It forages by hovering in place over prey, then settling down on it feet first. It feeds on small mammals, other small vertebrates and insects.
Blackbird
The blackbird (Turdus merula) is a British bird of the thrush family. The male has black plumage and a yellow bill. The female is dark brown with a dark bill.
Blackbuck
The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is an antelope found in central and north west India. It has spirally twisted horns and stands about 3 feet tall.
Blackcap
The blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is an English song bird of the warbler family. It is about 15 cm long, the upper part of the body is dark-grey with a greenish tinge, the under parts are silvery white and the upper part of the head is black (hence the name). It builds its nest close to the ground.
Blackhead Persian
The Blackheaded Persian is a breed of sheep that originated in the arid regions of east Africa in what is now Samali. It is one of the fat-rumped breeds and both sexes are polled. The breed is now found in South Africa where they are sometimes known by the name Swartkoppersie. It also found its way to the tropics of the Caribbean region via South Africa many years ago. The Caribbean population has adapted well to the humid tropics.
Bladder Senna
Bladder Senna (Colutea arborescens) is a leguminous shrub of Southern Europe with bladder-like pods and purgative properties.
Bladder-nut
The bladder-nut is a name of shrubs or small trees of the genus Staphylea, order Sapindaceae. They are native to Europe, Asia and North America.
Bladder-wrack
Bladder-wrack is a sea-weed so called because of the floating vesicles in its fronds. It is common on English beachs.
Bladderwort
The bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris) is a group of genera of some 275 species of aquatic and terrestial herbs of the order lentibulariaceae.
Blapsidae
Blapsidae are a family of nocturnal black beetles, whose wings are generally obsolete and their elytra soldered together. They are to be found in gloomy damp places and when seized discharge a peculiar smelling liquid in self-defence.
Blatta orientalis
see "Cockroach"
Blattidae
The blattidae are a family of insects of the order Orthoptera. They are voracious, some species eating everything which gets in their way. The cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is a member of this family.
Blaukpfiges Fleischschaf
see "Bleu du Maine"
Bleak
The bleak is a small river fish, 6 or 7 inches long. It is a member of the Carp family and resembles the dace. It is found in England and Europe. It is generally silver but with a green back and is very edible.
Blenheim
The Blenheim is a variety of spaniel bearing a close resemblance to the King Charles breed, but is somewhat smaller.
Blenny
The Blenny is a genus of acanthopterygious fishes (Blennius) distinguished by a short rounded head and a long compressed smooth body. Owing to their small gill openings they can exist for for some time without water. They are found in sea water. Some species are found off the coast of Britain.
Blesbok
The blesbok (Alcelaphus albifrons) is an antelope found in South Africa. It has a white marked face, a general chocolate colouring and a ''saddle'' of a bluish colour. It was heavily hunted during the 19th century.
Blessed Thistle
The Blessed Thistle (Carduus benedictus) is a plant native to the south of Europe and formerly used in medicine. It is mentioned in Much Ado About Nothing.
Bleu du Maine
The Bleu du Maine (Blaukpfiges Fleischschaf, Bazougers, Bluefaced Maine, Blue-headed Maine, Maine-Anjou, Maine a tete bleue, Maynne Blue) is a breed of sheep that originated in Western France in the region of Mayenne. The breed was developed from crossing of Leicester Longwool and Wensleydale which were imported during a period from 1855 to 1880 with the now extinct Choletais breed. The Bleu du Maine are a large breed with mature rams weighing 240 pounds and ewes 175. The breed has no wool on its head or legs. The face is a dark gray or blue colour and both sexes are polled.
Blind fish
The Blind fish are several species of fishes of the family Amblyopsidae inhabiting the American cave-streams.
Blindworm
The blindworm is a legless lizard of the anguidae family.
Blood-root
Blood-root (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a plant of the Sanguinaria genus. It was used by North American Indians to provide red paint.
Bloodhound
The bloodhound is an ancient breed of dog black and tan in colour and with pendulous ears. It has great powers of scent and is often used for tracking.
Blue Bell
Blue bell (Polemonium reptans) also known as Abscess Root, American Greek Valerian, False Jacob's Ladder and Sweatroot is a plant of the order Polemoniaceae. It grows in damp woods by creeping roots. The stem is about 5 cm long, much branched and bearing pinnate leaves with six or seven pairs of leaflets. The flowers are nodding, blue in colour and hang in loose terminal bunches.
Blue bottle
The blue bottle (Musca vomitoria) is a large blue species of the the blow-fly.
Blue Squill
see "Scilla"
Blue-fish
The blue-fish (Temnodon) is a sea fish common off the Altantic coast of the USA. It is similar to the mackerel, but grows to 3 feet long. Also called the skip-jack, horse-mackerel and green-fish.
Blue-headed Maine
see "Bleu du Maine"
Blue-throat
The blue-throat (Sylvia succica) is a bird with a tawny breast marked with a sky-blue crescent. It is found in northern Europe and Asia. It is eaten in France.
Blue-wing
The blue-wing is a genus of American ducks so called because of the colour of the wing coverts.
Bluefaced Leicester
The Bluefaced Leicester (Hexham Leicester, Bluefaced Maine, Blue-headed Maine) is an English Longwool breed of sheep and originated near Hexham in the county of Northumberland, England during the early 1900's. The breed was originally developed to use in the production of high quality crossbred ewes which were pastures in the neighboring hills of the region. They originated from Border Leicester individuals selected for the blue face (white hairs on black skin) and finer fleeces. They are found primarily in Northern England, Scotland and Wales. The average weight for mature rams is approximately 115 kg with adult ewes weighing 80 kg. The wool is classed as demi-luster and fine.
Bluefaced Maine
see "Bleu du Maine"
Bluethroat
The bluethroat is a small bird.
Bo tree
The bo tree is an Indian fig tree held sacred to buddha.
Boa
The boa is a genus of serpents of the family Boidae. They are distinguished by having jaws which can dilate to enable them to swallow prey thicker than themselves. They also have a hook on each side of the vent.
Boar
Boar is a male, not castrated pig (swine). The term is also applied to distinguish wild hogs from domesticated hogs (pigs).
Boat-fly
The boat-fly (Notonecta glauca) is an aquatic hemipterous insect which swims on its back.
Boatbill
The boatbill is a heron type bird found in brazil.
Bob-white
see "Virginia Quail"
Bobcat
The bobcat (Felis rufa) is a Wild cat living in a variety of habitats from Southern Canada through to Southern Mexico. It is similar to the lynx, but only 75 cm long, with reddish fur and less well-developed ear tufts.
Boehmeria
Boehmeria is a genus of plants of the order Urticaceae, closely resembling the stinging nettle. A number of the species yield tenacious fibres which are used for making ropes, twine and nets.
Bog Asphodel
Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) is a British plant of the lily family with pretty star-like flowers. It grows in elevated moors and boggy grounds.
Bogue
The bogue is an acanthopterygian fish found in the Mediterranean. It has large eyes and a brilliant colouring.
Boidae
The boidae are a family of large non-venomous serpants with two mobile hooks and the rudiments of hind-legs near the anus.
Boletus
Boletus is a genus of fungi, order Hymenomycetes, family Polyporei. They have a broad hemispherical cap the lower surface formed of open tupes, cylindrical in form, and adhering to one another. The tubes can be separated from the cap and contain little cylindrical capsules which are the organs of reproduction.
Bombay duck
The bombay duck or Bummalo or Bummaloti (Saurus ophiodon) is a small fish of the family Scopelidae, found in the Indian and China seas. It is a small glutinous transparent fish about the size of a smelt which is dried and then eaten.
Bombinator
Bombinator is a genus of toads that includes the fire-toad of Central Europe.
Bonasa
Bonasa is a genus of birds that includes the ruffled grouse of North America.
Bond
Bond is a breed devolved in Australia in 1909 as a dual-purpose breed, using Peppin Merinos and imported Lincoln rams. Bond sheep are mainly found in the south east portion of Australia.
Bongardia
Bongardia is a genus of the barberry family. It is a small stemless plant found in Greece and the Middle East. The Iraqis roast or boil the tuberous underground root and eat it. The leaves are also eaten like sorrel.
Bonito
The bonito (Thynnus pelamys) is a fish allied to the Mediterranean tunny, found in temperate and tropical seas. It is a predaceous and active fish feeding on flying-fish.
Bontebok
The bontebok (Alcelaphus pygarga) is a pied antelope of South Africa allied to the blesbok.
Booby
The booby (Sula fusca) is a swimming bird similar to the gannet and so named booby from the extraordinary stupidity it displays in allowing itself to be knocked on the head by voyagers without attempting to fly away. Like the gannet, the booby feeds on fish.
Booroola Merino
The Booroola Merino is a breed of sheep which was originally developed on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, and is the subject of a continuing development program initiated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). Booroolas differ from the normal Merino in two important ways. First, their fertility is as high as any breed in the world. The number of lambs born per ewe lambing averages 2.4 with a range from one to six. In crosses with other Merinos this difference is naturally reduced but half-Booroola ewes on average wean about 20 percent more lambs than comparable Merinos under the same conditions. Second, they have the ability to breed at most times of the year, thus extending the breeding season.
Borage
Borage is a biennial herb of the order boraginaceae.
Border Leicester
The Border Leicester is a breed of British long-wooled sheep. It has a long head which is wide between the eyes, a large black muzzle, small ears and no horns. Its wool is long and soft.
Borecole
Borecole is a variety of Brassica oleracea, a cabbage with the leaves curled or wrinkled, and having no disposition to form into a hard head.
Borzoi
The borzoi or Russian Wolfhound is a breed of dog introduced into England in 1870 when a pair were given to the Prince of Wales. The breed was used in Russia to hunt wolves, the dogs being used in pairs rather than packs. The borzoi has a narrow-domed, long skull with long powerful jaws. The neck is long and slightly arched and very powerful. The coat is usually white and they reach a height of 80 cm.
Bos taurus
see "Urus"
Boswellia
Boswellia is a genus of balsamic plants belonging to the myrrh family, several species of which furnish the framkincense used commercially, known as olibanum.
Boswellia thurifera
Boswellia thurifera is a large Indian timber tree found in mountainous regions. It furnishes Indian olibanum.
Bot-Fly
The Bot-Fly is a family of flies (Oestridae) of which the larvae are parasitic in the bodies of hoofed animals.
Botany
Botany is the science of plant life.
Botany-Bay Oak
see "Casuarina"
Bothriocephalus
Bothriocephalus is a genus of worms belonging to the tapeworm family.
Bottle-Brush
Bottle-Brush is the common name of shrubs or trees of the genus Callistemon, of the natural order Myrtaceae. They are natives of Australia with long and brightly coloured stamens and flowers massed together looking like a brush used for cleaning bottles, hence the name.
Bottle-Tree
The Bottle-Tree (Sterculia rupestris) is a tree of North-Eastern Australia, of the order Sterculiaceae, with a stem that bulges out into a huge rounded mass.
Box
Box is a hardy shrub of the order euphorbiaceae.
Box elder
Box elder is the ash-leaved maple tree (Negundo aceroides) which is found in the USA. It was once used as a source of sugar.
Box thorn
Box thorn is a climbing solanaceae.
Boxer
The boxer is a medium-sized dog of continental origin. It has a smooth coat.
Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus was one of the largest animals ever to live. It was a dinosaur from the jurassic period. It was 25m long and weighed 50 tonnes. It was a herbivore.
Bracken
Bracken is a fern growing on heathland.
Bradyodonti
The bradyodonti is an order of chondrichthyes. They are the chimaeras. A palato-quadrate bar is fused to the cranium. Teeth are few and crushing.
Brahman
The brahman or Zebu (Bos indicus) is a grey, with a large shoulder hump breed of domestic dairy cattle which originated in India.
Bramble
The bramble (Rubus fruticosus) is a prickly shrub of the order rosaceae, allied to the raspberry. It is a prolific wild plant in Britain, and bears berries known as blackberries in autumn.
Bramble-Finch
see "Brambling"
Brambling
The Brambling or Bramble-Finch (Fringilla montifringilla) is a bird of the finch family, larger than a chaffinch but very like it. It breeds in the north of Scandinavia and visits Britain and the south of Europe during winter.
Branchiopoda
Branchiopoda is a subclass of crustacean in which the trunk appendages are broad, lobed and fringed with hairs.
Brandling
The brandling (Lumbricus foetidus) is a small earthworm remarkable for its banded body, and much prized by anglers as a bait.
Brandt's Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a medium-sized American seabird of the order Pelecaniformes, family Phalacrocoracidae, with a long neck; long, slender hooked bill; dark brown to black in colour; dark throat patch turns blue with buffy area behind it in the breeding season. It dives from the surface, primarily for fish. It is a fairly common permanent resident along the Pacific Coast of California, preferring rocky shores, cliffs, fishing in inshore ocean waters and
breeds on Channel Islands.
Brangus
The brangus is a large, black, hornless, straight backed breed of domestic beef cattle which was developed in the USA during the 1930s.
Brassica
Brassica is a genus of cruciferous plants which includes the cabbage and turnip.
Brassica oleracea
see "Brussels Sprouts"
Bread-fruit
Bread-fruit is a tree of the order Artocarpaceae. The tree grows to a height of about 100 feet. The leaves are leathery, about 1 foot long and 3 or 4 inches wide. The fruit of the tree when roasted tastes somewhat like bread, hence the name! The sap of the tree is similar in appearance to cows milk, and is considered nutritious, hence the alternative name of cow-tree.
Breadcrumb sponge
The Breadcrumb sponge is a British coastal sponge which forms an encrusting mass.
Bream
The bream is a fresh water fish allied to the carp.
Breeze-Fly
see "Cleg"
Brent Goose
The Brent Goose (Bernicla Brenta) is a wild goose, smaller than the common barnacle goose and of much darker plumage. They are remarkable for their wing span and the extent of their migration.
Brenta canadensis
see "Canada Goose"
Briar
Briar (Erica arborea) is a plant of the Ericaceae family. Briar pipes are made from its roots.
Brill
The brill is a type of fish like the turbot.
Bristletail
The bristletail is a primitive wingless insect of the order Thysanura. Up to 2 cm long, bristletails have a body tapering from front to back, two long antennae, and three 'tails' at the rear end. They include the silverfish Lepisma saccharina and the firebrat Thermobia domestica. Two-tailed bristletails constitute another insect order, the Diplura. They live under stones and fallen branches, feeding on decaying material.
Briza
Briza is a genus of grass. It is popularly called quaking grass on account of the spikelets being in a constant state of tremulous motion. Other common names for the genus include maiden's hair and lady's tresses.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a late variety of the cauliflower, hardier and with more colour in the flower and leaves. The flower-stalks are eaten.
Brome grass
Brome grass is the name of any annual grasses of the genus Bromus of the temperate zone; some are used for forage, but many are weeds. Soft brome (Bromus interruptus), discovered in England 1849 and widespread in 1970, was thought to have died out by 1972, until it was rediscovered in 1979 in an Edinburgh botanical collection.
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae is the pineapple family of endogenous plants. The name comes from the genus Bromelia to which the pineapple was once incorrectly refered.
Bronchiole
A bronchiole is a branch of a bronchus within the lung.
Bronchioles
see "bronchiole"
Bronchus
The bronchus is a pipe connecting the trachea to the lung.
Bronze-Wing
The Bronze-wing is various species of Australian pigeons distinguished by the bronze colour of their plumage. The common bronze-winged ground dove is common in all Australia where it is esteemed for its eating.
Broom
Broom is the popular name of several allied genera of shrubs of the order leguminosae.
Broom-corn
see "Millet"
Broom-Grass
see "Millet"
Brosmius brosme
see "Torsk"
Brown Swiss
The Brown Swiss is a brown domestic breed of dairy cattle with a wedge-shaped body.
Brucella
Brucella is a genus of bacteria which causes contagious abortion in cattle, sheep and pigs and undulant fever in man.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts (Sprouts) are one of the cultivated varieties of cabbage (Brassica oleracea). They have an elongated stem which grows to about 150 cm high with small clustered green heads like miniature cabbages. They get their name from being cultivated in great numbers near Brussels since 1213.
Bryony
Bryony (Bryonia) is a genus of plants of the natural order Cucurbitaceae (gourds).
Bryophyllum
Bryophyllum is a genus of plants of the house-leek family.
Bryophyta
Bryophyta (Bryophytes) is the lowest group of the Cormophytes or higher plants, comprising the two classes of Liverworts (Hepaticae) and Mosses (Musci). They have a well-marked alternation of generations.
Bryophytes
see "Bryophyta"
Bryozoa
Bryozoa is another name for phylum polyzoa.
Buansuah
The buansuah (Cyon primoevus) is a wild dog of Northen India.
Bubaline Antelope
The bubaline antelope (Bubalis mauretanica) is an ox-like antelope found in the deserts of north Africa. It is yellow-brown in colour and has horns which start forward and outward, and then turn backwards.
Bubalis mauretanica
see "Bubaline Antelope"
Bubalus
The bubalus is the genus of animals which includes the buffalo.
Bubo
Bubo is a genus of owls, including the great-horned owl.
Buccal cavity
The buccal cavity is the region into which the mouth opens. The tongue is found on the floor of the buccal cavity.
Bucerotidoe
see "Hornbills"
Buchu
Buchu is the name of several plants belonging to the Cape Province, genus Barosma, order Rutaceae, used in medicine, in the form of a powder or tincture in disorders of the urinogenital organs.
Buck
Buck is the name of the male fallow-deer, reindeer, chamois, goat, hare and rabbit.
Buck-bean
The buck-bean (bog-bean, Marsh-Trefoil) is a plant of the order Gentianaceae. It is common in boggy soils and is found in England, Europe and North America. It is a bitter tasting plant and was once used as a tonic.
Buck-hound
The buck-hound is a type of dog similar to the stag-hound but smaller, originally bred for hunting bucks.
Buckhound
The buckhound is a breed of dog, formerly very common in England but rare since 1900. They were exclusively employed for buck-hunting, and closely resemble the staghound. Until 1897 a royal pack was maintained. In 1901 on the recommendation of a select committee to consider the provision to be made for the crown, the mastership of the buckhounds and the royal hunt were abolished.
Buckthorn
The buckthorn is a shrub of the order rhamnaceae.
Bucku
Bucku are several plants of the genus Barosma order Rutacea. They were used as medicine for urino-genital disorders around the turn of the century.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat or Brank (Fagopyrum esulentum or Polygonum Fagopyrum) is a plant of the order Polygonacea, with a branched herbaceous stem, somewhat arrow-shaped leaves, and purplish-white flowers, growing to a heaight of about 1 meter, and bearing a small triangular grain of a brownish-black hue. It is cultivated in the far-east as a bread-corn and in Europe as a feed for farm animals.
Buffalo
The buffalo is a large animal of the ox family.
Bugula
Bugula is an ectoprocta.
Bulau
The Bulau or Tikus (Gymnura Rafflesii) is an insectivorous mammal of the hedgehog kind, but belonging to a distinct family native to Sumatra. It has a long muzzle, fur interspersed with bristles, a naked tail and glnads which secrete musk.
Bulb
A bulb is a modified leaf-bud formed on a plant on or beneath the surface of the ground, emitting roots from its base and a stem from its centre.
Bulbul
The bulbul is a fruit-eating bird of the family Pycnonotidae, order Passeriformes, that ranges in size from that of a sparrow to a blackbird. They are mostly rather dull coloured and very secretive, living in dense forests. They are widely distributed throughout Africa and Asia and comprise about 120 species.
Bull
A bull is a male animal of the bovidea family.
Bull's Horn Thorn
Bull's Horn Thorn is a common name of certain tropical American species of Acacia which furnish one of the longest-known and best-established instances of myrmecophily. The large stipular thorns which are common in the genus are in these plants hollow and thin-walled, and are inhabited by ferocious ants which gain access by boring a hole near the tip of each thorn.
Bull-frog
The bull-frog is a large species of frog found in North America. They are between 8 and 10 inches long, and get their name from their croak which resembles the lowing of cattle
Bullace
The bullace (prunus insititia) is a wild plum common in many parts of England, but rare in Scotland. The fruit is used to make jam.
Bulldog
The bulldog is an ancient breed of British dog. It was bred for bull baiting and as such it can grip a bull's throat without obstructing its nostrils. It has a distinctive short, thick, kinked tail.
Bullet-Tree
The Bullet-Tree or Bully-Tree (Mimusops balata) is a forest tree of Guiana and neighbouring regions, of the order Sapotaceae, yielding a latex known as balata which is used to make chewing gum.
Bullfinch
The bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a species of finch of the family Fringillidae.
Bully-Tree
see "Bullet-Tree"
Bulrush
The bulrush is a perennial sedge of the order cyperaceae.
Bummalo
see "Bombay duck"
Bummaloti
see "Bombay duck"
Bungarus candidus
see "Krait"
Bunting
The bunting is a bird of the sub-family Emberizinae, allied to the finches.
Bunya-Bunya
Bunya-Bunya is the native Australian name for the tree Araucaria Bidwillii. It bears cones larger than a man's head which contain seeds eagerly eaten by the native Australians.
Burdock
Burdock is a biennial herb of the order compositae.
Buriti
The Buriti (Mauritia vinifera) is a South American palm growing to about 50 meters. It prefers marshy situations, and bears an imposing crown of fan-shaped leaves.
Burnet
Burnet is a perennial rosaceous herb.
Bush antelope
The bush antelope is a small African antelope.
Bustard
The bustard is a bird belonging to the order Alectorides, which also includes the cranes.
Butcher-bird
The Butcher-bird (Lanius) is a genus of Shrike which often breeds in Britain.
Butea
Butea is a genus of plants of the natural order Leguminosae native to the East Indies. They are trees having pinnately trifoliate leaves, with racemes of deep scarlet flowers.
Buteo jamaicensis
see " Red-tailed Hawk"
Butomus
Butomus is a genus of monocotyledons of the natural order Butomaceae. The only species, Butomus umbellatus, the Flowering Rush, is the most elegant and beautiful of British marsh plants.
Butorides striatus
see "Green-backed Heron"
Butter-Bur
The Butter-Bur (Petasites vulgaris) is a British composite plant, with large rhubarb-like leaves and purplish flowers growing by the side of streams. It gets its name from the fact that previously its large leaves were used for wrapping up butter.
Buttercup
The buttercup (Ranunculus acris) is a perennial herb of the order ranunculaceae.
Butterfish
see "Gunnel"
Butterfly
Butterfly is a division of the order of lepidoptera. The other is moth.
Butterwort
The butterwort is a perennial herb of the order lentibulariaceae.
Buttons
Buttons or comon tansy (Tansy vulgare) is a plant of the tansy genus formerly used as a tonic.
Buxbaumia
Buxbaumia is a genus of humus-loving mosses, interesting because of their extremely simple structure. Apart from the well-developed green protonema, they have no vegetative organs. The male plant consists of a single concave leaf, devoid of chlorophyll, enclosing an antheridium. The female consists of a tuft of leaves, likewise colourless, surrounding an archegonium.
Buzzard
The buzzard is a group of 20 types of birds of prey.
Byelorussian Red
see "Belarus Red"
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