bathos, (from Greek bathys, “deep”), unsuccessful, and therefore ludicrous, attempt to portray pathos in art, i.e., to evoke pity, sympathy, or sorrow. The term was first used in this sense by Alexander Pope in his treatise Peri Bathous; or, The Art of Sinking in Poetry (1728). Bathos may result

William Hogarth: Return to prints: …executed an engraving sardonically titled Tailpiece, or The Bathos, in which he sombrely depicted the demise of his own artistic world. In a sense it was prophetic, for, as the 19th-century English painter John Constable rightly remarked, “Hogarth has no school, nor has he ever been imitated with tolerable success.”…

construction: Plumbing: …of water is in the bathroom, which typically includes a bathtub of cast iron or pressed steel with a ceramic porcelain coating (although fiber-glass-reinforced resin is also used), a ceramic lavatory, and a ceramic tank-type water closet. The bath and lavatory are supplied with hot and cold water through faucets…

Bathsheba, in the Hebrew Bible (2 Samuel 11, 12; 1 Kings 1, 2), wife of Uriah the Hittite; she later became one of the wives of King David and the mother of King Solomon. Bathsheba was a daughter of Eliam and was probably of noble birth. A beautiful woman, she became pregnant after David saw her

Bathurst, city, east-central New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the south bank of the Macquarie River, west of the Blue Mountains. The city was founded in 1815 and named for Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, then secretary for war and the colonies, and it is the oldest settlement west of the

Banjul, city, capital, and Atlantic port of The Gambia, on St. Mary’s Island, near the mouth of the Gambia River. It is the country’s largest city. It was founded in 1816, when the British Colonial Office ordered Captain Alexander Grant to establish a military post on the river to suppress the

Bathurst, city in Gloucester county, northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. It lies at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River, on Bathurst Harbour, a southern arm of Nepisiguit Bay. The original French settlement, founded in 1619, was called Nepisiguit and then St. Peters. After 1755 the British displaced

Bathurst Island, one of the Parry Islands in the Baffin region, Nunavut territory, northern Canada, between the islands of Cornwallis (east) and Melville (west) and north of Parry Channel. Bathurst Island is 160 miles (260 km) long and 50–100 miles (80–160 km) wide and has an area of 6,194 square

Bathurst Island, island in the Timor Sea, Northern Territory, Australia. It is separated from Melville Island to the east by Apsley Strait and from the mainland by Beagle Gulf. Melville and Bathurst are administered jointly as the Tiwi Islands. The islands are located approximately 50 miles (80 km)

Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst was a British statesman and Tory politician. Educated at Trinity College, Oxford, Bathurst became member of Parliament for Cirencester in 1705 and held the seat until 1712, when he was one of 12 Tories raised to the peerage, becoming Baron Bathurst. He defended

Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst was a statesman, the eldest surviving son of the 1st Earl Bathurst, whose title he inherited in 1775. Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, Bathurst was called to the bar and in 1745 became king’s counsel. As member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1735 to 1754,

Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst was a British statesman, elder son of the 2nd Earl Bathurst, who was a prominent Tory in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bathurst was member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1783 until he succeeded to the earldom in 1794. Mainly as a result of his

Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst was a British statesman and Tory politician. Educated at Trinity College, Oxford, Bathurst became member of Parliament for Cirencester in 1705 and held the seat until 1712, when he was one of 12 Tories raised to the peerage, becoming Baron Bathurst. He defended

Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst was a British statesman and Tory politician. Educated at Trinity College, Oxford, Bathurst became member of Parliament for Cirencester in 1705 and held the seat until 1712, when he was one of 12 Tories raised to the peerage, becoming Baron Bathurst. He defended

Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst was a British statesman and Tory politician. Educated at Trinity College, Oxford, Bathurst became member of Parliament for Cirencester in 1705 and held the seat until 1712, when he was one of 12 Tories raised to the peerage, becoming Baron Bathurst. He defended

Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst was a statesman, the eldest surviving son of the 1st Earl Bathurst, whose title he inherited in 1775. Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, Bathurst was called to the bar and in 1745 became king’s counsel. As member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1735 to 1754,

Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst was a British statesman, elder son of the 2nd Earl Bathurst, who was a prominent Tory in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bathurst was member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1783 until he succeeded to the earldom in 1794. Mainly as a result of his

Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst was a statesman, the eldest surviving son of the 1st Earl Bathurst, whose title he inherited in 1775. Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, Bathurst was called to the bar and in 1745 became king’s counsel. As member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1735 to 1754,

Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst was a British statesman, elder son of the 2nd Earl Bathurst, who was a prominent Tory in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bathurst was member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1783 until he succeeded to the earldom in 1794. Mainly as a result of his

Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst was a British statesman, elder son of the 2nd Earl Bathurst, who was a prominent Tory in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bathurst was member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1783 until he succeeded to the earldom in 1794. Mainly as a result of his

Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst was a statesman, the eldest surviving son of the 1st Earl Bathurst, whose title he inherited in 1775. Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, Bathurst was called to the bar and in 1745 became king’s counsel. As member of Parliament for Cirencester from 1735 to 1754,

bathyal zone, marine ecologic realm extending down from the edge of the continental shelf to the depth at which the water temperature is 4° C (39° F). Both of these limits are variable, but the bathyal zone is generally described as lying between 200 and 2,000 m (660 and 6,600 feet) below the

Bathycles was an ancient Greek sculptor whose only known work was a marble altar built around an ancient statue of Apollo at Amyclae. This work was commissioned by the Spartans and was described by the 2nd-century-ad Greek chronicler Pausanias as being adorned with mythological reliefs and

perciform: Annotated classification: Family Bathyclupeidae Resemble sweepers but apparently not related; compressed body; prominent lower jaw; single short-based dorsal fin; anal fin long-based; eyes large; mouth large. About 5 species; deep-sea midwaters, 400–500 metres (1,300 to 1,640 feet) depth. Family Carangidae (jacks, scads, and pompanos

perciform: Annotated classification: Family Bathydraconidae (Antarctic dragonfishes) About 15 species; true Antarctic fishes, occurring on coasts of Antarctic continent; body greatly elongated; usually a spatulate, pikelike snout; no first dorsal fin; live on coasts of Antarctic continent to depths of 500–700 metres (about 1,650–2,300 feet), a few down to 2,500…

blesmol, (family Bathyergidae), any of about a dozen species of burrowing African rodents that live in arid regions south of the Sahara (desert). Blesmols are highly adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They appear virtually neckless, having strong, blunt heads with incisor teeth protruding forward

blesmol: …strong front claws of the dune blesmols (genus Bathyergus). The eyes are very small, and there are no external ears, only openings that are either hidden by fur or surrounded by bare or thickened skin. Blesmols have an acute sense of hearing, however, and they are very sensitive to ground…

scorpaeniform: Annotated classification: 1 species, Bathylutichthys taranetzi, of uncertain phylogenetic position. Family Agonidae (poachers and pogges) Body covered in hard armour of large scutes. 1 or 2 dorsal fins. Teeth minute. Size to 30 cm (12 inches). Small, benthic, coastal fishes of northern Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans and Antarctic…

perciform: Annotated classification: Family Bathymasteridae (ronquils) Resemble Opistognathidae, but jaws not so large; no spines in dorsal or anal fins; pelvic fins slightly ahead of pectorals; about 7 species; bottom-dwelling; coasts of North Pacific Ocean. Family Cryptacanthodidae (wrymouths) Pelvic fins absent, mouth oblique. Marine, northern Atlantic and Pacific. 1 genus…

Silurian Period: Silurian life: …zonation expresses itself is through bathymetric gradients (changes in light, temperature, salinity, and pressure with depth).Paleoecologists studying in Wales, Norway, Estonia, Siberia, South China, and North America have used very similar models to explain the geographic distribution of Silurian communities. Some of these communities were adapted to life under conditions…

bathymetric map, chart that depicts the submerged topography and physiographic features of ocean and sea bottoms. Individual soundings, or points at which the depth to the seafloor have been measured, are given; however, the principal technique for expressing the submarine topography involves

bathymetry, measurement of ocean depth. The earliest technique involved lowering a heavy rope or cable of known length over the side of a ship, then measuring the amount needed to reach the bottom. Tedious and frequently inaccurate, this method yielded the depth at only a single point rather than a

crustacean: Annotated classification: Order Bathynellacea Blind, elongated forms, without a rostrum; first thoracic segment not fused to head but sixth abdominal segment fused with telson; antennules uniramous; worldwide; freshwater, in spaces between sand grains; about 100 species. Superorder Peracarida Females with a ventral brood pouch formed by plates at…

bathypelagic zone, Worldwide zone of deep ocean waters, about 3,000–13,000 ft (1,000–4,000 m) below the surface. It is inhabited by a wide variety of marine forms, including eels, fishes, mollusks, and

fern: Ecology: …these the lower leaves (bathyphylls) are usually vegetative and are often different in form from those at the higher levels (acrophylls), which are entirely or partly fertile in that they bear sporangia over their surfaces.

bathyscaphe, navigable diving vessel, developed by the Swiss educator and scientist Auguste Piccard (with assistance in later years from his son Jacques), designed to reach great depths in the ocean. The first bathyscaphe, the FNRS 2, built in Belgium between 1946 and 1948, was damaged during 1948

bathysphere, spherical steel vessel for use in undersea observation, provided with portholes and suspended by a cable from a boat. Built by the American zoologist William Beebe and the American engineer Otis Barton, the bathysphere made its first dives in 1930. On June 11, 1930, it reached a depth

tomtate, any of certain fishes of the grunt (q.v.)

cephalopod: Locomotion: …chamber, while others, such as Bathyteuthis, concentrate buoyant oil in the chambers associated with the digestive gland.

bathythermograph, any of various oceanographic devices containing temperature- and pressure-sensitive elements and producing a continuous record of underwater temperature and pressure. Recoverable bathythermographs, lowered from a ship at rest or in motion, produce this record on a coated glass

Bathyuriscus, genus of trilobites (extinct arthropods) that provide a useful index fossil for the Middle Cambrian epoch of North America (520 to 512 million years ago). In Bathyuriscus the head segment is well developed, and marginal spines are present. The tail region is large and has many

East African mountains: Physiography: The craggy twin peaks of Batian (17,057 feet) and Nelion (17,022 feet) are closely followed in height by Lenana (16,355 feet).

batik, method of dyeing in which patterned areas are covered with wax so they will not receive the colour. The method is used mainly on cottons and in the traditional colours of blue, brown, and red. Multicoloured and blended effects are obtained by repeating the dyeing process several times, with

Iraq: Deserts: The deep Wadi Al-Bāṭin runs 45 miles (75 km) in a northeast-southwest direction through Al-Dibdibah. It has been recognized since 1913 as the boundary between western Kuwait and Iraq.

Al-Bāṭinah, narrow, well-populated coastal plain in northeastern Oman, fronting the Gulf of Oman for about 150 miles (240 km) and extending from Oman’s border with the United Arab Emirates near Shināṣ southeast to Al-Sīb. The coastal plain varies in width between 10 and 30 miles (15 and 45 km) and

Bāṭinīyah, Muslim sects—the Ismailis (Arabic: Ismāʿīlīyah), in particular—that interpreted religious texts exclusively on the basis of their hidden, or inner, meanings (Arabic: bāṭin) rather than their literal meanings (ẓāhir). This type of interpretation gained currency about the 8th century among

Dave Bautista is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Known for his imposing physique, he made a name for himself as World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Batista and transitioned easily into portraying intimidating characters on film. In Hollywood, Bautista quickly became known for

Fulgencio Batista was a soldier and political leader who twice ruled Cuba—first in 1933–44 with an efficient government and again in 1952–59 as a dictator, jailing his opponents, using terrorist methods, and making fortunes for himself and his associates. The son of impoverished farmers, Batista

Eike Batista is a Brazilian business magnate who made and then lost a fortune in mining and oil and gas exploration. Batista, one of seven children, was born in the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil. His mother was German, and his father, Eliezer Batista da Silva, was a prominent

Fulgencio Batista was a soldier and political leader who twice ruled Cuba—first in 1933–44 with an efficient government and again in 1952–59 as a dictator, jailing his opponents, using terrorist methods, and making fortunes for himself and his associates. The son of impoverished farmers, Batista

Petrobras scandal: …a conversation between Temer and Joesley Batista, the plea-bargaining chairman of a large meatpacking company. In that conversation Temer appeared to approve of the offer of hush money to Cunha. Later Batista would testify that Temer had received millions of dollars in bribes. Threatened with impeachment, Temer denied the accusations…

Jon Batiste is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and singer who is perhaps best known for his time as bandleader and musical director (2015–22) for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste’s music is influenced by his New Orleans roots and combines elements of the city’s

Jon Batiste is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and singer who is perhaps best known for his time as bandleader and musical director (2015–22) for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste’s music is influenced by his New Orleans roots and combines elements of the city’s

Gabriel Batistuta is a former Argentine professional football (soccer) player whose prolific scoring made him an icon of both the Italian Serie A league and the Argentine national team. Batistuta made his professional debut in Argentina in 1988 with the Rosario-based Newell’s Old Boys. He scored

Gabriel Batistuta is a former Argentine professional football (soccer) player whose prolific scoring made him an icon of both the Italian Serie A league and the Argentine national team. Batistuta made his professional debut in Argentina in 1988 with the Rosario-based Newell’s Old Boys. He scored

Konstantin Nikolayevich Batyushkov was a Russian elegiac poet whose sensual and melodious verses were said to have influenced the great Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin. Batyushkov’s early childhood was spent in the country on his father’s estate. When he was 10 he went to Moscow, where he studied

Bacan, island, North Maluku propinsi (province), Indonesia. One of the northern Moluccas, in the Molucca Sea, it lies just southwest of the large island of Halmahera. The islands of Kasiruta to the northwest, Mandioli to the west, and about 80 other islets compose the Bacan Island group. With an

Molucca Sea: …Sea is the 15,780-foot (4,810-metre) Batjan (Bacan) basin. This area of the Pacific often experiences earthquakes and crustal warping.

Luis Batlle Berres was an Uruguayan journalist who became active in politics and served as president of his country from 1947 to 1951 and chief executive officer in 1953–54. Nephew of former president José Batlle y Ordóñez, Batlle Berres was known as a champion of democracy and civil liberties and

José Batlle y Ordóñez was a statesman who, as president of Uruguay (1903–07 and 1911–15), is generally credited with transforming his country into a stable democratic welfare state. Batlle y Ordóñez was the son of a president of Uruguay (1868–72), General Lorenzo Batlle, and a grandson of José

Batman, American comic strip superhero created for DC Comics by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane. Batman debuted in May 1939 in Detective Comics no. 27 and has since appeared in numerous comic books, comic strips, and graphic novels; on television in a camp live-action series and a critically

American Broadcasting Company: Focus on television: …prime-time animated cartoon series, and Batman (1966–68), a live-action spoof of comic-book superheroes, that paid off in huge ratings and profits. And after unsuccessfully trying to wrest away the major American sports events from NBC and CBS, ABC developed the omnibus series Wide World of Sports (1961–98), which, along with…

Batman, town, southeastern Turkey, in the centre of the country’s oil-producing region. It is located about 5 miles (8 km) west of the town of Siirt and lies in a region of broad plateaus. A government-owned refinery is located at Batman, and a pipeline extends for nearly 320 miles (515 km) from

Batman: The modern era: >Batman (1989) to the silver screen, and Michael Keaton, a quirky actor slight of build and best known for comedy roles, was chosen to play the title character. Although the casting decision surprised many, the film was a massive success, spawning a wave of Bat-merchandise…

George Clooney: Film stardom: Out of Sight and the Ocean’s trilogy: …in a series of films—including Batman & Robin (1997), The Peacemaker (1997), and Out of Sight (1998)—Clooney left ER in 1999 to concentrate on his movie career. Later that year he appeared in the critically acclaimed Three Kings. The comedy-drama centered on U.S. soldiers at the end of the Persian…

Christian Bale: …Bruce Wayne and Batman in Batman Begins (2005). The new take on the iconic superhero was a critical and commercial success. Bale continued to highlight his versatility, playing an obsessive magician intent on revenge in The Prestige (2006), a struggling rancher in the tense American western 3:10 to Yuma (2007),…

Jim Carrey: Stardom: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and The Truman Show: …and played the Riddler in Batman Forever (1995).

Batman: The modern era: …were back in theatres with Batman Returns, and the noirish Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) debuted on television that fall. While subsequent films in the Batman franchise suffered declining quality and a rotating cast of lead actors, Batman: The Animated Series set a new standard for storytelling in the Batman…

Batman: The modern era: …Affleck donned the cowl in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), a joyless portrayal of DC’s two most-recognizable heroes. In spite of harsh reviews from both critics and many fans, the film earned more than $800 million globally and was noted for Gal Gadot’s debut role as Wonder Woman.…

Victoria: European exploration and settlement: …south coast, and in 1835 John Batman landed at Port Phillip. Batman’s venture led the way to the pastoral occupation of Victoria. In that same year John Pascoe Fawkner established a colony on the banks of the Yarra River. From Batman’s colony grew Victoria’s capital city, Melbourne.

Colin Farrell: Career: …Penguin in the superhero film The Batman, which was released in 2022. That same year he worked with McDonagh and Gleeson again in The Banshees of Inisherin, in which he plays a farmer living on a small Irish island who becomes distressed when his best friend (Gleeson) suddenly ends their…

Batman: The modern era: …Batman Returns, and the noirish Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) debuted on television that fall. While subsequent films in the Batman franchise suffered declining quality and a rotating cast of lead actors, Batman: The Animated Series set a new standard for storytelling in the Batman universe. The series—which was marked…

Frank Miller: Miller wrote and drew Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986), a groundbreaking story that imagined an aging Bruce Wayne emerging from retirement to don the cowl of Batman once more. The following year Miller fashioned a four-issue Batman story arc that is regarded as the definitive retelling of that…

Batgirl: >Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), revisions to the DC universe had made her the niece—not the daughter—of Commissioner Gordon. In that story, the Joker, Batman’s most-maniacal foe, exacted revenge on his enemy by rampaging against those close to him. The Joker shot Gordon, leaving her…

Burgess Meredith: …reprised the role for the 1966 film version. In 1994 Meredith published his autobiography, So Far, So Good.

Frank Miller: …it was later collected as Batman: Year One. Other projects during that period included Elektra: Assassin (1986; with artist Bill Sienkiewicz), the mind-bending tale of a resurrected ninja; Give Me Liberty (1990; with artist Dave Gibbons), the tale of a young woman’s heroism in a dystopian world; and Hard Boiled…

Batna, city, northeastern Algeria. It lies along the Wadi Tilatou and is situated on a well-watered plain that is bounded on the south by the Aurès Massif and on the north by the Batna Mountains. To the west, the cedar-forested Mount Tougour (Pic des Cèdres) rises to 6,870 feet (2,094 metres).

Batoche, unincorporated place, central Saskatchewan, Canada. It lies on the east bank of the South Saskatchewan River, 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Prince Albert. The site was settled about 1870 by colonists from the Red River Settlement (founded in 1811–12 near the present city of Winnipeg,

Batodonoides, genus of extinct insectivorous mammals that lived during the Eocene Epoch (56 to 33.9 million years ago) and of which the oldest species, Batodonoides vanhouteni, may have been the smallest mammal that ever lived. The genus includes three other species as well—B. walshi, B.

Batodonoides: …of which the oldest species, Batodonoides vanhouteni, may have been the smallest mammal that ever lived. The genus includes three other species as well—B. walshi, B. powayensis, and B. rileyi. B. vanhouteni was found in lower Eocene rocks in Wyoming, and fossils of other species are also known from rocks…

Batu Islands, group of three major islands and 48 islets off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Administratively, they are part of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) propinsi (province). The three largest islands are Pini, Tanahmasa, and Tanahbala; the total area is 6,370 square miles (16,500 square

fish: Annotated classification: Order Batoidei (rays, sawfishes, guitarfishes, skates, and stingrays) 5 gill openings, wholly on ventral surface; pectoral fins united with sides of head forward past the gill opening. Differ from all sharks in lacking upper free eyelid. More than 500 species. Jurassic to present.

cloud rat: Bushy-tailed cloud rats: …Luzon tree rats (Carpomys) and hairy-tailed rats (Batomys), both of which are also endemic to the Philippines.

police: Nonlethal tactics and instruments: The nightstick carried by police officers was originally made of wood, but most now are made of composite materials.

athletics: Relays: …team, each member carrying a baton for 25 percent of the total distance before passing it to the next team runner. Two events, the 4 × 100- and 4 × 400-meter relays, are standard. They are included both in low-level dual meets and in the Olympic Games and the World…

conductor: …two centuries, conductors favoured a baton, or thin wand, in the right hand as a device for emphasizing the metrical outline, reserving the left hand for indicating entries of different parts and nuances. Some contemporary conductors, however, follow a practice long established in unaccompanied choral conducting and dispense with the…

Baton Rouge, city, capital of Louisiana, U.S., and seat (1811) of East Baton Rouge parish. Baton Rouge is a port situated at the head of deepwater navigation on the Mississippi River, in the southeast-central part of the state. The French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville visited the

hand tool: Techniques for making stone tools: The second method was the soft-hammer, or baton, technique, based on a discovery of perhaps 500,000 years ago that hard rock (flint in particular) could be chipped by striking it with a softer material. The baton was a light “hammer,” an almost foot-long piece of bone, antler, or even wood,…

Pompeo Girolamo Batoni was an Italian painter, who in his own time was ranked with Anton Raphael Mengs as a painter of historical subjects. Probably his portraits are now better known, as he invented the type of “grand tourist” portrait, very popular among the English, which shows the sitter at his

Toro, an interlacustrine Bantu-speaking people who inhabit a high plateau between Lakes Albert and Edward that is bounded on the west by the Ruwenzori Range in southwestern Uganda. Toro lands include rainforest, dense bamboo stands, papyrus swamps, plains of elephant grass, and the shores of Lakes

Kitano Takeshi: …appeared in Batoru rowaiaru (Battle Royale), a futuristic thriller that stirred controversy in Japan with its tale of juvenile delinquents forced by authorities into deadly combat on a remote island. He later starred in its sequel, Batoru rowaiaru II: Chinkonka (2003; Battle Royale II: Requiem). Kitano abandoned his preoccupations…

Stephen Báthory was a prince of Transylvania (1571–76) and king of Poland (1575–86) who successfully opposed the Habsburg candidate for the Polish throne, defended Poland’s eastern Baltic provinces against Russian incursion, and attempted to form a great state from Poland, Muscovy, and

Petra, ancient city, center of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times, the ruins of which are in southwest Jordan. The city was built on a terrace, pierced from east to west by the Wadi Mūsā (the Valley of Moses)—one of the places where, according to tradition, the Israelite leader Moses

amphibian: Annotated classification: Clade Batrachia †Family Albanerpetodonidae (albanerpetodontids) Middle Jurassic to Lower Miocene. A peg and socket syphyseal articulation of the mandible. 1 genus and several species. Order Anura (frogs and toads) Middle Jurassic to

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, fungus isolated as the cause of amphibian

Frogs, a literary comedy by Aristophanes, produced in 405 bce. The play tells the story of Dionysus, the god of drama, who is mourning the quality of present-day tragedy in Athens after the death of his recent favourite, Euripides. Disguising himself as the hero Heracles, Dionysus goes down to

toadfish, any of about 80 species of bottom-living fishes constituting the family Batrachoididae and the order Batrachoidiformes. They are found chiefly in the New World and mostly in warm seas—occasionally in freshwater. Toadfishes are heavy-bodied fishes with broad, flattened heads and large

Caudata: Locomotion: species of the genera Phaeognathus, Batrachoseps, Oedipina, and Lineatriton have reduced limbs and rely mainly on body movements for rapid locomotion. Species of the genus Aneides have arboreal (tree-dwelling) tendencies, and their long legs and digits, expanded toe tips, and prehensile (grasping) tails make them effective climbers. Some salamanders of…

Batrachospermum, genus of freshwater red algae (family Batrachospermaceae) ranging in colour from violet to blue-green. The long, branched, threadlike filaments bear dense whorls of branchlets, resembling beads on a string. Spores are formed in clusters around the base of the carpogonium (female

caprimulgiform: Reproduction: In Batrachostomus the nest is a pad of the birds’ own down, bound and camouflaged externally with cobwebs and lichens, one white egg being laid. Both sexes are believed to incubate, the period being about 30 days. Owlet-frogmouths nest mostly in hollow trees but also in…