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European edible dormouse

The European edible dormouse or European fat dormouse (Glis glis) is a large dormouse and one of only two living species in the genus Glis, found in most of Europe and parts of western Asia. The common name comes from the Romans, who ate them as a delicacy.

Etymology
The word dormouse comes from Middle English "dormous", of uncertain origin, possibly from a dialectal *dor-, from Old Norse "dár" (benumbed) + Middle English "mous" (mouse).

The word is sometimes conjectured to come from an Anglo-Norman derivative of dormir (to sleep), with the second element mistaken for mouse, but no such Anglo-Norman term is known to have existed.

The Latin name "glis", which is the origin of the scientific name, is from the Proto-Indo-European root *gl̥h₁éys (“weasel, mouse”), related to Sanskrit गिरि (girí, “mouse”), and Ancient Greek γαλέη (galéē, “weasel”).

Description
The European edible dormouse is the largest of all extant dormice, being around 14 to 19 cm in head-body length, plus an 11- to 13-cm-long tail. It normally weighs from 120 to 150 g, but may almost double in weight immediately prior to hibernation. It has a generally squirrel-like body, with small ears, short legs, and large feet. Its fur is grey to greyish-brown in colour over most of the body, while the underparts and the inner surface of legs are white to pale buff; the line of demarcation is rather well defined.

Unlike most other dormice, they have no dark markings on the face, aside from faint rings around the eyes. The tail is long and bushy, with fur slightly darker than that on the body. Front feet have four digits and their hind feet have five. The soles of their feet are naked. Females have from four to six pairs of teats.

The edible dormouse is capable of limited autotomy; if another animal grasps the tail, the skin breaks easily and slides off the underlying bone, allowing the dormouse to escape. The exposed vertebrae then break off and the wound heals over, forming a fresh brush of hair.

Distribution
The edible dormouse is found throughout much of mainland western Europe. It is also found on a number of Mediterranean islands, including Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and Crete. It is rather more sparsely distributed through central and southeastern Europe, but can be found as far northeast as the upper Volga River, i.e. in the Zhiguli Mountains of western Russia. They are also found in the Caucasus region. Germany has a small population of edible dormice within its borders, ranging from two to six individuals per hectare.

It is also found in scattered populations throughout Thrace, a region in southeastern Europe along the Aegean and Black Seas. In this region, two subspecies of the edible dormouse are found, G. g. glis and G. g. orientalis. Northern Anatolia has a different subspecies, G. g. pindicus.

A small, isolated population of Glis glis also exists in southeast England. At the turn of the 20th century, the British banker and zoologist Lionel Walter Rothschild kept Glis glis in his private collection in the town of Tring in Hertfordshire; in 1902 some of the animals escaped and reproduced, establishing themselves in the wild as an invasive species. Today, the British edible dormouse population is thought to be 10,000 strong, and Glis glis have been recorded in a 25 km radius of Tring, mostly concentrated to the south and east. The area of distribution has been described as a 200 sqmi triangle between Beaconsfield, Aylesbury, and Luton, around the southeast side of the Chiltern Hills.

A distinct group of dormice ranging from along the coastline of the Caspian Sea from southernmost Azerbaijan east through Iran to Turkmenistan, was formerly classified in G. glis. However, phylogenetic analysis found it to be a distinct species, the Iranian edible dormouse (Glis persicus). Significant divergence has also been noted among other populations of G. glis, probably as a consequence of the Messinian salinity crisis, and more species will probably be split in the future.

Ecology and habitat
Edible dormice inhabit deciduous forests dominated by oak and beech, from sea level to the upper limits of such forests at 1500 to 2000 m. They prefer dense forests with rocky cliffs and caves, but may be found in maquis vegetation, orchards, and urban margins. They have frequently been reported from caves as deep as 400 m, where they can shelter from predators.

Population densities range from two to 22 individuals per hectare. Females inhabit only very small home ranges, of 0.15 to 0.76 ha, but males occupy much larger ranges of 0.8 to 7 ha, with several burrows.

Unlike other glirids, which are generally omnivorous, the edible dormouse has been described as purely herbivorous. Beech mast, which is rich in energy and protein, is an excellent source of food for young and lactating females. Some dormice are found to have hair and ectoparasite remains in their stomachs, but this is mainly due to accidental ingestion during grooming.

Edible dormice also consume large numbers of beech tree seeds. A single, large, seeding tree within the home range of a dormouse can produce enough resources to support the energy requirements of reproduction. The location and age of a beech tree helps dictate where a population of dormice live, since older trees produce more seeds.

Behaviour
Edible dormice are nocturnal, spending the day in nests taken from birds, or located in hollow trees or similar shelter. They are good climbers, and spend most of their time in the trees, although they are relatively poor jumpers. The dormouse uses sticky secretions of plantar glands when they are climbing on smooth surfaces to prevent them from falling. They generally stay in the forest and avoid open areas to any extent. They are not generally social animals, although small groups of closely related adults have occasionally been reported. Many edible dormice mothers form communal nesting areas where they care for their young together.

Communication is partly by sound, with the animals making various squeaks or snuffling sounds, and partly by scent. They leave scent trails from scent glands on their feet, as well as glands at the top of their tails by the anus. They rub their anal region on the ground and places they walk, so traces of the secretion will be left for other dormice, especially during periods of sexual activity.

Edible dormice are active during a six-month period and go into hibernation from roughly October to May, depending on local climatic conditions. They are mostly active in the summer and are active on average 202 min in a 24-hour day, mostly at night. They prepare a den in soft soil or hidden in a cave, and rely on fat reserves to survive through the winter. During hibernation, metabolic rate and body temperature fall dramatically, and the animal may cease breathing altogether for periods up to an hour. In years with low food availability edible dormice can hibernate longer than 11 months.

In the wild most edible dormice hibernate for three winters, and then die in the fourth while hibernating, when their cheek teeth are worn out to a degree that prevents normal mastication of food.

Their primary predators include owls, snakes, foxes, pine martens, weasels, and wildcats.

Reproduction
The breeding season is from late June to mid August, but both male and female dormice do not reproduce every year. Variation in food resources strongly influences reproduction because reproduction is tightly linked to the availability of energy-rich seeds. Therefore, edible dormice breed during the phase of high food availability. Females are able to produce additional young if amino acid-rich foods like inflorescences, unripe seeds, and (or) larval insects, which also increase their numbers by eating the same enriched plant food, are available. An abundance of energy-rich seeds allows newborn dormice to increase their body fat to prepare for their first hibernation. Edible dormice have adapted their life history strategies to maximize lifetime reproductive success depending on the area specific frequency of seeding events of trees producing energy-rich seeds. Females reach sexual maturity at 351–380 days old and males significantly lower their body mass during mating season.

Males are not territorial, and may visit the territories of several nearby females to mate, becoming aggressive to any other males they encounter. The male attracts a female by squeaking, then conducts a circular courtship dance before mounting her. During mating season, males lower their body mass and use their body fat reserves to help fuel the energetic costs of reproduction.

Gestation lasts from 20 to 31 days, and results in the birth of up to 11 young, although four or five are more typical. They develop their fur by 16 days, and open their eyes after around 3 weeks. They begin to leave the nest after around 30 days, and are sexually mature by the time they complete their second hibernation. Compared with similarly sized mammals, they have an unusually long lifespan, and have been reported to live up to 12 years in the wild.

The breeding habits of the edible dormouse have been cited as a possible cause of its unusual pattern of telomere lengthening with age. In humans and other animals, telomeres almost always shorten with age.

Evolution
Although the edible dormouse is the only living member of its genus, a number of fossil species are also known. The genus Glis first originated in the middle Oligocene, although it did not become common until the Pliocene. By the Pleistocene, only one species, G. sackdillingensis, is known to have survived, and this is likely the ancestor of the modern species, which first appeared in the early to mid-Pleistocene.

Edible dormice that have been isolated on oceanic islands are a prime example of insular gigantism, in which small animals in isolated locations become larger over the course of many generations. Although it is not known why, the number of teats on a female edible dormouse varies across regions of Europe. For example, those in Italy have two to seven, while those in Lithuania have three to six.

As a pest
Glis glis have adapted well to the presence of humans and now frequently hibernate in insulated attics and even dark shelves in cupboards, particularly if soft materials are on the shelf to make a nest. In this situation, they are generally regarded as a pest due to the fire risk from gnawed electrical cables and fouling from their faeces. Instances of house fire have been attributed to electrical fires caused by wires chewed by Glis glis, and a three-day internet outage across Tring in August 2023 was attributed to the activity of Glis glis chewing through the broadband cable.

Despite being regarded as a pest in the United Kingdom, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits certain methods of killing dormice. This is because the Gliridae family of rodents is protected internationally under the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, to which the United Kingdom is a signatory. Removing edible dormice from a property may only be carried out by a qualified pest controller licensed by Natural England using live traps. The animals must then be humanely destroyed after capture. In the long term, an individual trap strategy may be not sustainable if it is not integrated with other preventive tools.

When present in large numbers, edible dormice may cause damage to orchards and be considered pests. In 2018 the published estimate for the UK population was 23,000, based on density estimates of under 1 per hectare from one to two decades ago. This differs from other independent recent estimates, however, by at least an order of magnitude, i.e. 10-20+ adults per hectare, which suggest a figure of 230,000 - 460,000+.

As food
The edible dormouse was farmed and eaten by the ancient Romans, the Gauls, and the Etruscans (usually as a snack), hence the word edible in its name. The Romans would catch dormice from the wild in autumn when they were fattest. The dormice were kept and raised either in large pits or (in less spacious urban surroundings) in terra cotta containers, gliraria, similar to contemporary hamster cages. They fed these captive dormice walnuts, chestnuts, and acorns for fattening. The dormice were served by either roasting them and dipping them in honey or stuffing them with a mixture of pork, pine nuts, and other flavorings. It was, however, very important to upper-class Romans that the dormice be separated from other products of the hunt, like the large game, for presentation purposes.

Wild edible dormice are still consumed in Slovenia, as well as in Croatia. In Slovenia they are considered a rare delicacy and dormouse trapping is a tradition. The Slovenes use several methods of trapping. The first used were the hollow-tree trapping method and the flat-stone trapping method. By the 17th century, the peasant trappers had invented the first self-triggering traps, usually made of different kinds of wood. In the 19th century, traps made from iron and steel were introduced. The trappers used many different types of bait to entice the dormice, ranging from pieces of fruit to bacon soaked in brandy. During the prime season, trappers could catch between 200 and 400 dormice, depending largely on what kind of trap they were using. Seasonal dormice feasts were welcome protein supplements for the impoverished peasantry. The people of Slovenia did not just catch the dormice for their meat: use of dormice for food and fur and of dormouse fat as an ointment is documented there since the 13th century. It was also documented by the polymath Valvasor and other Carniolan writers. The taste of dormouse is described as "very similar to squirrel, with a rich, greasy flavor and only a few mouthfuls of meat on each one."

title: European edible dormouse


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Short-tailed blue

The short-tailed blue or tailed Cupid (Cupido argiades) is a butterfly that forms part of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from Europe to Japan and in India.

Description
The male has a violet upperside, a violet forewing with brown edging, and a violet hindwing with a brown edging of varying length. The wings have black spots, some of which have slight white edging. The tail is black with a white tip. The underside of the wings are white or brownish grey, the markings prominent or very faint. The antennae are black with white speckling on the shafts. The body is brown with a purple flush on fresh specimens.

The female has a dark grey-blue upperside, with black parts and broader edging. The undersides of the wings are like those of the male but with more stark markings. The body is like that of the male but without the purple flush.

Specimens from very dry localities in Upper Burma and from Great Nicobar Island are remarkably small and pale, with the markings on the underside, especially the subtornal ochraceous yellow patch, more or less obsolescent.

Similar species

 * Southern short-tailed blue (Cupido alcetas ), southern Europe
 * Eastern short-tailed blue ( Cupido decolorata )

Distribution
In the Palearctic it is found from north of Spain via Central Europe, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe then east to Central Asia and Japan. It is missing in much of Italy and the south of Greece and Turkey. The butterfly flies from May to September depending on the location. An isolated population in Southern Armenia is on wing starting from late April. In the Oriental region it is found in India.

Habitat
From sea level up to a height of about 1500 meters in meadows, forest edge habitats, woodland clearings and glades but only where there is with flower cover.

Life cycle
The larva is light green with a dark stripe on the back and dark streaks on the sides, with some brownish and white spots. It feeds on legume plants, including Lotus uliginosus. Lotus corniculatus, Lotus pedunculatus, Securigera varia, Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense, Astragalus glycyphyllosandUlex europaeus

The pupa is the same color as the larva or darker and black-spotted.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Short-tailed blue


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Glis (genus)

Glis is a genus of rodent that contains two extant species, both known as edible dormice or fat dormice: the European edible dormouse (Glis glis) and the Iranian edible dormouse (Glis persicus). It also contains a number of fossil species.

Evolution
The genus Glis originated in the mid-Oligocene. It did not become common until the Pliocene. Only one species, Glis sackdillingensis is known to have survived into the Pleistocene. This is probably likely the ancestor of the modern species, which appeared in the early to mid-Pleistocene.

One former species, Glis truyolsi, has been placed in the genus Myoglis and it has been suggested that G. apertus, G. galitopouli, G. guerbuezi, G. major and G. transversus be moved there as well.

Etymology
The first mention of the word dormouse was in the early 15th century, possibly coming from Anglo-French *dormouse "tending to be dormant" (from stem of dormir "to sleep," see dormant), with the second element mistaken for mouse; or perhaps it is from a Middle English dialectal compound of mouse (n.) and French dormir. French dormeuse, fem. of dormeur "sleeper" is attested only from 17c.

title: Glis (genus)


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Alpha Crateris

Alpha Crateris (α Crateris, abbreviated Alpha Crt, α Crt), officially named Alkes, is a star in the constellation of Crater. It is a cool giant star about 43.2 pc away.

Nomenclature
α Crateris (Latinised to Alpha Crateris) is the star's Bayer designation.

It bore the traditional name Alkes, from the Arabic الكاس alkās or الكأس alka's "the cup". In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated Aoul al Batjna (أول ألباطیة awwal al-bāṭiya), which was translated into Latin as Prima Crateris, meaning "first [star] of the Cup". In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name Alkes for this star on 12 September 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.

In Chinese, 翼宿 (Yì Sù), meaning Wings (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of Alpha Crateris, Gamma Crateris, Zeta Crateris, Lambda Crateris, Nu Hydrae, Eta Crateris, Delta Crateris, Iota Crateris, Kappa Crateris, Epsilon Crateris, HD 95808, HD 93833, Theta Crateris, HD 102574, HD 100219, Beta Crateris, HD 99922, HD 100307, HD 96819, Chi1 Hydrae, HD 102620 and HD 103462. Consequently, Alpha Crateris itself is known as 翼宿一 (Yì Sù yī, the First Star of Wings).

Namesake
USS Alkes (AK-110) was a United States Navy Crater-class cargo ship named after the star.

Properties
Alpha Crateris is an orange giant of spectral type K1III. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.07, and is 174 light-years from Earth. It is thought to be a horizontal branch star, meaning it is fusing helium in its core after a helium flash. Cool horizontal branch stars are often called red clump giants as they form a noticeable grouping near the hot edge of the red giant branch in the H–R diagrams of clusters with near-solar metallicity. On this basis it is calculated to have a mass of, a luminosity of , and an age around two billion years. Its surface temperature is 4691 K. Or it might be a red-giant branch star, still fusing hydrogen in a shell around an insert helium core, in which case it would be slightly less massive, older, cooler, larger, and more luminous.

title: Alpha Crateris


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Gavin Birch

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was DELETE. Postdlf 06:52, 23 July 2005 (UTC)

Gavin Birch
An advertisement for the author's books. -- Hoary 12:12, July 13, 2005 (UTC)
 * The IP that created the article has now radically shortened it. -- Hoary 12:50, July 13, 2005 (UTC)

 * Delete, non-notable author. 1 book at Amazon, sales rank #356,644, no reviews.  Dcarrano 17:25, July 13, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete non notable promo. JamesBurns 08:07, 14 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete - non-notable / advert - Tεx  τ  urε  19:55, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.


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User:LiamE

"There are three kinds of men: the ones that learn by readin', the few who learn by observation; the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." - Will Rogers

title: User:LiamE


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Talk:The Faders

Untitled
Can somebody make a page about Toy and Cherisse? I can't because I don't know enough about them, but somebody must do.

Toy's Real Name
Twice now, this article has been edited to remove Toy's real name from the article. Please stop doing this. This is supposed to be an encyclopaedia and real names are encyclopaedic. --Stenun 22:02, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

 * This has been going back and forth for a while now. Can anyone provide a reliable source stating that 'Jade Thirlby' is her real name? Googling for "jade thirlby" "toy valentine" only shows up this article and WP mirrors. --Kurt Shaped Box 21:43, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

 * If you'd asked me a week ago I'd have said yes and given you several links. However, it appears that Jade Thirlby's people have been busy.  All of the evidence of her real name comes from the Veronica Mars episode in which she is credited as Jade Jean Thirlby and this was reflected on IMDb and several Veronica Mars episode guides.  But now they ALL credit her as "Toy Valentine".  She's obviously getting ready to launch her solo career and is making sure that as many people as possible are aware of her new stage name.  I would guess that if her career is succesful enough then her real name will eventually come out anyway but otherwise the only remaining evidence of Jade Jean Thirlby's real name would be DVDs of the Veronica Mars episode in which she appears.  --Stenun 02:25, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

 * This won't be of much help in terms of evidence as I'm only another wikipedian, but I know her dad Pete (the blues guitarist mentioned in the main article) very well - he used to be my fiance's boss and I worked for him briefly as well. We're still in contact with him and I even have a signed copy of "No Sleep Tonight".  I think it's a shame that her PR are so desperate to eradicate all other mention of her real name, I don't see what the big deal is.  Perhaps one of her PR people can post and explain? Groovycathers 00:39, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

 * ok - so its not really a big deal for everyone to know my daughters real name BUT at the end of The Faders there were some pretty nutty fans. Thirlby isn't that difficult to trace, we just didn't want any loonies on our doorstep!

 * ASCAP itself credits her, by birth name, along with her Fader band-mates in this, for something called Killer Heels. Perhaps a song on a single? Anyway, ASCAP should really be treated more like a public database than a journalistic information source. Anywho, it's an idea. In response to the above, fans like that are a scourge and ruin things for the rest of us. If any of you out there have friends like that, sit them down and smack them until they come to their senses. 65.112.197.16 (talk) 23:19, 20 April 2009 (UTC)

Member Biographies section
This article is about the band, not the individual members, and as such, non-band-related biographical information should be moved to articles about the individual members, if they are notable enough (I don't know if they are). Most of the information is about the members' fathers, anyways. In any event, here is the text of the section as it was:

Member Biographies
The lead singer of the band, Molly Lorenne (real name Molly Decima Ure), was born on 7 March 1987. Her father is Midge Ure, of Slik, The Rich Kids and Ultravox fame. Her post-Faders career will be under the name Molly McQueen, starting with a re-recording of The Faders' greatest hit No Sleep Tonight.

Toy Valentine the band's bassist and backing singer, was born on 4 July 1985. She also plays guitar and keyboards. Her father is a renowned blues guitarist from Stoke Hammond.

Cherisse Osei (real name Cherrise Amma Loren Ofosu-Osei), the Faders' backing singer and drummer, was born on 23 December 1986. Her dad, Eddie Osei starred in the film Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. Cherisse now plays drums in the band for the successful solo artist Mika Penniman.

By the end of 2006 this had evolved into a very nice article, and now it stinks. This is a text book example of why Wikipedia doesn't work and moreover why you cannot create anything of value by committee. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.30.204.33 (talk) 02:17, 18 April 2010 (UTC)

title: Talk:The Faders


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Omicron Persei

Omicron Persei (ο Persei, abbreviated Omicron Per, ο Per) is a triple star system in the constellation of Perseus. From parallax measurements taken during the Hipparcos mission it is approximately 1,100 light-years (330 parsecs) from the Sun.

The system consists of a spectroscopic binary pair designated Omicron Persei A and a third companion Omicron Persei B. A's two components are themselves designated Omicron Persei Aa (officially named Atik, the traditional name of the system)  and Ab.

Etymology
ο Persei (Latinised to Omicron Persei) is the system's Bayer designation. The designations of the two constituents as Omicron Persei A and B, and those of A's components - Omicron Persei Aa and Ab - derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

It bore the traditional name Atik (also Ati, Al Atik), Arabic for "the shoulder". Some sources attribute the name Atik to the nearby, brighter star Zeta Persei. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name Atik for the component Omicron Persei A on 12 September 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.

In Chinese, 卷舌 (Juǎn Shé), meaning Rolled Tongue, refers to an asterism consisting of Omicron Persei, Nu Persei, Epsilon Persei, Xi Persei, Zeta Persei and 40 Persei. Consequently, the Chinese name for Omicron Persei itself is 卷舌五 (Juǎn Shé wu), "the Fifth Star of Rolled Tongue".

Properties
Omicron Persei A is a spectroscopic binary consisting of a spectral type B1 giant and a type B2 dwarf orbiting each other every 4.4 days. The orbit is near-circular although its inclination is not precisely known. The two stars are separated by approximately, the exact value depending on the inclination. The primary is approximately one magnitude brighter than the secondary at visual wavelengths. The binary pair forms a rotating ellipsoidal variable star, which varies in brightness from visual magnitude 3.79 to 3.88 during the orbital period.

Omicron Persei lies just north of the open cluster IC 348, but is not catalogued as a member. Both IC 348 and Omicron Persei belong to the Perseus OB2 association.

Culture

 * In the TV series Futurama, the fictional planet Omicron Persei 8 is home to medicinal plants, and large aliens who often attack Earth.
 * The USS Atik, named for Omicron Persei Aa, was a ship of the United States Navy.

title: Omicron Persei


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Talk:Herbie

Radio Disney contest
Can anyone verify the Radio Disney contest to win a Herbie? I wasn't able to find anything with a little Googling. TomTheHand 12:14, July 13, 2005 (UTC)

Gah! Verified it just a few minutes after I posted this! TomTheHand 12:19, July 13, 2005 (UTC)

Story of Herbie
The "Story of Herbie" section is pretty poorly written. In parts, the language is clumsy and weird. Near the end, a pair of characters from Herbie Goes Bananas are described are "con artistes." I left that because I think it's funny to imagine snooty con artists insisting to their criminal friends, "I'm no mere artist, I'm an artiste!"Thirtysilver (talk) 19:10, 11 March 2009 (UTC)Ryan

Range of Emotions
It is just a suggestion maybe include Herbie's diffrent emotions and how he displays them, such as blinking his headlights. The emotions I have noticed are happy, sad, anger, and mischievous. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.88.105.47 (talk) 05:48, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

German Herbie movies
84.191.117.129 added a couple paragraphs about "A similar series of five movies starring a Volkswagen beetle" made in Germany. Does anyone have more information about this series? I'm quite interested in seeing it. Hotwheels53 16:59, 18 August 2006 (UTC)
 * You're thinking of the "Dudu" movies (from the Swahili word for "bug"). Those Swiss/German movies started with one where one character mentioned that the car was bought at "some Hollywood auction". While the car in the first movie still acts like it has a mind of its own it's later turned into a driving computer (think of a poor man's Knight Rider, but years before the US show). --188.195.136.220 (talk) 13:33, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Trivia
Per WP:TRIV I have gotten rid of the Trivia section of this article and merged the facts from there into more relevant parts of the article, also creating two new lists ("Popular Culture" and "Toys and Collectibles"). If you have something to add to the article, please do not create a new Trivia section. Find a place in the article where it will fit. If you don't know where to put it, post here and someone can probably find a way to include it. HotWheels (53) Talk 16:06, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Dr. Gustav von Stumpfel
User:Blacklist removed a sentence that said Herbie was built by a "Dr. Gustav von Stumpfel" in 1963. The edit summary says: ''doubt it;. source required if put back in.'' That was stated in the 1997 remake of The Love Bug. However, that contradicts the original film and I don't think the remake should be considered (fully) canon. Any thoughts?  HotWheels (53) Talk 02:09, 6 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I removed it because I've never seen the 1997 film. I personally don't view that film as canon (mainly since it contradicts a whole lot from the previous films from what I've read, plus it was made for Television), and as far as I know, the original point of Herbie was what Jim Douglas said in the first film, about a company making a million cars all the same, but one or two of them happen to be something special.

 * If it was to go somewhere, it should most likely go in under the Popular Culture Section with a link to the '97 film. Blacklist 05:43, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

That's about what I was thinking. I agree, if somebody really wants that to be in the article, I think it should go under Popular Culture or maybe a new section for the 1997 film, but since we've agreed that it isn't canon I think it would be better to leave it out. If you haven't seen it, you haven't missed much. It's interesting to me as a Herbie fan, but overall the movie is kinda bleh. ;)  HotWheels (53) Talk 14:37, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

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Article discussion
This article, as-is, treats the fictional character as though it is a real person. Though there are other such articles, I have worked for months on a franchise article draft. Seeing as there are various media releases featuring the character, a franchise article encompasses all aspects of the franchise. The Herbie article, currently primarily features the character details with all production details listed as an afterthought/side-discussion. Seeing as the franchise is more detailed and expansive than just the character, I suggest moving this article to "Herbie (Disney character)". Furthermore, I would question its notability once a franchise article (which covers a lot more detail) is approved.--DisneyMetalhead (talk) 22:19, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

 * I disagree that the entire article is problematic - the in-universe issue really exists in only one section of the article. The in-universe writing of the history section definitely needs to be updated, but I don't believe that replacing the entire article with the draft franchise article that you have is the solution.  If anything, some parts of the draft article go too much in the other direction in my opinion, focusing on less-notable trivia about the franchise (for example, when most of the movies have unique characters, a large character table with only a single recurring character does not seem very helpful).  What I'd propose is to update the prose of the history section of this article to a real-world perspective (which I'm willing to take on), and then to merge additional notable information from the draft franchise page into this page. There's definitely good information in the draft franchise page, and its content can help enhance the existing article, if we merge carefully. Vmanjr (talk) 00:24, 21 September 2020 (UTC)
 * I would like to accept Draft:Herbie (franchise), which will require a history merge with the current redirect. I am starting discussion at Draft talk:Herbie (franchise).  Robert McClenon (talk) 06:12, 21 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Any luck, ? Merging the articles, and/or adjusting the Herbie article to be only based upon the character - would be effective. Otherwise, an article that is about the entire franchise (its development/the actors/filmmakers/various other media) is the more inclusive option. If the character page gets absorbed into the franchise article - that would be a constructive option too.--DisneyMetalhead (talk) 17:04, 27 September 2020 (UTC)
 * User:DisneyMetalhead, User:Vmanjr - I do not plan to do the merging myself. As the reviewer, what I will do is to request the history merge and accept the draft.  I will then be available to discuss merging the character into the franchise.  So I will be requesting the history merge and accepting the draft.  Robert McClenon (talk) 04:34, 29 September 2020 (UTC)

thank you for the collaborative efforts, m8!--DisneyMetalhead (talk) 02:43, 1 October 2020 (UTC)

Guises and paint schemes: Clarify a term
I noticed a term used in the "Herbie Rides Again" section: "Cut and Shut" engine lid.

Outside of this page, I've never come across this term before, and I'm wondering if it refers to the car known as "Funky Decklid Herbie." I thought I should clarify before editing the source. Does anyone have ideas?

Lost Cartoon
I forgot where I heard this, but I heard on YouTube that in 2005 if memory serves, Herbie was going to have a cartoon series (it looked like a preschool show, like something Playhouse Disney would air), but it wasn't developed I don't think. Only one image exists, but I don't want to add it without providing a proper source for my claim, or with any other incorrect information. Triviatronic9000 (talk) 02:01, 10 July 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Herbie


text:
Cyaniris semiargus

Cyaniris semiargus, the Mazarine blue, is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Subspecies
Subspecies include:
 * Cyaniris semiargus semiargus (Europe, Caucasus, Siberia, Russian Far East)
 * Cyaniris semiargus altaiana (🇦🇹, 1909 ) (Tian-Shan, Altai Mountains, Sayan Mountains, Transbaikalia)
 * Cyaniris semiargus amurensis (🇦🇹, 1909 ) (Amur river, Ussuri, Japan)
 * Cyaniris semiargus atra (🇦🇹, 1885 ) (Ghissar, Alai Mountains, Darvaz)
 * Cyaniris semiargus jiadengyunus (🇦🇹, 1992 ) (Altai Mountains)
 * Cyaniris semiargus maroccana (🇦🇹, 1920 (Morocco)
 * Cyaniris semiargus tartessus (🇦🇹, 2007 ) (SW. Spain)
 * Cyaniris semiargus transiens 🇦🇹, 1910 (Spain)
 * Cyaniris semiargus uralensis (🇦🇹, 1909 ) (Urals)

Distribution
The Mazarine blue's population is distributed throughout continental Europe, reaching into the Arctic Circle, Morocco, and the Middle East  then east across the Palearctic to Siberia and the Russian Far East. There was a large native population in Britain in the early part of the 19th century, but it disappeared before the 20th century, though single vagrants have been spotted, and some estimates of British resident extinction are as late as 1906. In 2009, UNESCO was researching a possible reintroduction of the Mazarine blue to Britain. Recently, the Mazarine blue's numbers have been declining in its European range (particularly Scandinavia) and the reason remains unclear.

Habitat
This common species inhabits meadows, pastures, grasslands and flowery grassy damp areas up to 2200m. It seems to prefer places which are not fertilized and not used for fodder production.

Description
The wingspan of the male and female are similar, at 32–38 mm.

These butterflies present a sexual dimorphism. The male Mazarine blue's wings are a deep blue with a heavy venation and are slightly larger in diameter than the female's. The upperside of the wings shows black borders and white fringes. The female Mazarine blue is brown. The underside of the wings is greyish or ocher, with a series of black spots surrounded by white and a blue scaling in the basal area.

Both sexes lack orange markings and have a dark violet or brown body colour. The butterfly has been compared to the common blue, and the Grecian Cyaniris bellis (Freyer, 1845) which has orange markings.

This species is rather similar to Cupido minimus, but in the underside hindwings of the Mazarine blue the black spot in space 6 and the two spots next to it form an obtuse angle, while in C. minimus they create an acute angle.

The larva is yellow green with darker lines and has fine hairs and dark brown spiracles. The pupa is olive green and attached to the food plant with a silk girdle.

Description in Seitz
L. semiargus Rott. (= acis .Schiff., argiolus Fuessl, argianus Zett.) (82 e). male above dull but deep blue, without gloss, with black margin and thin dark discocellular spot; the fringes pure white. Female above black-brown, the fringes darkened. Underside earth-grey with blue scaling at the base, distinct discocellular spot and a row of discal ocelli as well as a basal ocellus below the costa of the hindwing. Of the modifications in the ocelli of the hindwing we mention first ab. spadae Hellweger, in which the ocelli are all absent. In ab. caeca Fuchs there is only one ocellus on the forewing. In ab. striata Wheel. the ocelli are modified into streaks. The ocelli are enlarged and placed nearer to the outer margin in aetnaea Zett., which was (accidentally) found on the Etna. Throughout Europe and North Asia, eastwards to the Pacific; also in England, but here rare and apparently disappearing; in Europe and Asia as far north as 68 deg(Herz). — montana M.-Dur [C semiargus ssp. montana Meyer-Dür, 1852] (82 e) is an alpine form which occurs in the higher Alps and the mountains of South-East Europe; smaller, the male bright blue above, with broader black distal border. — bellis Frr. [Cyaniris bellis (Freyer, 1845)] (82 e, f) is above like montana, but the hindwing beneath bears traces of yellowish red spots in anal area. — impura Krul has dull yellow spots before the whole outer margin, especially on thehindwing; from East Russia. — parnassia Stgr.[Cyaniris bellis] from the Balkan Peninsula, resembles impura, but is  larger. — In helena Stgr. [Cyaniris bellis]. (82 f), a small form from the mountains of Southern Greece, the reddish yellow spots of the underside form a continuous chain and some of them appear in the female also on the upperside, which is quite generally the case in the still more southern form antiochenaLed.[C. b. antiochena (Lederer, 1861)] — Larva dull greenish  yellow with brown head, a dark dorsal line and a dark lateral one; in July and in the autumn on Anthyllis and Armeria vulgaris, in the inflorescences. Pupa light olive-green, the hibernating pupae become brown later on; fastened with anal end at the stem of the food-plant (Assmus). The butterflies in May and again in August, in most districts singly but common, flying on broad forest roads and grassy borders of  fields. Their flight is rather clumsy and very low, the insects usually keeping quite close to the ground and frequently visiting Potentilla, Ranunculus and Trefoil. In the high mountains the species is one of the commonest on damp places on roads.

Biology
This species has one brood each year. It overwinters as a young larva. Adults fly from May to August. Caterpillars mainly feed on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and other species of Trifolium (Trifolium medium, Trifolium spadiceum), on Vicia cracca, Anthyllis, Genista and Melilotus.

Etymology
Mazarine is a shade of deep rich blue on late 17th- and early 18th-century export porcelain, itself derived from Cardinal Mazarin.

title: Cyaniris semiargus


text: File:Thecelestineprophecy.jpg

title: File:Thecelestineprophecy.jpg


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Steve Glicker

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was DELETE. Postdlf 06:53, 23 July 2005 (UTC)

Steve Glicker
Initially listed as a copy vio, but according to the talk page, the person concerned agrees to it being here. However, this person is not very notable. Kurando 12:17, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, yuck! Flowerparty 16:46, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. Alexa for his website = 397,775.  May be a very successful programmer/entrepreneur (although, hmm, why no NAMES for his various "multi-million dollar" accomplishments?), but unless that has given him fame, which it apparently hasn't (35 Google hits, I don't think it much matters.  Dcarrano 17:31, July 13, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete notability not established. Friday 20:56, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete nn vanity. --Etacar11 00:37, 14 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete as per Dcarrano--nixie 01:49, 14 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep He is notable in the gaming world for his work, as well as notable for his podcast which is regularly one of the highest (if not the highest) ranked gaming podcast. The article would need some work, of course, and I would be willing to do this. There are no names for his multi-million dollar accomplishments because of agreements he signed when selling his company. Also, Steve regularly releases information on his site, especially concerning the game Spore, well before most, if not all other news sources get the information. syphonbyte
 * Keep If you search for his radio show Gaming Steve on Google you end up with about 3600 hits which is what his "claim to fame" would be. FYI, I heard about his site through a friend who heard about him through work in a small town up in Canada.  So he is definately generating a following.  Sure the entry needs to be cleaned up but as someone who hopped on wiki to learn more about him, I can attest that I was personally interested in learning about him... so it's not just vanity thing going on. Granite T. Rock 00:40, July 19, 2005 (UTC)
 * I just had an after thought. It might be appropriate to rename the article "Gaming Steve" which would outline his show.  Part of the entry would include his bio info as contained on this page.  Granite T. Rock 00:57, July 19, 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment: That's a good idea. The article already contains more information on the show than Steve himself. syphonbyte

 * Delete - non-notable / vanity - Tεx  τ  urε  19:54, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep - His podcast is one of the highest rated gaming podcasts, so I think he is definetly notible. That fact should be added to the article though. Also, it does need a little bit of cleanup, but that could definetly be done Spizzma 22:20, 17 March 2006 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.


text:
S.E.M. Ensemble

S.E.M. Ensemble is an American group dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music. It was founded in 1970 by the Czech composer Petr Kotik, who serves as its director, and is based in New York City.

Kotik seems to have rather arbitrarily named the group from the middle syllable of "ensemble," adding periods after each letter to make the name more mysterious. He says the name means nothing except referring to what the group itself does.

The ensemble has performed numerous new works by a wide range of composers, which include Muhal Richard Abrams, John Cage, Roberto Carnevale, Morton Feldman, Pauline Oliveros, Henry Threadgill and La Monte Young, as well as works by Kotik himself.

In 1992, Kotik established The Orchestra of the S.E.M. Ensemble, which performs new compositions for full orchestra.

In April 2019 the S.E.M. Ensemble performed at the festival Neo-Pastiche: Changes in American Music at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center in Asheville, NC alongside Eugene Chadbourne, Jeff Witscher and other contemporary experimental artists.

title: S.E.M. Ensemble


text:
Sigma Scorpii

Sigma Scorpii (or σ Scorpii, abbreviated Sigma Sco or σ Sco), is a multiple star system in the constellation of Scorpius, located near the red supergiant Antares, which outshines it. This system has a combined apparent visual magnitude of +2.88, making it one of the brighter members of the constellation. Based upon parallax measurements made during the Hipparcos mission, the distance to Sigma Scorpii is roughly 696 light-years (214 parsecs). North et al. (2007) computed a more accurate estimate of $568$ light years ($174$ parsecs).

The system consists of a spectroscopic binary with components designated Sigma Scorpii Aa1 (officially named Alniyat, the traditional name for the entire star system) and a Beta Cephei variable) and Aa2; a third component (designated Sigma Scorpii Ab) at 0.4 arcseconds from the spectroscopic pair, and a fourth component (Sigma Scorpii B) at about 20 arcseconds.

Nomenclature

σ Scorpii (Latinised to Sigma Scorpii) is the star system's Bayer designation. The designations of the four components as Sigma Scorpii Aa1, Aa2, Ab and B derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Sigma Scorpii and Tau Scorpii together bore the traditional name Al Niyat (or Alniyat) derived from the Arabic النياط al-niyāţ "the arteries" and referring to their position flanking the star Antares, the scorpion's heart, with Sigma Scorpii just to the north.

In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name Alniyat for the component Sigma Scorpii Aa1 on February 1, 2017 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.

In Chinese, 心宿 (Xīn Xiù), meaning Heart, refers to an asterism consisting of Sigma Scorpii, Antares and Tau Scorpii. Consequently, the Chinese name for Sigma Scorpii itself is 心宿一 (Xīn Xiù yī), "the First Star of Heart".

The indigenous Boorong people of northwestern Victoria in Australia saw this star and Tau Scorpii as wives of Djuit (Antares).

Properties
The brightest component of the system, Sigma Scorpii Aa, is a double-lined spectroscopic binary, which means that the pair has not been resolved using a telescope. Instead, their orbit is determined by changes in their combined spectrum caused by the Doppler shift. This indicates that the pair complete an orbit every 33.01 days and have an orbital eccentricity of 0.32.

The primary component of the spectroscopic binary, Sigma Scorpii Aa1, is an evolved giant star with a stellar classification of B1 III. It has around 18 times the mass of the Sun and 12 times the Sun's radius. This star is radiating about $-4.12$ times the luminosity of the Sun from its outer envelope at an effective temperature of $-3.32$. This is a variable star of the Beta Cephei type, causing the apparent magnitude to vary between +2.86 and +2.94 with multiple periods of $33.01$, $3.62$, and 8.2 days. During each pulsation cycle, the temperature of the star varies by $0.322$. The other member of the core pair, Sigma Scorpii Aa2, is a main sequence star with a classification of B1 V.

Orbiting this binary at a separation of half an arcsecond, or at least 120 Astronomical units (AU), four times the Sun–Neptune distance, is the magnitude +5.2 Sigma Scorpii Ab, which has an orbital period of over a hundred years. Even farther out at 20 arcseconds, or more than 4500 AU, is Sigma Scorpii B with a magnitude of +8.7. It is classified as a B9 dwarf.

Given its position, youth, and space velocity, the Sigma Scorpii system is a likely member of the Gould Belt, and in particular the Upper Scorpius subgroup of the Scorpius–Centaurus association (Sco OB2). Recent isochronal age estimates for the system yield ages of 8–10 million years through comparison of the HR diagram positions for the stars to modern evolutionary tracks. This agrees well with the mean age for the Upper Scorpius group which is approximately 11 million years.

title: Sigma Scorpii


text:
Malabar Special Police

The Malabar Special Police (MSP) is an armed police battalion of the State Police of Kerala, India. MSP is headquartered in Malappuram, Kerala. The unit also trains new recruits and also helps the local police to maintain law and order during emergencies. During emergencies, this unit forms the riot police platoons fully equipped with riot gear. This police unit is known for its extraordinarily tough training, and the high quality of its firing and military drills. The MSP, initially known as Malappuram Special Police, originated in 1884 as a paramilitary unit tasked with managing the Malabar rebellion under British rule. Richard Hitchcock, the district superintendent of police for South Malabar at that time, advocated for the creation of this battalion, modeled after an Indian Infantry battalion.

History
According to Kerala Police history, the unit dates back to the late 18th century when,the local rulers of Kerala established armed paramilitary units to deal with the Moplahs.This function was later taken over by a group of 500 armed police officers who were made responsible for collecting revenue from the Moplahs. The MSP was raised in 1884 as a temporary force under the name of Malappuram Special Police since its headquarters were located Malappuram with a strength of consisted of 80 Constables, 4 Native Head Constables, 4 Sergeants, a Bugler and a British Inspector, who were temporarily drafted into a special force and successfully suppressed group of Mapilla villagers in Chembrassery. The squad was later made a permanent component of the police force in 1897.

In the 1921 Moplah Revolt, Malabar (the present districts of Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and parts of Thrissur) witnessed a wave of popular unrest and other law and order problems.After MSP officers armed with Martini Henry single shot rifles failed to control the rebellion, Richard Hitchcock, the then District Superintendent of Police of South Malabar came up with the idea of raising a police unit armed and equipped similar British Indian infantry battalion to deal with the revolt.This suggestion, strongly endorsed by the District Magistrate, was accepted by the Viceroy's Government on 30 September 1921, which then sanctioned the creation of 6 companies consisting of 6 British officers, 8 Subedars, 16 Jemadars, 60 Havildars and 600 Constables.The recruits were trained in Kannur and by an Indian Civil Service Officer, a Probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police and demobilized officers from the army.The force effectively suppressed the rebellion and gained fame due to its use of guerrilla tactics against the rebels.

In the following year, members of the force were drafted into Madras Presidency to counter the rebellion in the Rampa area that was being led by Alluri Sitarama Raju. Local forces had been unable to match the guerilla tactics of Raju in the forested areas, for which the Malabar unit were considered to be specialists.

In 1932 the force went through reorganisation and had its strength reduced to 6 companies.This number increased to 16 during the world War 2.Ths MSP strike of 1946 brought this number down to 12 companies. The MSP also responded to the Madras police pay strike where it took control of the all police stations in the city after disarming the city policemen.

The battalion was later asked to join the Indian Army during annexation of Hyderabad to the Indian Union in 1948 becoming the first police force in the history of the country to be included in a military operation.

On the eve of the linguistic reorganisation of States 1956, the MSP was divided into two. 6 companies and half of the Headquarters remained with Kerala while the other six companies and the rest of the headquarters allotted to Madras.3 more companies were raised in 1957.

Historically, various state governments, as well as the Government of India, have engaged the services of the MSP in response to situations of unruly law and order. Post-independence, MSP has demonstrated commendable efficacy in some of the nation's most challenging terrains. Noteworthy collaborations include deployments alongside Assam Rifles and Bihar Military Police to address insurgency issues in Nagaland.

Structure
The MSP is led by a Commandant, the battalion comprises companies and platoons, each under the command of officers including Deputy Commandants and Assistant Commandants. Within these units, there's a chain of command ranging from Armed Police Inspectors to Constables. The Commandant of MSP is holding the rank of Superintendent of Police. The commandant reports to Deputy inspector general of police, armed police battalions.

Hierarchy

 * Commandant (Cmdt)
 * Deputy commandant (DC)
 * Assistant commandant (AC)
 * Armed Police Inspector (API)
 * Armed Police Sub Inspector (APSI)
 * Armed Police Asst. Sub inspector (APASI)
 * Havildar (Hdr.)
 * Police constable (PC)

title: Malabar Special Police


text:
Joseph Marcell

Joseph Marcell (born 14 August 1948) is a Saint Lucian-British actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Geoffrey Butler, the butler on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from September 1990 until the show ended in May 1996.

Born in Saint Lucia, he moved to the United Kingdom when he was nine years old and grew up in Peckham, South London. Marcell currently lives in Banstead, Surrey.

He studied speech and dance at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career
Marcell grew up in Peckham, South East London. As a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he appeared in productions of Othello and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has also appeared in feature films and on television in Britain. He serves on the board of the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London where he featured in a nationwide production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and King Lear.

He played Gonzalo in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in May 2016. He also played Solly Two Kings in the play by August Wilson, Gem of the Ocean at the Tricycle Theatre, in London, in January 2016. Marcell began rehearsals as Titus Andronicus, in July 2017, for the La Grande Shakespeare Company, in La Grande, Oregon.

Stage

 * King Lear, as King Lear
 * A Midsummer Night's Dream, as Puck
 * Gem of the Ocean (2016), as Solly Two Kings
 * Lady Windermere's Fan (2018) as Lord Lorton, Vaudeville Theatre, London
 * The Tempest (2016) as Gonzalo, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London
 * Peter Pan (1982) as Nibs, the RSC at the Barbican

title: Joseph Marcell


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Taiping houkui

Taiping houkui (pronounced ) tea is grown at the foot of Huangshan (黄山) in the former Taiping Prefecture, Anhui. It has been grown since the Ming Dynasty and was harvested for emperors during the Qing Dynasty. The tea has been produced commercially since the beginning of the 20th century and is produced around the small village of Hou Keng (猴坑). It won the "King of Tea" award at China Tea Exhibition 2004 and is sometimes listed as a China famous tea.

The best Tai Ping Hou Kui is grown in the villages of Houkeng, Hougang and Yanjiachun. Teas produced in the surrounding areas are called by the same name, but cost much less.

It is renowned for its "two knives and one pole": two straight leaves clasping the enormous bud with white hairs. The oven-made leaves are deep green in color with red veins underneath. The tea shoots can be as long as 15 cm. They are plucked from the Shi Da Cha, a large-leaf variety found only in Anhui Province.

Falsification is rampant. Factories can produce symmetrical looking Hou Kui tea that looks even better than the authentic handmade variety.

title: Taiping houkui


text:
Geranium bronze

The geranium bronze or brun des pélargoniums in French (Cacyreus marshalli), is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

The geranium bronze butterfly is native to South Africa. The butterfly was first introduced to Europe in the late 20th century, where it has quickly spread to many southern and eastern European regions. Since its introduction to Europe, the geranium bronze butterfly has become a pest to cultivated Pelargonium and Geranium plant species. Currently, efforts are being made to contain the spread of the geranium bronze butterflies as well as to determine the most effective pesticide for the species.

Description
The adult geranium bronze butterfly's wingspan ranges from 15–23 mm in males and 18–23 mm in females. The wings are brown/bronze with a white border outlining the wings. The underside is a grey-brown with darker bands interlaced with white, creating an intricate pattern. The hindwings contain an eye spot in order to divert predators from attacking. The male and female are similar in appearance.

Geographic range
The geranium bronze was first recorded in regions of South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape Provinces, as well as in neighbouring countries such as Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Mozambique. It was accidentally brought to Europe in 1978. After being recorded in England, a colony of geranium bronze was soon found in Mallorca in 1990, and has since spread to most of the regions in southern Europe. In 1996, the geranium bronze butterfly was first recorded in Rome, Italy, and rapidly spread along the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coastal areas before extending inland. The geranium bronze butterfly now has established colonies in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Greece, Malta, Spain, Portugal, southern Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, and the French Mediterranean. The first record of the species in Palestine was made in the garden of the Palestine Museum of Natural History.

Caterpillars
After hatching, the geranium bronze larvae feed on the flower buds, young leaves, and soft stems of their host plant, typically from the genera Pelargonium and Geranium. In order to eat the stem of these plants, the larvae drill into the stems, causing damage to the plants.

Egg
Geranium bronze eggs are small with a slight green color that turns white then brown or light-yellow before the larva hatches. The eggs are 0.5 mm in diameter and 0.3 mm in height. The eggs are typically laid close to the flower buds, but are occasionally laid on the leaves. The laying of eggs usually occurs during summer months, while caterpillar activity has been recorded in the summer, fall, and winter.

Caterpillar
Once hatched, the larvae bore through the stem of the host plant, where they are typically found within the stem or flower buds. The plant stem usually turns black after being invaded by larvae. The larva feeds on the host plant, damaging the host until it enters the pupa stage.

During the first instar stage, the caterpillar's average length is 1 mm, which will increase to 2 mm during the following 8 days. Second instar caterpillars grow to an average of 3 mm; third instars to 6 mm; and fourth instars grow to 13 mm. The second, third, and fourth instar stages occur for a duration of 8, 8, and 9 days, respectively. The color of the caterpillars can vary. Most caterpillars are yellow or green, and may have pink markings.

Pupa
The pupa stage occurs at the bottom of the flower peduncle in many of the host species. The peduncles offer the best protection for the caterpillars, which is why the caterpillars will typically remain at the base of the flower until metamorphosis occurs. It has been suggested that geranium bronze may overwinter as either a caterpillar or a pupa, although further data is needed to confirm this.

The pupa color varies, but they are typically green, pale-yellow, or brown. The pupa are hairy and are typically 9 mm long.

Migration
Adults are on wing year-round in warmer areas, but usually from August to May in South Africa. At higher altitudes, adults are on wing in December and January.

Geranium bronze have spread from their native regions of South Africa to numerous southern and eastern European regions. This was likely due to accidental transportation of plants infested with geranium bronze larvae and not due to any natural migration patterns. The geranium bronze butterflies fly for short periods of time and frequently rest.

Predators
The geranium bronze butterfly has not been reported as a pest in its native home and surrounding South African regions. It is believed that the butterfly has not become a pest in the South African regions because of an indigenous predator or parasitoid that has kept the butterfly population low. The predator has yet to be identified.

Oviposition
Geranium bronze females prefer to lay their eggs on the flower buds of various Geranium species. They typically oviposit on top of and underneath leaves, but infrequently on stems. Geranium bronze butterflies are multivoltine, meaning they lay two or more broods per year.

Plant selection for egg laying
Geranium bronze typically lay eggs on plants from genera Pelargonium and Geranium, both in the family Geraniaceae. Once hatched, these plants act as hosts to the larvae. Quacchia et al. (2008) found that geranium bronze butterflies in Italy displayed preference for egg laying on Geranium sanguineum, Geranium sylvaticum, and Geranium pratense Data was collected from a 2-year observation in various regions of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, Italy. Plant preference and offspring fitness (using wingspan as a marker for fitness) were analyzed, but no statistically significant correlation was found.

Pest of plants
Geranium bronze butterflies pose a large threat to Pelargonium species in Europe. European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization currently lists geranium bronze as an A2 quarantine pest for Europe, and an A1 quarantine pest for Turkey. If geranium bronze numbers in Italy and other regions of Europe continue to rise, it is possible that they will become a larger threat for not only the native flora, but also for local biodiversity. Geranium bronze may start to be in competition with indigenous lycaenid species whose only food source is Geranium plants, such as E. eumedon and A. nicias.

Unfortunately, as pests, the geranium bronze butterflies have caused economic troubles as well. In countries like Spain, the Geranium plant species are highly valued in Spanish homes as ornaments. According to Sarto i Monteys et al., these plants are highly important in both sales and in employment for both production and marketing (Sarto i Monteys V 1991). In Spain alone, there are four major Geranium plant companies, together collecting over $30 million a year in the market. Companies have already seen drops in sales as the Geraniums have been affected by these butterflies. Currently, research is being done to find effective ways to prevent the attacks by these butterflies, but unfortunately many possible insecticides are too chemically potent on the plants that control of these butterflies has been difficult.

Use of pesticides on geranium bronze
There is a large body of research on the use of pesticides on geranium bronze butterflies. Contact pesticides were found to have no effect on the butterfly, because the larva spends the majority of its life within the plant, along with other endophytic habits. Herrero et al. found that B. thuringiensis may be effective in controlling the geranium bronze. In addition to Bacillus thuringiensis, the insecticides diflubenzuron, flufenoxuron, hexaflumuron, lamda-cyhalothrin, alphamethrin and benfuracarb are also effective.

title: Geranium bronze


text: User:Kamina (usurped)

title: User:Kamina (usurped)


text:
RP-3

The RP-3 (from Rocket Projectile 3 inch) was a British air-to-ground rocket projectile introduced during the Second World War. The "3 inch" designation referred to the nominal diameter of the rocket motor tube. The use of a 60 lb warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60-pound rocket". Though an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. They were generally used by British fighter-bomber aircraft against targets such as tanks, trains, motor transport and buildings, as well as by Coastal Command and Royal Navy aircraft against U-boats and ships.

Use continued post-war, with the last known major operational use being during the Aden Emergency in 1964, where Hawker Hunters flew 642 sorties and fired 2,508 RP-3s in support of Radforce. Use continued until the withdrawal from Aden Protectorate in November 1967, at which point the RP-3 was withdrawn from service in favour of the newer SNEB. Concerned about the possibility of shipboard radar setting off the SNEB's electrical ignition, the Royal Navy replaced their RP-3s with a new design, sometimes known as the 2-inch RP.

History
The first use of rockets fired from aircraft was during the First World War. The "unrotated projectiles" (UPs) were Le Prieur rockets mounted on the interplane struts of Nieuport fighters. These were used to attack observation balloons and were reasonably successful. Sopwith Baby, Sopwith Pup and Home Defence B.E.2 fighters also carried rockets.

With the war ended the Royal Air Force, intent on retrenching, forgot about firing rockets from aircraft. The British Army did see a use for rockets against low-flying aircraft; from late 1940 parts of Britain were defended by increasing numbers of "Z-Batteries" 2 in rockets supplementing the conventional anti-aircraft guns.

When German forces under the command of Erwin Rommel intervened in the Western Desert campaign from early 1941, it became clear that the Desert Air Force lacked weapons capable of damaging or destroying the large numbers of armoured fighting vehicles, particularly the heavier Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks used by the Germans. In April 1941 Henry Tizard, the chief scientist of the British government, called together a panel to study "Methods of Attacking Armoured Vehicles".

The types of weapons investigated included the 40 mm Vickers S gun and related weapons manufactured by the Coventry Ordnance Works, as well as the Bofors 40 mm and the US 37 mm T9 cannon fitted to the Bell P-39 Airacobra; it was already recognised that these weapons were only capable of dealing with light tanks and motor transport. Using larger weapons on fighter-bombers was ruled out because of weight and difficulties handling recoil. The chairman of the panel, Mr. Ivor Bowen (Assistant Director of Armament Research) turned to the idea of using rocket projectiles to deliver a large warhead capable of destroying or disabling heavy tanks. Information was sought from the Soviets, who had been using unguided RS-82 rockets since 1937.

By September 1941 it was decided that two models of UP would be developed:
 * A 23 lb plastic explosive on a standard 2-inch UP
 * A 20 lb solid armour-piercing head on a 3-inch UP

When it was realised that the 2-inch version would be less effective than the Vickers S cannon, it was decided to concentrate on development of the 3-inch version, which could be developed from the 2-inch rocket used in the Z-Batteries.

Design
The rocket body was a steel tube 3.25 in in diameter and 55.19 in long filled with 5.2 kg of cordite propellant, fired electrically. The warhead was screwed into the forward end, and was initially a solid 24 lb, 3.44 in diameter and 12.4 in long (with adaptor) armour-piercing warhead which was quickly supplanted by a 152 mm, 27.4 kg high explosive head. For practice there were also a 25 lb mild steel semi-armour-piercing warhead, a 25 lb concrete practice head and a 27.2 kg concrete practice head. Once the rocket had been mounted on the rails, an electrical lead (or "pigtail") connected the rocket to the firing controls.

Four large tailfins 4 by induced enough spin to stabilize the rocket, but as it was unguided, aiming was a matter of judgment and experience. Approach to the target needed to be precise, with no sideslip or yaw, which could throw the RP off line. Aircraft speed had to be precise at the moment of launch, and the angle of attack required precision. Trajectory drop was also a problem, especially at longer ranges.

The rocket was less complicated and more reliable than a gun firing a shell and there was no recoil on firing. It was found to be a demoralising form of attack against ground troops and the 60-pound warhead could be devastating. The rocket installations were light enough to be carried by single-seat fighters, giving them the punch of a cruiser. Against slow-moving large targets like shipping and U-boats, the rocket was a formidable weapon.

The weight and drag of the all-steel rails initially fitted to British aircraft blunted performance. Some aircraft such as the Fairey Swordfish biplane used against submarines had steel "anti-blast" panels fitted under the rails to protect the wing, which further increased weight and drag. Aluminium Mark III rails, introduced from late 1944, reduced the effect. American experience with their own rockets (the USAAF's 3.5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket (FFAR) and the US Navy's 5-inch FFAR and HVAR ) showed that the long rails and anti-blast panels were unnecessary; zero-length launchers were introduced in May 1945. British aircraft started being fitted with "zero-point" mounting pylons in the post-war years.

The 3-inch rocket motors (less warhead) were used in the 'bunker buster' "Disney bomb" (official name: 4500 lb Concrete Piercing/Rocket Assisted bomb), 19 of them propelling the 4,500 lb bomb to 990 mph at impact with the target.

Air-to-ground use
Before the new weapon was released for service extensive tests were carried out by the Instrument, Armament and Defence Flight (IADF) at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. Hawker Hurricanes were fitted with rockets and rails and flown during June and July 1942. Further tests were undertaken from 28 September to 30 November to develop rocket-firing tactics. Other aircraft used were a Lockheed Hudson, a Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber, a Douglas Boston medium bomber and a Sea Hurricane. At the same time the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) had to develop tactics for all the individual aircraft types which were to be armed with the RPs. Aiming was through a standard GM.II reflector gunsight. A later modification enabled the reflector to be tilted with the aid of a graduated scale, depressing the line of sight, the GM.IIL. For rockets only the Mk IIIA was the most successful – it was used on the Lockheed Ventura and Hudson.

The first operational use of the RP was in the Western Desert campaign as a "tank-busting" weapon on Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIEs and IVs. The 25-pound armour-piercing heads were found to be ineffective against the Tiger I heavy tanks coming into German service. With the example of the success of Royal Artillery gunners using high-explosive shells from their Ordnance QF 25 pounder gun-howitzers, it was decided to design a new 60-pound semi-armour-piercing (SAP) head. These were capable of knocking turrets off tanks.

A typical RP-3 installation was four projectiles on launching rails under each wing. A selector switch was fitted to allow the pilot to fire them singly (later omitted), in pairs, or as a full salvo. Towards the end of the war some RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2 TAF) Hawker Typhoons had their installation adapted to carry an additional four rockets doubled up under the eight already fitted.

RP-3s were widely used during the battle the Falaise pocket in mid-August 1944. During the battle German forces, retreating to avoid being trapped in a pincer movement by Allied ground forces, came under air attack. Amongst the waves of light, medium and fighter bombers attacking the German columns the Typhoons of 2 TAF attacked with their rockets, claiming hundreds of tanks and "mechanised enemy transport". After the battle, Army and 2nd TAF Operational Research Sections studying the battleground came to the conclusion that far fewer vehicles, 17 in total, had been destroyed by rocket strike alone. What was clear was that in the heat of battle it was far harder for pilots to launch the weapons while meeting the conditions needed for accuracy. Smoke, dust and debris in the target areas made accurate assessment of the damage caused almost impossible. It was also clear that rocket attacks devastated the morale of enemy troops – many vehicles were found abandoned intact, or with only superficial damage. Interrogation of captured prisoners showed that even the prospect of rocket attack was extremely unnerving for them.

Large stocks of RP-3s remained at the end of the war and they were used well into the jet age. They were used operationally during the Malayan Emergency, Korean War and the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. The last known use in combat is by Hawker Hunters in Aden from 1964 to as late as 1967 in support of Radforce. When these aircraft moved to Bahrain in November 1967, the remaining RP-3s were withdrawn from service and replaced by the newer SNEB.

Anti-submarine
Soon after some encouraging results from the initial deployment, trials of the weapon were conducted against targets representing U-boats. It was discovered that if the rockets were fired at a shallow angle, near misses resulted in the rockets curving upwards in seawater and piercing the targets below the waterline. Soon Coastal Command and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm aircraft were using the rockets extensively.

The first U-boat destroyed with the assistance of a rocket attack was U-752 (commanded by Kapitän-Leutnant Schroeter), on 23 May 1943, by a Swordfish of 819 Naval Air Squadron (819 NAS). The rockets used on this occasion had solid, cast-iron heads and were known as "rocket spears". One of these punched right through the submarine's pressure hull and rendered it incapable of diving; the U–boat was scuttled by its crew. On 28 May 1943, an RAF Hudson of 608 Squadron destroyed a U-boat in the Mediterranean, the first destroyed solely by rocket. These rockets were, among other factors, credited with making it too dangerous for the Germans to continue operating their Flak U-Boats, which were fitted with heavy anti-aircraft weaponry and acted as escorts for U-boats crossing the Bay of Biscay.

From then until the end of the Second World War in Europe, Coastal Command and the Fleet Air Arm used the rockets as one of their primary weapons (alongside torpedoes, which, to a certain extent they replaced) against shipping and surfaced U-boats.

Ground-to-ground use
As part of the initial bombardment of the landing areas for the Normandy landings June 1944, Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) each armed with about 1000 RP-3 rockets were used. The LCT(R) fired the rockets in large salvoes of around 40 RP-3 at a time.

In 1945, some British M4 Sherman tanks were fitted with two or four rails – one or two either side of the turret – to carry 60-pound headed rockets. These were used at the Rhine Crossing by tanks of the 1st Coldstream Guards. The tanks were called "Sherman Tulips". The tanks fitted included both conventional Shermans and the more heavily armed Sherman Fireflies.

The modifications were first tried out by two officers of the 1st Armoured Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 5th Guards Armoured Brigade, who obtained rockets and launching rails from an RAF base and carried out the first test firings on 17 March 1945. They were inspired after hearing the idea had been earlier tried, but abandoned, by a Canadian reconnaissance unit, the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), who had fitted RP-3 rails to a Staghound Armoured Car in November 1944. There are photos of four such rockets on a Cromwell cruiser tank, however little is known about it for certain.

Within a week all the tanks of Number 2 Squadron had been fitted with launch rails, some tanks had two launching rails, others had four. The rails were at fixed elevations and the rockets had fixed ranges either 400 or.

The rockets were highly inaccurate when fired from a tank as they were being fired from a stationary point and had little slipstream over the fins. Despite this, the RP-3 was valued by tank crews for the destructive effect of its 60-pound warhead. In combat, they were also used for short-range, saturation bombardment of an area and were effective as an immediate counter to German ambushes.

Swedish service
The RP-3 rocket saw use with the Swedish Air Force from 1946 to 1957.

Sweden had been experimenting with caseless ammunition as a substitute for air-to-ground rockets during WWII as it was thought that caseless ammunition would be cheaper to produce. This however proved false and by the end of the war the Swedish air force had moved to rocket development instead. The Swedish weapons company Bofors had been developing rockets on their own initiative since 1943 but, due to lack of funding, did not have a design by the time the Swedish air force gained interest. As it would take years to develop indigenous rockets for the Swedish air force it was decided to buy rockets from abroad to gain operational experience which could be used in indigenous development.

The RP-3 was chosen, and Sweden ordered a batch in 1946 for trials on the Saab B 17A dive bomber as it was readily available. In May a B 17A was fitted with rocket mounts for ground trials, and shortly after a Saab B 18B was also modified. The first firing trials took place at F 14 Ringenäs (belonging to Halland wing) during July 1946. Twenty six '60 lb Practice' rockets were fired from the B 18B and three from the B 17A. Six '25 lb AP' and '60 lb SAP' rockets each were also fired from the B 17A. The trials were successful and the RP-3 entered service with the Swedish Air Force.

In Swedish service the RP-3 and its components were given Swedish Air Force designations. The RP-3 system as a whole was designated "8 cm raket m/46". The RP-3 rocket engines that Sweden acquired were most likely the Mk.4/TH type based on available photos and descriptions. These were designated 8 cm raketmotor m/46 (8 cm rakmo m/46). The square fins were designated 8 cm fena m/46.

The Swedish Air Force adopted four warheads for the RP-3 rocket: the 25 lb AP No.1, 25 lb AP No.2, 60 lb SAP No.2 and 60 lb Practice.

 * 25 lb AP No.1 was designated 8 cm Pansarspets m/46A, (English: "8 cm armour tip model 46A"), in 1951 redesignated to 8 cm pansarhuvud m/46A (8 cm phu m/46A) (English: "8 cm armour head 46A").
 * 25 lb AP No.2 was designated 8 cm Pansarspets m/46B, redesignated in 1951 to 8 cm pansarhuvud m/46B (8 cm phu m/46B).
 * 60 lb SAP No.2 was designated 8 cm Sprängspets m/46, ("8 cm Explosive tip 46"), in 1951 redesignated to 8 cm spränghuvud m/46 (8 cm shu m/46), ("8 cm explosive head m/46").
 * 60 lb Practice was designated 8 cm Övningsspets m/46, in 1951 redesignated to 8 cm övningshuvud m/46 (8 cm övnhu m/46).

In combination with the engine and square fins these warheads would produce the following rockets:
 * 8 cm Pansarraket m/46A redesignated in 1951 as 8 cm pansarraket m/46A (8 cm prak m/46A).
 * 8 cm Pansarraket m/46B redesignated as 8 cm pansarraket m/46B (8 cm prak m/46B).
 * 8 cm Sprängraket m/46 redesignated as 15 cm sprängraket m/46 (8 cm srak m/46).
 * 8 cm Övningsraket m/46 redesignated as 15 cm övningsraket m/46 (8 cm övnrak m/46).

In 1952 Sweden had developed a whole line of indigenous rockets and started phasing out the RP-3. All models but the 8 cm prak m/46B disappeared before 1953. The remaining 8 cm prak m/46B rockets were modified with new sloped fins around 1953. Around 30% of the fin surface area was removed. This decreased the chance of the fins breaking off during launch and also increased accuracy. These fins were designated 8 cm fena m/46C and when equipped on the 8 cm prak m/46B the suffix changed to C, then becoming 8 cm pansarraket m/46C (8 cm prak m/46C). The 8 cm prak m/46C remained in service until 1957.

During its service life in the Swedish air force the rocket came to serve on several Swedish aircraft. To allow universal usage of the RP-3 the first and second generation of Swedish air-to-ground rockets used the same mounting system as the RP-3.

Warheads

 * Shell, 18 lb, HE
 * 8 kg "high-explosive" warhead.

 * Shot, 25 lb, AP, No. 1, Mk. I
 * Armour-piercing warhead made out of hardened steel. Used against submarines and merchant ships at angles of 15 degrees or greater.

 * Shot, 25 lb, AP, No. 2, Mk. I
 * Improved design over the Shot, 25 lb, AP, No. 2, Mk. I warhead made longer and pointier to increase penetration. It was used at angles of attack of less than 15 degrees.

 * Shot, 25 lb, SAP, Mk. I
 * Semi-armour-piercing" warhead; same design as the "Shot, 25 lb, AP, No. 2, Mk. I" but made out of mild steel and having the spigot fuzed together with the body. By 1946 the design was obsolete and only used for advanced training.

 * Shot, 25 lb, Practice, Concrete, Mk. I
 * Practice warhead $11 1/2$ inches by 5 inches diameter made out of concrete, meant to simulate shooting the 25 lb AP and SAP warheads.

 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, "F"., No. 1, Mk. I
 * Fragmentation warhead for use against unarmoured vehicles and personnel. Converted from a 4.5 in howitzer shell with a ("direct action") Fuze, D.A., No. 899, Mk. I fitted to the nose, the whole warhead was 22 in long and weighed 50.5 lb. The relatively thick wall ( 0.85 inches) and 4 lb high explosive (TNT or RDX/TNT) filling produced "heavy fragments" which inflicted damage at "considerable distance".

 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, SAP
 * Semi-armour-piercing high-explosive warhead that existed in four primary variants:
 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, SAP, No. 1, Mk. I
 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, SAP, No. 2, Mk. I
 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, SAP, No. 1, Mk. II
 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, SAP, No. 2, Mk. II

 * Variants designated mark 1 (Mk. I) had a shell body that consisted of two parts that were screwed together, a body and a tip. Variants designated mark 2 (Mk. II) had the aforementioned shell body and tip forged together as one piece. Variants designated number 1 (No. 1) were fitted with a time delayed base fuze (Fuze, No. 865, Mk. I) that allowed them to penetrate into a target before detonating. Variants designated number 2 (No. 2) were fitted with a non-delayed base fuze (Fuze, No. 878, Mk. I) which made them detonate almost instantly on impact.

 * Shell, Practice, Concrete, 60 lb Mk. I
 * Practice warhead 20 in long by 6 in diameter formed of concrete over steel reinforcing rods. Used to simulate shooting the 60 lb SAP/HE warheads. This warhead could also be fitted with the "Smoke container, No. 1, Mk. I", which pressed on over front of the warhead and gave off a smoke signal on impact. The filling was 16 oz of titanium tetrachloride.

 * Shell, HE, 60 lb, G.P.
 * High-explosive general-purpose (Hollow charge) warhead, trials ongoing as of September 1946. It could penetrate 198 mm at any range.

Rocket engines
The RP-3 rocket engine was updated a number of times during its lifespan, which gave rise to a number of variants. For example, it was necessary to modify the rocket engine's propellant charge in order to be able to use several types of warheads. Initially the rocket engine was only designed to use warheads up to 25 lb, but when warheads up to 60 lb were introduced the propellant charge had to be modified in order to use them. Variants capable of carrying warheads up to 60 lb were then given the supplementary designation TH after the mark number.

 * Aircraft rocket motor, 3 in., No. 1, Mk. 1
 * The Mk. 1 engine had a 12.5 lb tubular-shaped cordite propellant charge. The ignition cables are routed through the tubular propellant charge. This variant was suitable for use with 25 lb solid warheads. It was not suitable for tropical climates (above 80 F)

 * Aircraft rocket motor, 3 in., No. 1, Mk. 1/TH
 * TH variant of the Mk. 1 engine that could mount solid or shell warheads up to 25 lb. It could likewise not be used in hot climates.

 * Aircraft rocket motor, 3 in., No. 1, Mk. 2
 * The Mk. 2 engine replaced the tubular propellant charge with an 11 lb cruciform (cross-shaped) propellant charge through a different metal grid. The ignition cables were routed in one of the inner corners of the cruciform propellant-charge. This variant was only capable of mounting 25 lb warheads.

 * Aircraft rocket motor, 3 in., No. 1, Mk. 2/TH
 * TH variant of the Mk. 2 engine that could mount warheads up to 60 lb.

 * Aircraft rocket motor, 3 in., No. 1, Mk. 3/TH
 * The Mk. 3 engine replaced the two-pin ignition plug with a single-pin one

 * Aircraft rocket motor, 3 in., No. 1, Mk. 4/TH
 * The Mk. 4 engines extended the ignition cables to allow for double hanging, where one RP-3 was mounted below another RP-3. During storage the extra length of the ignition cables was held in place by loose metal clips in the nozzle.

Aircraft use in the Second World War
As well as operational use, a number of aircraft were fitted with RP-3s on an experimental basis.

RAF and Commonwealth air forces

 * Boeing Fortress Mk. II and IIA: (Coastal Command)
 * Bristol Beaufighter Mk. VI, VIC, X and 20: (Coastal Command, South East Asia Command and Royal Australian Air Force, Pacific Theatre.)
 * Consolidated Liberator B. Mk. III, VI: (Coastal Command.)
 * de Havilland Mosquito F.B. Mk. VI: (Coastal Command, SEAC and RAAF, Pacific Theatre.)
 * Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIE & IV: (Desert Air Force, RAF Second Tactical Air Force, SEAC.)
 * Hawker Tempest
 * Hawker Typhoon Mk. Ib: (2 TAF.)
 * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (USAAF used their M8 for this role instead, 6/aircraft)
 * Supermarine Spitfire
 * Vickers Wellington GR Mk. XIV: (Coastal Command)

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

 * Fairey Firefly Mk. I
 * Fairey Swordfish Mk. II, III
 * Grumman Tarpon/Avenger Mk. I, II, III
 * Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk. IIc (825 Naval Air Squadron)
 * Hawker Sea Fury 807 Naval Air Squadron

Aircraft use post Second World War
The 3-inch RP continued to be used on RAF and RN aircraft in the ground attack role until replaced by the SNEB podded rocket (RAF) and the 2-inch podded RP (RN).

Post war operational use included the Malayan emergency, the Korean War, the Suez crisis, and the Radfan campaign.

RAF and Commonwealth air forces

 * Bristol Brigand
 * de Havilland Hornet
 * de Havilland Vampire
 * de Havilland Venom
 * Gloster Meteor
 * Hawker Hunter

RAAF, RAN
RP-3 rockets were used by Australian armed forces into the 1970s
 * Bristol Beaufighter
 * North American P-51 Mustang
 * de Havilland Vampire
 * Fairey Firefly
 * Gloster Meteor
 * Fairey Gannet
 * Hawker Sea Fury Mk11
 * de Havilland Sea Venom

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

 * Hawker Sea Fury
 * Hawker Sea Hawk
 * Supermarine Attacker
 * Supermarine Scimitar
 * de Havilland Sea Vixen - up to 24 rockets total on 4 pylons, six per pylon;

Swedish Air Force

 * North American T-6 Texan (Sk 16) - 4 rockets total on 2 pylons
 * Saab 17 (B 17A) - 4 rockets total on 4 pylons)
 * Saab 18 (A & T 18B) - 8-12 rockets total on 8-9 pylons
 * Saab 21 (A 21A-3) - 8 rockets total on 2 pylons)
 * Saab 21R (A 21RA, RB) - 10 rockets total on 1 pylon
 * de Havilland Vampire (J 28B, C) - 8 rockets total on 4 pylons
 * Saab 29 Tunnan (J 29A, B, E, F) - 8 rockets total on 8 pylons
 * Saab 32 Lansen (A 32A) - 12 rockets total on 12 pylons

title: RP-3


text:
User:Denkc

denkc is just my full name squeezed into 5 letters. if you care to know what my full name is, it'll probably be available via Google, since it's all knowing.

title: User:Denkc


text:
Hazel dormouse

The hazel dormouse or common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a small dormouse species native to Europe and the only living species in the genus Muscardinus.

Distribution and habitat
The hazel dormouse is native to northern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the only dormouse native to the British Isles, and is therefore often referred to simply as the "dormouse" in British sources, although the edible dormouse, Glis glis, has been accidentally introduced and now has an established population in South East England. Though Ireland has no native dormouse, the hazel dormouse was discovered in County Kildare in 2010, and appears to be spreading rapidly, helped by the prevalence of hedgerows in the Irish countryside.

The United Kingdom distribution of the hazel dormouse can be found on the National Biodiversity Network website. A 2020 study found that hazel dormice in Britain have declined by 51% since 2000. Woodland habitat loss and management and a warming climate are seen as material threats to their future status.

Habitat
According to English Nature's Dormouse Conservation Handbook, hazel dormice are "particularly associated with deciduous woodland" but also inhabit hedgerows and scrub.

Dormice seldom travel more than 70 m from their nest.

Description
The hazel dormouse can reach a body length of about 10 cm and a length of about 16 cm if you consider the tail as well. It is 6 to 9 cm long with a tail of 5.7 to 7.5 cm. It weighs 17 to 20 g, although this increases to 30 to 40 g just before hibernation. This small mammal has reddish brown fur that can vary up to golden-brown or yellow-orange-brown becoming lighter in the lower part. Eyes are large and black. Ears are small and not very developed, while the tail is long and completely covered with hair.

It is a nocturnal creature and spends most of its waking hours among the branches of trees looking for food. It will make long detours rather than come down to the ground and expose itself to danger. The hazel dormouse hibernates from October to April–May.

Behaviour
Starting from the onset of colder weather (October or November), the hazel dormouse will hibernate in nests on the ground, at the base of old coppiced trees or hazel stools, under piles of leaves, or under log piles, as these situations are not subject to extreme variations in either temperature or humidity. Dormice are almost completely arboreal in habit but much less reluctant to cross open ground than was thought even recently. When it wakes up in spring (late April or early May), it builds woven nests of shredded honeysuckle bark, fresh leaves, and grasses in the undergrowth. If the weather is cold and wet and food is scarce, it saves energy by going into torpor; it curls up into a ball and goes to sleep. The hazel dormouse, therefore, spends a large proportion of its life sleeping, either hibernating in winter or in torpor in summer.

An examination of hazelnuts may show a neat, round hole in the shell. This indicates it has been opened by a small rodent, e.g. the dormouse, wood mouse, or bank vole. Other animals, such as squirrels or jays, will either split the shell completely in half or make a jagged hole in it.

Further examination reveals the cut surface of the hole has toothmarks which follow the direction of the shell. In addition, there will be toothmarks on the outer surface of the nut, at an angle of about 45 degrees to the cut surface. Woodmice and voles bite across the nutshell leaving clear parallel toothmarks from inside to outside. Woodmice also leave toothmarks on the outer surface of the nut but voles do not.

Diet
The hazel dormouse requires a variety of arboreal foods to survive. It eats berries and nuts and other fruit with hazelnuts being the main food for fattening up before hibernation. The dormouse also eats hornbeam and blackthorn fruit where hazel is scarce. Other food sources are the buds of young leaves, and flowers which provide nectar and pollen. The dormouse also eats insects found on food-source trees, particularly aphids and caterpillars.

Plants of value to dormice

 * Hazel is the principal food source, supports insects, forms an understory of poles, especially when coppiced, which makes it useful for its arboreal activity. The hazel dormouse's Latin name avellanarius means "hazel".
 * Oaks supply insect and flower food; the acorns are of little value.
 * Honeysuckle bark is their primary nesting material, and flowers and fruit are used for food.
 * Bramble flowers and fruits provide food over a long period. The thorns give protection for nests. Dormice thrive on blackberries.
 * Alder buckthorn – in parts of the dormouse range where hazel is scarce or absent, berries of alder buckthorn are the principal food source and vital for the accumulation of fat reserves in autumn prior to hibernation.
 * Willow – unripe seeds in early spring.
 * Birch – seeds.
 * Hawthorn flowers are an important food in the spring. The fruit is eaten occasionally.
 * Blackthorn – fruits (blackthorn fruit is called "sloe").
 * Ash – seed keys whilst they are still on the tree.
 * Sycamore supplies insects and pollen, and a habitat. However, they cast a dense shade which decreases the understory.
 * Hornbeam – seeds.
 * Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana) – fruits and flowers.
 * Broom – flowers (in early summer).
 * Yew – fruits are a favoured food.
 * Sweet chestnut provides an excellent foodsource, and the flowers are eaten, as well.

Threats

 * Predation from foxes, wild boars, weasels, owls and domestic cats.
 * Being dug up or disturbed during hibernation by badgers.
 * Lack of food source, e.g., from too frequent hedge-trimming, or competition from other species, e.g., squirrels, other dormouse species, mice.
 * Destruction of forest and hedgerow habitats, or their diverse range of species, as a broad spectrum of food is required across the calendar year.
 * Reduction in traditional forest management.
 * A warming climate.

Protection status
The hazel dormouse is protected by and in UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Evolutionary history
The oldest fossils of the genus Muscardinus date to the Serravallian stage of the Middle Miocene approximately 13.8 to 11.6 million years ago in what is now Spain. The oldest fossils of the modern species date to the Early Pleistocene.

title: Hazel dormouse


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Epsilon Leonis

Epsilon Leonis (ε Leo, ε Leonis) is the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Leo, consistent with its Bayer designation Epsilon. It is known as Algenubi or Ras Elased Australis. Both names mean "the southern star of the lion's head". Australis is Latin for "southern" and Genubi is Arabic for "south".

Properties
Epsilon Leonis has a stellar classification of G1 II, with the luminosity class of II indicating that, at an age of 162 million years, it has evolved into a bright giant. It is much larger and brighter than the Sun with a luminosity 288 times and a radius 21 times solar. Consequently, its absolute magnitude is actually –1.49, making it one of the more luminous stars in the constellation, significantly more than Regulus. Its apparent brightness, though, is only 2.98. Given its distance of about 247 ly, the star is more than three times the distance from the Sun than Regulus. At this distance, the visual magnitude of Epsilon Leonis is reduced by 0.03 as a result of extinction caused by intervening gas and dust.

Epsilon Leonis exhibits the characteristics of a Cepheid-like variable, changing by an amplitude of 0.3 magnitude every few days. It has around four times the mass of the Sun and a projected rotational velocity of 8.1 km s−1. Based upon its iron abundance, the metallicity of this star's outer atmosphere is only around 52% of the Sun's. That is, the abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium is about half that in the Sun.

title: Epsilon Leonis