Category Archives: Animalia
Where the Bee Sucks
There are compensations of being cooped up indoors in wintertime. Bilbo Baggins looked forward to the long evenings in his hole at Bag End when he could relax in an armchair toasting his feet in front of a blazing fire. … Continue reading
A Zoo-to-Go
For kids growing up in London during the austere decade after WWII, it was a special treat to be taken to the zoo by parents or school teachers. The zoos were crowded. Children had to be hoisted on the shoulders … Continue reading
Posted in Animalia
Tagged George Monbiot, London Zoo, Rachel Carson, Virginia Master Naturalists, Whipsnade Park
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Rehabilitating Rabbit
I lifted a sodden fur ball out of the pool skimmer one morning. It lay motionless in my hand with its life almost burned out. But when I peeled back an eyelid to check for the glazed eye of death, … Continue reading
Voice of the Lobster
There was one lobster left in the tank when I left the restaurant. I felt sorry for the lonesome crustacean, but sadder for its late companions whose carapaces lay empty on customers’ plates. I had no reason to feel guilty because … Continue reading
Posted in Animalia, Other
Tagged Alice in Wonderland, animal cruelty, Lewis Carroll, lobster thermidor, Monty Python, pain physiology, Peter Singer, Rene Descartes, spam meat
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Here Be Dragons
Butterfly numbers are down this year in Tidewater Virginia. Since 1999 when local naturalists began annual surveys there have been large fluctuations from year-to-year, but the numbers recorded this year on a hot July day were almost half the reckoning … Continue reading
Posted in Animalia
Tagged butterfly, Charles Elton, Dragonfly, Dragons, lemmings, Mary Pickford, snowy owls
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