cat snake: …most spectacular species is the black-and-yellow mangrove snake, or gold-ringed cat snake (B. dendrophila), a shiny black snake with a yellow crossbar pattern on its body. It ranges from the Malay Peninsula to the Philippines and can reach 2.5 metres (about 8 feet) in length.

jackal: …and eastern Africa, and the black-backed (C. mesomelas) and side-striped (C. adustus) jackals of southern and eastern Africa. Jackals grow to a length of about 85–95 cm (34–37 inches), including the 30–35-cm (12–14-inch) tail, and weigh about 7–11 kg (15–24 pounds). Golden jackals and African golden wolves are yellowish, the…

woodpecker: …in some mountains, and the black-backed three-toe (P. arcticus), found across forested central Canada.

hamster: The largest is the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to 34 cm long, not including a short tail of up to 6 cm.

plover: … (Pluvialis species) and black-bellied (Squatarola squatarola), are finely patterned dark and light above and black below in breeding dress. These two genera are sometimes included in Charadrius.

cuckoo: …by the widespread yellow-billed and black-billed cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus and C. erythropthalmus) and the mangrove cuckoo (C. minor), which is restricted in the United States to coastal southern Florida (also found in the West Indies and Mexico to northern South America); they are represented in Central and South America by…

magpie: The best-known species are the black-billed magpie (Pica hudsonia), a 45-cm (18-inch) black-and-white (i.e., pied) bird, with an iridescent blue-green tail, and the Eurasian magpie (P. pica), which is has similar coloration, but is slightly larger in size with a shorter tail. The geographic range of the black-billed magpie extends…

spoonbill: …and two Australian species, the royal, or black-billed, spoonbill (P. regia), and the yellow-billed, or yellow-legged, spoonbill (P. flavipes).

songlark: …lively song; the 30-cm (12-inch) brown, or black-breasted, songlark (C. cruralis) lives in open country, utters creaky chuckling notes, and has a flight song, as larks do.

albatross: The black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), with a wingspread to about 230 cm (7.5 feet), wanders far offshore in the North Atlantic. A dark eye-streak gives it a frowning appearance.

capuchin monkey: albifrons), and weeper (C. nigrivittatus) capuchins, in which the crown bears a smooth, dark, and more or less pointed cap. The name black-capped capuchin has been applied to both C. apella and C. nigrivittatus.The genus Cebus belongs to the family Cebidae.

capuchin monkey: …or tufted, group includes the brown capuchin (C. apella), in which the crown bears a dark cap of long erect hairs that often form tufts or crests. The uncrested, or untufted, group includes the more lightly built white-throated (C. capucinus), white-fronted (C. albifrons), and weeper (C. nigrivittatus) capuchins, in which…

animal social behaviour: Dominance: …role in mating patterns in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), where more dominant males tend to mate with more dominant females. Higher-status pairs then experience greater overwinter survival, presumably compete more effectively for high-quality breeding space, and produce more offspring.

procellariiform: Importance to humans: The related black-capped petrel, or diablotin (P. hasitata), of the West Indies was also thought extinct (because of predation by humans, rats, and mongooses) until in 1961 a substantial population, estimated to number at least 4,000 birds, was found breeding in the inaccessible forested cliffs of Hispaniola.

coucal: The black, or black-chested, coucal (C. toulou) is 33 cm (13 inches) long. All black except for brown wings, it is whitish streaked in nonbreeding plumage (the only cuckoo to have seasonal coloration change). It ranges from eastern Africa to Southeast Asia.

India: Soils: …black soils known locally as regur. After those the alluvial soil is the third most-common type. Also significant are the desert soils of Rajasthan, the saline soils in Gujarat, southern Rajasthan, and some coastal areas, and the mountain soils of the Himalayas. The type of soil is determined by numerous…

heron: The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) ranges over the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia; the Nankeen night heron (N. caledonicus) in Australia, New Caledonia, and the Philippines; and the yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) from the eastern and central United States to southern Brazil. Another night…

tityra: …tropical South America, and the black-crowned tityra (T. inquisitor) ranges from Mexico to Argentina. The males of all three species are about 20 cm (8 inches) long and are pale gray with black on the head, wings, and tail; the females are similar but browner in hue. The bill is…

bushtit: “Black-eared” forms used to be regarded as a separate species (P. melanotis) but are now considered a subspecies. Bands of bushtits forage busily for tiny insects, especially leafhoppers, aphids, and scale insects, in dryland scrub. They also eat seeds and berries. Their call note is…

cowpea, (Vigna unguiculata), annual plant within the pea family (Fabaceae) grown for its edible legumes. The plants are thought to be native to West Africa and are widely cultivated in warm regions around the world. In addition to their use as a protein-rich food crop, cowpeas are extensively grown

John Banville: Benjamin Black books and mystery series: Other Benjamin Black books include The Black-Eyed Blonde (2014), which features Raymond Chandler’s fictional private detective Philip Marlowe, and the historical crime novels Wolf on a String (2017) and The Secret Guests (2019). The latter introduced the Irish detective St. John Strafford, a Protestant character serving on a mostly Roman…

cowpea, (Vigna unguiculata), annual plant within the pea family (Fabaceae) grown for its edible legumes. The plants are thought to be native to West Africa and are widely cultivated in warm regions around the world. In addition to their use as a protein-rich food crop, cowpeas are extensively grown

black-eyed Susan, (Rudbeckia hirta), North American coneflower (family Asteraceae) commonly cultivated as an attractive garden ornamental. Growing as annuals or short-lived perennials, black-eyed Susans are native to prairies and open woodlands and are attractive to both birds and butterflies. The

Douglas William Jerrold: …success in the theatre with Black-Eyed Susan (1829), a nautical melodrama that draws on the patriotic tar (sailor) while critiquing authoritarianism in the British Navy. He also mastered a special brand of Victorian humour in a series of articles called “Mrs. Caudle’s Curtain Lectures” (1845) for Punch magazine, to which…

quelea, (Quelea quelea), small brownish bird of Africa, belonging to the songbird family Ploceidae (order Passeriformes). It occurs in such enormous numbers that it often destroys grain crops and, by roosting, breaks branches. Efforts to control quelea populations with poisons, napalm, pathogens,

impala: The black-faced impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi) of southwest Africa is a comparatively rare subspecies coveted by trophy hunters.

marmoset: The black-faced lion tamarin (L. caissara), which was first discovered in 1990, is classified as a critically endangered species. Lion tamarins are larger than “true” marmosets and have long slender hands and fingers, which they use to hook insects from crevices. The golden lion marmoset (or…

black-figure pottery, type of Greek pottery that originated in Corinth c. 700 bce and continued to be popular until the advent of red-figure pottery c. 530 bce. In black-figure painting, figures and ornamentation were drawn on the natural clay surface of a vase in glossy black pigment; the

albatross: The black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes), one of three North Pacific species, has a wingspread to about 200 cm (6.5 feet) and is largely sooty brown in colour. It nests on tropical Pacific islands and wanders widely throughout the North Pacific.

ferret: Black-footed ferret: The black-footed ferret of the American Great Plains is an endangered species. The black-footed ferret resembles the common ferret in colour but has a black mask across the eyes and brownish black markings on the feet and the tail’s tip. It weighs a…

African penguin, (Spheniscus demersus), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by a single band of black feathers cutting across the breast and a circle of featherless skin that completely surrounds each eye. The species is so named because it inhabits several locations along the

duiker: …duikers of similar size: the black-fronted duiker (C. nigrifons), Peters’ duiker (C. callipygus), bay duiker (C. dorsalis), and white-bellied duiker (C. leucogaster). The white-bellied duiker prefers broken-canopy and secondary forest with dense undergrowth, the black-fronted duiker has elongated hooves adapted to the swampy forest it prefers, and the bay duiker…

anseriform: Reproductive behaviour: Only one species, the black-headed duck (Heteronetta atricapilla) of South America, is an obligate nest-parasite, always laying in the nests of other species.

shrike: …bright red below are the black-headed, or Abyssinian, gonolek (L. erythrogaster) and the Barbary shrike (L. barbarus).

grosbeak: …grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) and the black-headed grosbeak (P. melanocephalus), which range east and west of the Rockies, respectively. Some authorities believe the two forms represent a single species, even though the coloration of the males’ underparts differs: red and white in the rose-breasted and brownish yellow in the black-headed grosbeak.

charadriiform: Gulls (suborder Lari): …“hooded” gulls, exemplified by the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) and laughing gull (L. atricilla), have a striking “swoop-and-soar” aggressive flight display, and a ground display (called the “forward”) wherein the neck is lowered, the head withdrawn and angled upward, and the wings held out from the body.

munia: The black-headed munia, or chestnut mannikin (Lonchura malacca, including atricapilla and ferruginosa), is a pest in rice fields from India to Java and the Philippines; as a cage bird it is often called tricolour nun. Others kept as pets include the white-headed munia (L. maja) of…

uakari: …hands, and feet of the black-headed uakari (C. melanocephalus) are black, and the coat is chestnut-coloured with a saddle of reddish or yellowish hair. It lives in southern Venezuela, southeastern Colombia, and northwestern Brazil. Males are particularly red, which leads some scientists to speculate that the colour attracts females; in…

Blackish, American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 2014 to 2022. It depicts an affluent Black family whose patriarch, Andre (Dre) Johnson (played by Anthony Anderson), questions whether his family’s success has come at the cost of losing their African American cultural identity. Although a

kittiwake, (Rissa tridactyla), oceanic gull, a white bird with pearl-gray mantle, black-tipped wings, black feet, and yellow bill. It nests on the North and South Atlantic coasts. Kittiwakes have evolved a number of behavioral and structural modifications for nesting on narrow cliff ledges. A close

seriema: …black-legged, or Burmeister’s, seriema (Chunga burmeisteri), sometimes called gray seriema, which inhabits wooded areas, is darker and grayer, with a shorter crest and shorter legs.

Lyme disease: Causes and transmission: …the carrier tick is usually Ixodes scapularis (I. dammini); in the West, I. pacificus; and in Europe, I. ricinus.

ultraviolet lamp, device for producing electromagnetic radiations in the wavelengths between those of visible light and X-rays. The Sun’s rays are rich in such radiation, sometimes referred to as black light because it is not visible to the unaided eye. The ultraviolet lamp usually consists of an

black lung, respiratory disorder, a type of pneumoconiosis caused by repeated inhalation of coal dust over a period of years. The disease gets its name from a distinctive blue-black marbling of the lung caused by accumulation of the dust. Georgius Agricola, a German mineralogist, first described

lovebird: The black-masked lovebird, A. personata (see photograph), of Tanzania is green with a blackish brown head and a yellow band across the breast and hindneck; a common mutation in captivity is blue and whitish. The largest species is the rosy-faced lovebird, A. roseicollis, of Angola to…

black mamba, (Dendroaspis polylepis), species of mamba snake known for its large size, quickness, and extremely potent venom. It lives in sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the continent’s most dangerous snakes. The average black mamba is 2–2.5 metres (6.6–8.2 feet) long, with a maximum length of 4.3

cobra: …of southern Africa and the black-necked cobra (Naja nigricollis), a small form widely distributed in Africa, are spitters. Venom is accurately directed at the victim’s eyes at distances of more than two metres (6.5 feet) and may cause temporary, or even permanent, blindness unless promptly washed away. The Egyptian cobra…

screamer: …east-central South America, and the black-necked screamer (C. chavaria), of Colombia and Venezuela, have hind crests of feathers.

cobra: …of southern Africa and the black-necked cobra (Naja nigricollis), a small form widely distributed in Africa, are spitters. Venom is accurately directed at the victim’s eyes at distances of more than two metres (6.5 feet) and may cause temporary, or even permanent, blindness unless promptly washed away. The Egyptian cobra…

stilt: …the Old World, and the black-necked stilt (H. h. mexicanus), of the New World; and very dark birds occur in New Zealand.

dace: …genus Rhinichthys, among them the black-nosed dace (R. atratulus), a fine-scaled, black-banded, 7.5-centimetre-long fish found from New England to Minnesota, and the long-nosed dace (R. cataractae), a widely distributed species with a comparatively long snout. The creek chub is often known also as the horned dace, because of the hornlike…

Friedrich Ebert: …Democrats had formed the so-called Black–Red–Gold (Weimar) coalition, named after the colours of the flag of the liberal revolution of 1848.

Robert C. Merton: …whose option valuation model, the Black-Scholes formula (developed with economist Fischer Black), provided the foundation for much of Merton’s work.

douc: The black-shanked douc (P. nigripes) is found south of 14° N and has black legs, gray arms, and a darker face. The ranges of the two species overlap, apparently with very little interbreeding, in the Southern Highlands of Vietnam. In the 1990s a third species, the…

woolly opossum: Woolly opossums include the black-shouldered opossum (Caluromysiops irrupta), the bushy-tailed opossum (Glironia venusta), and three species of true woolly opossums (genus Caluromys). The black-shouldered opossum is found only in southeastern Peru and adjacent Brazil. The bushy-tailed opossum is rare, known from only 25 specimens and a few records based…

woolly opossum: Woolly opossums include the black-shouldered opossum (Caluromysiops irrupta), the bushy-tailed opossum (Glironia venusta), and three species of true woolly opossums (genus Caluromys). The black-shouldered opossum is found only in southeastern Peru and adjacent Brazil. The bushy-tailed opossum is rare, known from only 25 specimens and a few records based…

cutthroat trout, (Oncorhynchus clarki), black-spotted game fish, family Salmonidae, of western North America named for the bright-red streaks of colour beneath the lower jaws. It strikes at flies, baits, and lures and is considered a good table fish. Size is usually up to 2 to 4 kg (4.4 to 8.8

black-tailed deer, Pacific Northwest subspecies of the mule deer

godwit: The black-tailed godwit (L. limosa), about 40 centimetres (16 inches) long including the bill, has a black-banded, white tail. The bill is long and straight. The black-tailed godwit, which breeds in Iceland and on wet plains across Eurasia, is the emblem of the Netherlands Ornithological Union.…

prairie dog: The common black-tailed (C. ludovicianus) and Mexican (C. mexicanus) species live in large, dense colonies that early explorers described as “towns.” Colonies are divided by topographic and vegetational features into semidiscrete wards formed from smaller extended family groups, or coteries. Colonies usually cover about 100 hectares (247…

black-tailed rattlesnake, (Crotalus molossus), North American pit viper (subfamily Crotalinae, family Viperidae) inhabiting rocky outcrops, canyons, and cliffs in the mountain ranges of Arizona southward to central Mexico and eastward into southwestern Texas. Although the bite of a black-tailed

tityra: …to Bolivia and Brazil, the black-tailed tityra (T. cayana) occurs throughout tropical South America, and the black-crowned tityra (T. inquisitor) ranges from Mexico to Argentina. The males of all three species are about 20 cm (8 inches) long and are pale gray with black on the head, wings, and tail;…

calla: The spotted, or black-throated, calla lily (Z. albomaculata), with white-spotted leaves, has a whitish to yellow or pink spathe that shades within to purplish brown at the base.

loon: …but some species, especially the Arctic loon, or black-throated diver (G. arctica), winter or migrate in flocks. The voice is distinctive, including guttural sounds and the mournful, eerie wailing cries that in North America may have given rise to the common name loon. (Some sources suggest it arises from the…

ratel: …calls of a bird, the greater, or black-throated, honey guide (Indicator indicator); the ratels break open the bees’ nests to feed on the honey, and the birds in return obtain the remains of the nest. Ratels are strong, fearless fighters but in captivity can become tame and playful. A litter…

Curry: Black-Water Draw National Archaeological Site and Cannon Air Force Base are located in the county.

bellbird: The mossy-throated, bearded, or black-winged bellbird (P. averano) has many thin wattles hanging from the throat. The three-wattled bellbird (P. tricarunculata), confined to Central America, has three bill wattles. One hangs from each corner of the mouth, and another dangles from the bill’s upper base, each wattle measuring about…

Rowan Atkinson: Blackadder and stardom: …1983 the first installment of Blackadder, written by Atkinson and Curtis, slithered onto British TV screens. Comic actor and writer Ben Elton joined the writing team beginning with Blackadder II (1986). The show featured the twisted relationship between four incarnations of the opportunistic, spineless Edmund Blackadder and his long-suffering retainer,…

tetra: The black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi), also called blackamoor, or petticoat fish, is a deep-bodied fish that is 4–7.5 cm (1.5–3 inches) long. When small, it is marked with black on its hind parts and dorsal and anal fins; the black fades to gray as the fish…

gorilla: …and young adult males (blackbacks). Adult females join from outside the group, and the young are offspring of silverbacks.

Ces Mountford was a New Zealand rugby player and coach who was considered to be one of the best stand-off halfs in the sport. He joined Wigan (Lancashire, Eng.) in 1946 and in 1947–48 set an appearance record of 54 games in a season. In 1952 he moved to Warrington (Cheshire) as manager and steered

Blackbeard was one of history’s most famous pirates, who became an imposing figure in American folklore. Little is known of Blackbeard’s early life, and his origins have been left to speculation. He has been widely identified as Edward Teach (or several variations thereof, including Thatch and

Robert Stevenson: Films for Disney: Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968) was enlivened by the casting of Peter Ustinov as the eponymous pirate. In 1969 Stevenson had another major box-office success with The Love Bug. The sleeper hit featured Jones as the bewildered owner of Herbie, a Volkswagen with a mind of its…

BlackBerry, any of a series of wireless handheld communication devices manufactured from 1999 to 2016 by the Canadian company Research in Motion (RIM; BlackBerry from 2013 on) that were among the first popular smartphones. The BlackBerry’s roots go back to the RIM 850, a pager created by RIM in

blackberry, usually prickly fruit-bearing bush of the genus Rubus of the rose family (Rosaceae) known for its dark edible fruits. Native chiefly to north temperate regions, wild blackberries are particularly abundant in eastern North America and on the Pacific coast of that continent and are

blackberry lily, (Iris domestica), perennial flowering plant of the iris family (Iridaceae), a popular garden flower. It is native to East Asia and is naturalized in some parts of North America. Despite its name, the plant is not a true lily; it was formerly known as Belamcanda chinensis. The

U-2: …Earth-orbiting satellites or the supersonic SR-71 Blackbird spy plane—but intelligence and military services consistently have found it useful because of its operational flexibility, excellent aerodynamic design, and adaptable airframe. In 2011 the USAF indicated that the U-2 was scheduled for retirement from service sometime after 2015, with many of its…

migration: In Europe: (Carduelis carduelis), and blackbirds (Turdus merula) are usually sedentary in western Europe; they are usually migratory, however, in northern Europe, where their flights resemble a short migration. Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are sedentary in western Europe, where large numbers gather from eastern Europe. Large flocks also pass the winter…

blackbird, in the New World, any of several species belonging to the family Icteridae (order Passeriformes); also, an Old World thrush (Turdus merula). The Old World blackbird is 25 cm (10 inches) long; males are black and females brown, with orange bill and eye-rims. Common in woods and gardens

Alice Hoffman: Blackbird House (2004) describes the many generations of families who have lived in the same Cape Cod farmhouse, and The Ice Queen (2005) details how a woman’s life changes for the better after she is struck by lightning. The Third Angel, which weaves together the…

blackbirding, the 19th- and early 20th-century practice of enslaving (often by force and deception) South Pacific islanders on the cotton and sugar plantations of Queensland, Australia (as well as those of the Fiji and Samoan islands). The kidnapped islanders were known collectively as Kanakas (see

Florence Mills: In 1926 she appeared in Blackbirds (1926), singing “I’m a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird,” which became her trademark song. She took Blackbirds to London and Paris, but serious illness forced her return to America in 1927; she died late that year. Her funeral was attended by some 150,000…

crayon: …the colouring crayon and the chalk crayon.

Blackboard Jungle, American social-commentary film, released in 1955, that highlighted violence in urban schools and also helped spark the rock-and-roll revolution by featuring the hit song “Rock Around the Clock” (1954) by Bill Haley and His Comets. It was the first major film to feature rock

Evan Hunter: …novel is among his earliest: The Blackboard Jungle (1954), a story of violence in a New York high school that was the basis of a popular film (1955). After Strangers When We Meet (1958; filmed 1960) and A Matter of Conviction (1959; also published as The Young Savages) became best…

blackbody, in physics, a surface that absorbs all radiant energy falling on it. The term arises because incident visible light will be absorbed rather than reflected, and therefore the surface will appear black. The concept of such a perfect absorber of energy is extremely useful in the study of

blackbody radiation, energy radiated by any object or system that absorbs all incident radiation. The term usually refers to the spectrum of light emitted by any heated object; common examples include the heating element of a toaster and the filament of a light bulb. The spectral intensity of

colour: Incandescence: …colours is known as the blackbody radiation sequence. Examples of incandescence include daylight, candlelight, and light from tungsten filament lamps, flashbulbs, the carbon arc, and pyrotechnic devices such as flares and fireworks (see figure).

Longmyndian: …have been recognized: the lowermost Blackbrook Series, overlain in turn by the Maplewell Series and the Brand Series. These rocks, collectively known as the Charnian, consist largely of volcanic rocks (most prominent in the Maplewell Series and least in the Brand Series) and of sedimentary conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, and slates.

blackbuck, (Antilope cervicapra), an antelope (family Bovidae) indigenous to the plains of India. The blackbuck is an antelope of the same tribe (Antilopini) that includes gazelles, the springbok, and the gerenuk. What sets the blackbuck apart from the rest is the adult male’s horns, which are long

military aircraft: Supersonic flight: One example was the British Blackburn Buccaneer, capable of exceptional range at low altitudes and high subsonic speeds. The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, entering service in 1956, sacrificed speed for ordnance-delivery capability. One of the most structurally efficient aircraft ever built, it carried the burden of U.S. Navy attacks on ground…

Blackburn with Darwen, unitary authority, geographic and historic county of Lancashire, northwestern England, 23 miles (37 km) northwest of Manchester. The famous weaving tradition of the town of Blackburn had its beginnings in the 13th-century wool trade. By the reign of Elizabeth I, Blackburn was

Elizabeth Blackburn is an Australian-born American molecular biologist and biochemist who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, along with American molecular biologist Carol W. Greider and American biochemist and geneticist Jack W. Szostak, for her discoveries elucidating the

Elizabeth Blackburn is an Australian-born American molecular biologist and biochemist who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, along with American molecular biologist Carol W. Greider and American biochemist and geneticist Jack W. Szostak, for her discoveries elucidating the

Gideon Blackburn was a Presbyterian clergyman, educator, and missionary to the Cherokee Indians. He became a Presbyterian minister about 1794 and was stationed at the military post that later became Maryville, Tenn. He was active in the second Great Awakening (1800–03), an evangelical religious

Helen Blackburn was an early leader of the British movement for the emancipation of women. In 1859, when her family moved to London, she became interested in the cause of woman suffrage. In 1874 she became secretary of the National Society for Women’s Suffrage, which had been formed in 1867. She

Joseph Blackburn was an itinerant portrait painter who, working in Bermuda (c. 1752–53) and later in New England (c. 1753–64), introduced the decorative tradition of English Rococo portraiture to the American colonies. Blackburn’s English connections and sophisticated painting style caused many

Joseph Blackburn was an itinerant portrait painter who, working in Bermuda (c. 1752–53) and later in New England (c. 1753–64), introduced the decorative tradition of English Rococo portraiture to the American colonies. Blackburn’s English connections and sophisticated painting style caused many

Marsha Blackburn is an American politician elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 2018. She is the first woman to have been elected senator for Tennessee and began representing the state in that body in 2019. In 2024 Blackburn comfortably won reelection against Democratic challenger Gloria

Marsha Blackburn is an American politician elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 2018. She is the first woman to have been elected senator for Tennessee and began representing the state in that body in 2019. In 2024 Blackburn comfortably won reelection against Democratic challenger Gloria