human nervous system: Sympathetic nervous system: …sometimes referred to as the thoracolumbar outflow.) The axons of these neurons exit the spinal cord in the ventral roots and then synapse on either sympathetic ganglion cells or specialized cells in the adrenal gland called chromaffin cells.

endoscopy: The thoracoscope permits examination of the chest cavity and surface of the lungs through a small incision between the ribs. The peritoneoscope allows examination of the abdominal cavity and lower surfaces of the liver and gallbladder through a small incision in the abdominal wall. The culdoscope…

thoracotropic hormone, neurohormone secreted in arthropods. After being released by neurosecretory cells of the brain, the thoracotropic hormone is carried by the blood to the prothoracic glands, where it stimulates the release of ecdysone in insects or crustecdysone in crustaceans, steroid

Third Servile War: …and with the defeat of Gaius Thoranius, the quaestor of Varinius, they obtained possession of nearly the whole of southern Italy. The cities of Nola and Nuceria in Campania were sacked, as were Thurii and Metapontum in Lucania. The Senate at last despatched both consuls

Bjarni Vigfússon Thórarensen was the first Romantic nationalist poet of Iceland. The precocious son of a prominent family, Thórarensen completed law studies in Copenhagen at age 20. While there he also attended the lectures of the German philosopher Henrik Steffens, who introduced Romanticism to

Jakob Thorarensen was an Icelandic poet whose interest was in the daily heroism of the worker. Born in the barren country of the north, a kinsman of the Romantic nationalist poet Bjarni Thórarensen, Jakob worked on the farm and in fishing boats. When he was 19, he went to Reykjavík to be a

tephrochronology: …violent volcanic explosions in Iceland, Sigurdur Thorarinsson, an Icelander who was the founder of the science of tephrochronology, was able to establish a detailed chronology of preoccupational and postoccupational geologic and archaeological events there. Tephrochronology enabled Thorarinsson to make a thorough study of the changes in climate in Iceland and…

thorax, the part of an animal’s body between its head and its midsection. In vertebrates (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), the thorax is the chest, with the chest being that part of the body between the neck and the abdomen. The vertebrate thorax contains the chief organs of

chlorpromazine: Chlorpromazine hydrochloride, sometimes marketed under the trade name Thorazine, may be administered orally or rectally or by injection.

Johan Rudolf Thorbecke was a leading Dutch political figure of the mid-19th century who, as prime minister (1849–53, 1862–66, 1871–72), consolidated the parliamentary system created by the constitution of 1848. Thorbecke began his career as a lecturer at universities in Germany and the Low

Icelandic literature: The heroic sagas: …including the Íslendinga saga by Sturla Þórðarson.

Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher renowned for having lived the doctrines of Transcendentalism as recorded in his masterwork, Walden (1854), and for having been a vigorous advocate of civil liberties, as evidenced in the essay “Civil Disobedience” (1849).

Max Thorek was the founder of the International College of Surgeons and co-founder of the American Hospital in Chicago, whose contributions to the art of surgery earned worldwide recognition. Thorek’s preparation for university training began in Budapest but was interrupted when his younger brother

Thomas Thorild was a poet and critic who opposed the influence of French classicism on Swedish culture. After studying at the University of Lund, Thorild became a tutor. When a literary prize competition was held in Stockholm, he entered Passionerna (1781; “The Passions”), his first poem. Although

thorium processing: Conversion to uranium-233: …thorium reactor fuels through the thorium extraction, or Thorex, process, which employs tributyl phosphate extraction chemistry. Irradiated fuel, containing either thorium metal or oxide, is dissolved in nitric acid containing a small amount of fluoride ion. Uranium-233 and thorium are coextracted into a tributyl phosphate solution, which is then contacted…

Maurice Thorez was a French politician and leader of the French Communist Party. Thorez became a coal miner at age 12 and joined the Socialist Party in 1919. He joined the Communist Party about 1920 and was imprisoned several times for agitation. In 1923 he became party secretary for the

Thorfinn Karlsefni was an Icelandic-born Scandinavian leader of an early colonizing expedition to North America. His travels were recounted in the Saga of Erik and the Tale of the Greenlanders. Thorfinn must have been given his nickname, Karlsefni, at an early age, since it means “promising boy.”

Ari Thorgilsson the Learned was an Icelandic chieftain, priest, and historian whose Íslendingabók (Libellus Islandorum; The Book of the Icelanders) is the first history of Iceland written in the vernacular. Composed before 1133 and covering the period from the settlement of Iceland up to 1120, it

monazite: …monazite frequently contains 10–12 percent thorium dioxide (ThO2) and thus represents a major commercial source of thorium as well. Countries in which monazite is mined include India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brazil. For detailed physical properties, see phosphate mineral (table).

thorianite, thorium dioxide mineral (ThO2) that is very heavy, hard, and coloured dark gray to brownish black or bluish black. Originally found as waterworn grains and crystals in the gem gravels of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), thorianite also occurs sparsely in the black river and beach sands of

Thomas Thorild was a poet and critic who opposed the influence of French classicism on Swedish culture. After studying at the University of Lund, Thorild became a tutor. When a literary prize competition was held in Stockholm, he entered Passionerna (1781; “The Passions”), his first poem. Although

thorite, thorium silicate, ThSiO4, one of the most important thorium minerals. Almost always altered by hydration, it occurs in syenite near Brevik, Nor., and in the gem gravels of Sri Lanka. Thorite is mined commercially in the United States at Cripple Creek, Colo., and at Hall Mountain, Idaho.

thorium (Th), radioactive chemical element of the actinoid series of the periodic table, atomic number 90; it is a useful nuclear reactor fuel. Thorium was discovered (1828) by Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius. It is silvery white but turns gray or black on exposure to air. It is about half as

monazite: …monazite frequently contains 10–12 percent thorium dioxide (ThO2) and thus represents a major commercial source of thorium as well. Countries in which monazite is mined include India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brazil. For detailed physical properties, see phosphate mineral (table).

thorium processing: Conversion to uranium-233: …thorium reactor fuels through the thorium extraction, or Thorex, process, which employs tributyl phosphate extraction chemistry. Irradiated fuel, containing either thorium metal or oxide, is dissolved in nitric acid containing a small amount of fluoride ion. Uranium-233 and thorium are coextracted into a tributyl phosphate solution, which is then contacted…

thorium processing: Acidic and alkaline digestion: …metathesizing the thorium phosphate to thorium hydroxide. Finally, the crude thorium hydroxide is dissolved in nitric acid to produce a thorium nitrate-containing feed solution suitable for final purification by solvent extraction (see below).

thorium processing: Acidic and alkaline digestion: …nitric acid to produce a thorium nitrate-containing feed solution suitable for final purification by solvent extraction (see below).

thorium processing: Acidic and alkaline digestion: …aqueous ammonia, first precipitating hydrated thorium phosphate as a gelatinous mass and then metathesizing the thorium phosphate to thorium hydroxide. Finally, the crude thorium hydroxide is dissolved in nitric acid to produce a thorium nitrate-containing feed solution suitable for final purification by solvent extraction (see below).

thorium processing, preparation of the ore for use in various products. Thorium (Th) is a dense (11.7 grams per cubic centimetre) silvery metal that is softer than steel. It has a high melting temperature of approximately 1,750 °C (3,180 °F). Below about 1,360 °C (2,480 °F), the metal exists in the

thorium series, set of unstable heavy nuclei comprising one of the four radioactive

thorite, thorium silicate, ThSiO4, one of the most important thorium minerals. Almost always altered by hydration, it occurs in syenite near Brevik, Nor., and in the gem gravels of Sri Lanka. Thorite is mined commercially in the United States at Cripple Creek, Colo., and at Hall Mountain, Idaho.

thorium processing: Reduction to the metal: …gaseous hydrogen fluoride (HF), yielding thorium tetrafluoride (ThF4). The metal is obtained by the Spedding process, in which powdered ThF4 is mixed with finely divided calcium (Ca) and a zinc halide (either zinc chloride or zinc fluoride) and placed in a sealed, refractory-lined “bomb.” Upon heating to approximately 650 °C…

thorium: Synthetic isotopes have been prepared; thorium-229 (7,880-year half-life), formed in the decay chain originating in the synthetic actinoid element neptunium, serves as a tracer for ordinary thorium (thorium-232).

ionium-thorium dating: ionium-thorium dating, method of establishing the time of origin of marine sediments according to the amount of ionium and thorium they contain.

ionium-thorium dating, method of establishing the time of origin of marine sediments according to the amount of ionium and thorium they contain. Because uranium compounds are soluble in seawater, while thorium compounds are quite insoluble, the thorium isotopes produced by the decay of uranium in

fissile material: the fertile materials uranium-238 and thorium-232, respectively. A fertile material, not itself capable of undergoing fission with low-energy neutrons, is one that decays into fissile material after neutron absorption within a reactor. Thorium-232 and uranium-238 are the only two naturally occurring fertile materials.

Thorkell the Tall was a Viking warrior and chieftain who gained renown during his lifetime for his fighting prowess and who played a notable role in English history in the 11th century. Little is known of Thorkell’s early life. He was born into a prominent family and was said to be a member of the

the Monkees: …2021, Carmel Valley, California), and Peter Tork (byname of Peter Thorkelson; b. February 13, 1942, Washington, D.C., U.S.—d. February 21, 2019, Connecticut).

Gudbrandur Thorláksson was a Reformation scholar and Lutheran bishop who was responsible for the success of Lutheranism in Iceland. In 1570 when Thorláksson became bishop of Hólar, a post he was to hold for 56 years, Protestantism, imposed on Iceland by Danish rulers, had only nominal acceptance.

Icelandic literature: The 18th century: Jón Þorláksson, who was a clergyman as well as a poet and a scholar, translated two major English poems—John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man—as well as works by the German poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.

angiosperm: Shoot system modifications: Thorns represent the modification of an axillary shoot system in which the leaves are reduced and die quickly and the stems are heavily sclerified and grow for only a limited time (determinate growth). Thorns appear to protect the plant against herbivores. Examples are found in…

Toruń, city, one of two capitals (with Bydgoszcz) of Kujawsko-Pomorskie województwo (province), north-central Poland, on the Vistula River. A river port, rail and road junction, and cultural centre, it is the birthplace (1473) of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikołaj Kopernik) and the seat of

jimsonweed, (Datura stramonium), annual herbaceous plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Possibly native to Central America, the plant is considered an invasive species throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. It was used by Algonquin Indians in eastern North America, among other

datura, (genus Datura), genus of about nine species of poisonous flowering plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Several Datura species are collected for use as drugs, and others are cultivated for their showy flowers. Many are considered weeds in warm parts of the world and commonly grow

passeriform: Nesting: The thorn birds (Phacellodomus), as well as many other Furnariidae, build huge nests of twigs suspended from the ends of tree branches; these nests, which may be more than 2 metres (nearly 7 feet) long and contain many compartments, are used by only a single nesting…

Colleen McCullough: …second novel, the sweeping romance The Thorn Birds (1977; television miniseries 1983), and for her Masters of Rome series (1990–2007), a painstakingly researched fictionalized account of Rome in the age of Julius Caesar.

Television in the United States: The era of the miniseries: …series, including Shogun (NBC, 1980), The Thorn Birds (ABC, 1983), The Winds of War (ABC, 1983), and the 25-hour-long Centennial (NBC, 1978). Escalating production budgets and increasingly lower ratings threatened the miniseries by the end of the 1980s, however. War and Remembrance (ABC, 1988–89), at 30 hours the longest miniseries…

thorn forest, dense scrublike vegetation characteristic of dry subtropical and warm temperate areas with a seasonal rainfall averaging 250 to 500 mm (about 10 to 20 inches). This vegetation covers a large part of southwestern North America and southwestern Africa and smaller areas in Africa, the

Chicago Heights, city, Cook county, northeastern Illinois, U.S. It is a suburb of Chicago, about 30 miles (50 km) south of downtown. The city’s name derives from its proximity to Chicago and its elevation, which averages 95 feet (29 metres) above the surrounding area. The site was the intersection

thorn forest, dense scrublike vegetation characteristic of dry subtropical and warm temperate areas with a seasonal rainfall averaging 250 to 500 mm (about 10 to 20 inches). This vegetation covers a large part of southwestern North America and southwestern Africa and smaller areas in Africa, the

Thirteen Years’ War: …and was concluded by the Treaty of Toruń (Thorn; Oct. 19, 1466). In 1454 rebel Prussian groups petitioned Casimir IV of Poland for aid against the Knights. Casimir declared war on them, and in 1462 won the decisive Battle of Puck. In the Treaty of Toruń, the Teutonic Order surrendered…

Ulmaceae: Major genera and species: Thorn-elm (Hemiptelea davidii) is the sole member of its genus and is native to Asia. Members of the genus Holoptelea are found in Asia and Africa and are used locally as medicinal plants.

Jan Thorn-Prikker was a Dutch painter, designer, and decorator in the Art Nouveau style. He was an important figure in modern religious art, best known for his use of symbolism in stained-glass windows. Thorn-Prikker’s student work was impressionistic, and he also assimilated the contemporary

Jan Thorn-Prikker was a Dutch painter, designer, and decorator in the Art Nouveau style. He was an important figure in modern religious art, best known for his use of symbolism in stained-glass windows. Thorn-Prikker’s student work was impressionistic, and he also assimilated the contemporary

hawthorn, (genus Crataegus), large genus of thorny shrubs or small trees in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the north temperate zone. Many species are common to North America, and a number of cultivated varieties are grown as ornamentals for their attractive flowers and fruits. The hawthorn

chondrichthyan: Growth: The males of European thornback rays (Raja clavata) are about 50 cm (20 inches) wide when they reach first maturity, about seven years after birth; females are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 inches) at first maturity, nine years after birth.

hummingbird: In the thornbills (Ramphomicron and Chalcostigma) and the velvet-purple coronet (Boissonneaua jardini), it is quite short, but in the sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), it is unusually long, contributing more than half of the bird’s 21-cm length. The bill is slightly downcurved in many species, strongly so in…

gerrymandering: …Supreme Court has held (in Thornburg v. Gingles, 1986) that such practices are incompatible with Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (as amended in 1982), which generally prohibits voting standards or practices whose practical effect is that members of racial minority groups “have less opportunity than other members…

Betty Hutton was an American actress and singer who electrified audiences with her explosive personality and high-spirited performances in musicals and comedies on the stage and screen. At the age of three Hutton began performing for audiences in her mother’s Detroit speakeasies during the

South Gloucestershire: Thornbury (a market centre in the northwest) and Kingswood are the administrative centres.

Africa: Cape shrub, bush, and thicket: …considerable enclaves of true evergreen bushland, which have reverted to shrubland (fynbos). Sclerophyllous foliage and proteas abound. Although grassy tracts occur on the mountains, they are characteristically unusual lower down. Beyond the Cape Ranges, fynbos grades into karoo.

savanna: Environment: into three categories—wet, dry, and thornbush—depending on the length of the dry season. In wet savannas the dry season typically lasts 3 to 5 months, in dry savannas 5 to 7 months, and in thornbush savannas it is even longer. An alternative subdivision recognizes savanna woodland, with trees and shrubs…

Africa: Cape shrub, bush, and thicket: …considerable enclaves of true evergreen bushland, which have reverted to shrubland (fynbos). Sclerophyllous foliage and proteas abound. Although grassy tracts occur on the mountains, they are characteristically unusual lower down. Beyond the Cape Ranges, fynbos grades into karoo.

animal learning: Classical and instrumental conditioning: …placing a cat inside a “puzzle box,” an apparatus from which the animal could escape and obtain food only by pressing a panel, opening a catch, or pulling on a loop of string. Thorndike measured the speed with which the cat gained its release from the box on successive trials.…

Thorndike’s law of effect, in animal behaviour and conditioning, the postulate developed by American psychologist Edward L. Thorndike in 1905 that argued that the probability that a particular stimulus will repeatedly elicit a particular learned response depends on the perceived consequences of the

Edward L. Thorndike: The law of exercise stated that behaviour is more strongly established through frequent connections of stimulus and response. In 1932 Thorndike determined that the second of his laws was not entirely valid in all cases. He also modified the law of effect to state that rewards…

Dame Sybil Thorndike was an English actress of remarkable versatility. The daughter of a canon of Rochester Cathedral, she performed with Annie Horniman’s company in Manchester (1908–09 and 1911–13), and then joined the Old Vic Company in London (1914–18), where she helped to establish not only the

Dame Sybil Thorndike was an English actress of remarkable versatility. The daughter of a canon of Rochester Cathedral, she performed with Annie Horniman’s company in Manchester (1908–09 and 1911–13), and then joined the Old Vic Company in London (1914–18), where she helped to establish not only the

Edward L. Thorndike was an American psychologist whose work on animal behaviour and the learning process led to the theory of connectionism, which states that behavioral responses to specific stimuli are established through a process of trial and error that affects neural connections between the

Edward L. Thorndike was an American psychologist whose work on animal behaviour and the learning process led to the theory of connectionism, which states that behavioral responses to specific stimuli are established through a process of trial and error that affects neural connections between the

Thorndike–Barnhart dictionaries, notable series of school dictionaries that were widely used in the United States during the 20th century. Their content was based on the theories of Edward L. Thorndike, an educational psychologist, and Clarence Lewis Barnhart, lexicographer and editor, both

Kip Thorne is an American physicist who was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the first direct detection of gravity waves. He shared the prize with American physicists Rainer Weiss and Barry C. Barish. Thorne

Kip Thorne is an American physicist who was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the first direct detection of gravity waves. He shared the prize with American physicists Rainer Weiss and Barry C. Barish. Thorne

Harriet Mann Miller was an American children’s author whose writing tended to either heartrending fiction about desolate children or lively, factual nature pieces. Harriet Mann grew up in various towns as her itinerant father drifted from place to place, and her schooling was consequently

Gil Evans: …worked as an arranger with Claude Thornhill’s band, devising the unique instrumentation that was to become a trademark of his early years: a standard big-band lineup, plus French horns and tuba. Evans used similar instrumentation for his two arrangements on Miles Davis’s seminal album Birth of the Cool (recorded 1949–50),…

Sir James Thornhill was an English painter, the first to excel in historical painting, whose style was in the Italian Baroque tradition. Thornhill became the history painter and sergeant painter to George I and George II, master of the Painters’ Company in 1720, fellow of the Royal Society in 1723,

giraffe: giraffa), the Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi), and the reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata).

Helle Thorning-Schmidt is a Danish politician who became Denmark’s first female prime minister when she took office in 2011; she held the post until 2015. Thorning-Schmidt was the youngest of three children in a family split by divorce. She grew up with her businesswoman mother in Ishøj, a town

crown of thorns, (Euphorbia milii), thorny plant of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), native to Madagascar. Crown of thorns is popular as a houseplant and is grown in warm climates as a garden shrub. Flowering is year-round but most plentiful in wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere. The common

Crown of Thorns, wreath of thorns that was placed on the head of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, whereby the Roman soldiers mocked his title “King of the Jews.” The relic purported to be the Crown of Thorns was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople by 1063. The French king Louis IX (St.

climate classification: Empirical classifications: …made by the American geographer-climatologist C. Warren Thornthwaite in 1931 and 1948. He first used a vegetation-based approach that made use of the derived concepts of temperature efficiency and precipitation effectiveness as a means of specifying atmospheric effects on vegetation. His second classification retained these concepts in the form of…

Denver: Littleton, Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster, and Wheat Ridge; Golden, about 12 miles (19 km) west of Denver, and Boulder, about 25 miles (40 km) northwest, are also part of the metropolitan region. Greater Denver is at the centre of a string of urban areas that stretches along the…

Caroline Atoll, coral formation in the Central and Southern Line Islands, part of Kiribati, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 450 miles (720 km) northwest of Tahiti. With a total area of 1.45 square miles (3.76 square km), it is made up of 20 islets that rise to 20 feet (6 metres) above mean

Silurian Period: Reef mounds and coral biostromes: The Thornton Reef Complex outside Chicago is an example of a well-zoned Wenlock complex more than 1 km (0.6 mile) in diameter. Others are well known from the Silurian of Manitoulin Island (Ontario, Can.), northern Greenland, Shropshire (Eng.), Gotland (Swed.), Estonia, the central and southern Urals…

Big Mama Thornton was an influential American singer and songwriter whose gritty vocals and instrumental style had tremendous influence on blues, R&B, and rock and roll. Overlooked by white audiences during her lifetime, Thornton’s work inspired imitation by Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin, who

Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, writer, director, and musician known for his versatility and eccentric personality. Thornton won an Academy Award for his screenplay of Sling Blade (1996), which he also starred in and directed. Other notable films include A Simple Plan (1998), Monster’s

Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, writer, director, and musician known for his versatility and eccentric personality. Thornton won an Academy Award for his screenplay of Sling Blade (1996), which he also starred in and directed. Other notable films include A Simple Plan (1998), Monster’s

Litton Industries, Inc.: …1953 by Charles Bates “Tex” Thornton (1913–81). Its more than 80 divisions provide products and services ranging from electronic and electrical components and equipment to aerospace and marine systems and equipment. It is headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif. Among Litton’s popularly known brand-name products are Litton microwave ovens and Royal…

Henry Thornton was an English economist, banker, and philanthropist who made significant contributions to monetary theory. Thornton was the son of a noted merchant and philanthropist. He became a leading member of the Clapham Sect, an austere, evangelical branch of the Church of England, and was a

San Jose Sharks: …the standout play of centre Joe Thornton, had the best record in the NHL, earning the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. However, in a twist on the franchise’s early playoff history, the Sharks were upset in the first round of the postseason by the Anaheim Ducks. The team…

Litton Industries, Inc.: …1953 by Charles Bates “Tex” Thornton (1913–81). Its more than 80 divisions provide products and services ranging from electronic and electrical components and equipment to aerospace and marine systems and equipment. It is headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif. Among Litton’s popularly known brand-name products are Litton microwave ovens and Royal…

History of film: Australia, New Zealand, and Canada: Warwick Thornton directed Samson & Delilah (2009) and Sweet Country (2017), both dramas about Aboriginal Australians living in modern Australia. The actress Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut was the popular horror film The Babadook (2014). New Zealand films of note included Niki Caro’s Whale Rider (2002),…

William Thornton was a British-born American architect, inventor, and public official, best known as the creator of the original design for the Capitol at Washington, D.C. Thornton studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh (1781–84) and received his M.D. from the University of Aberdeen

Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, writer, director, and musician known for his versatility and eccentric personality. Thornton won an Academy Award for his screenplay of Sling Blade (1996), which he also starred in and directed. Other notable films include A Simple Plan (1998), Monster’s

Big Mama Thornton was an influential American singer and songwriter whose gritty vocals and instrumental style had tremendous influence on blues, R&B, and rock and roll. Overlooked by white audiences during her lifetime, Thornton’s work inspired imitation by Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin, who

Africa: Cape shrub, bush, and thicket: …considerable enclaves of true evergreen bushland, which have reverted to shrubland (fynbos). Sclerophyllous foliage and proteas abound. Although grassy tracts occur on the mountains, they are characteristically unusual lower down. Beyond the Cape Ranges, fynbos grades into karoo.

ostariophysan: Annotated classification: Family Doradidae (thorny catfishes) Overlapping plates cover sides of body. Intestinal modifications for aerial respiration. Aquarium fishes. Generally small, to more than 1 metre (3 feet). South America. About 30 genera, about 72 species. Family Auchenipteridae (driftwood catfishes) Internal insemination. Fresh and brackish water, Panama and South…

coral: …1,000 species; black corals and thorny corals (Antipatharia), about 100 species; horny corals, or gorgonians (Gorgonacea), about 1,200 species; and blue corals (Coenothecalia), one living species.

moloch, small (20-centimetre- [8-inch-] long), squat, orange and brown Australian lizard of the Old World family Agamidae. Moloch is entirely covered with thornlike spines, the largest projecting from the snout and over each eye. The shape of its body and many of its habits are similar to those of

locust: The honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), also of the pea family, is a North American tree commonly used as an ornamental and often found in hedges.