Humming-bird is the popular name for the Trochilidae family of minute and beautiful birds, so called from the sound of their wings in flight. The beak is slender, generally long, sometimes straight and sometimes curved. The tongue is long and filiform. They feed by hovering by a plant and use their tongue to catch insects.
In size humming-birds vary from that of a wren to that of a humble-bee. They never light to take food, but feed while on the wing, hovering before a flower, supported by a rapid vibratory movement of the wings which produces the humming noise. These beautiful birds are peculiar to America, and almost exclusively tropical. One species, the ruby-throated humming-bird (Trochilus colubris) is pretty common in the north-east of the United States. The only note of the humming-bird is a single chirp, not louder than that of a cricket. It is very fearless and irascible, two males scarcely ever meeting without a contest. Among the more remarkable of these birds is the tufted-necked humming-bird (Ornismya ornata) of Guiana and Northern Brazil. In this species the crest, outer tail-feathers, and neck-plumea are reddish chestnut, the latter tipped with green, the throat and upper part of the breast are emerald green, the back bronze green. Research Humming-bird
Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher was a Prussian soldier. He was born in 1742 at Rostock and died in 1819. He entered the Swedish service when 14 years of age and fought against the Prussians, but was taken prisoner in his first campaign, and was induced to enter the Prussian service. Discontented at the promotion of another officer over his head, he left the army, devoted himself to agriculture, and by industry and prudence acquired an estate.
After the death of Frederick II he became a major in his former regiment, which he commanded with distinction on the Rhine in 1793 and 1794. After the battle of Kirrweiler in 1794 he was appointed major-general of the army of observation stationed on the Lower Rhine, In 1802, in the name of the King of Prussia, he took possession of Erfurt and Muhlhausen. On October the 14th, 1806, he fought at the battle of Auerstadt. After the Peace of Tilsit he laboured in the department of war at Konigsberg and Berlin. He then received the chief military command in Pomerania, but at the instigation of Napoleon was afterwards, with several other distinguished men, dismissed from the service.
In the campaign of 1812, when the Prussians assisted the French, he took no part; but no sooner did Prussia rise against her oppressors than Blucher, then seventy years old, engaged in the cause with all his former activity, and was appointed commander-in-chief of the Prussians and the Russian corps under General Winzingerode. His heroism in the battle of Ltitzen on May the 2nd, 1813 was rewarded by the Emperor Alexander with the order of St George. The battles of Bautzen and Hanau, those on the Katzbach and Leipzig, added to his glory. He was now raised to the rank of field-marshal, and led the Prussian army which invaded France early in 1814. After a period of obstinate conflict the day of Montmartre crowned this campaign, and, on March the 31st, Blucher entered the capital of France. His king, in remembrance of the victory which he had gained at the Katzbach, created him Prince of Wahlstadt, and gave him an estate in Silesia.
On the renewal of the war in 1815 the chief command was again committed to him, and he led his army into the Netherlands. On June the 15th Napoleon threw himself upon him, and Blucher, on the 16th, was defeated at Ligny. In this engagement his horse was killed, and he was thrown under his body. In the battle of the 18th Blucher arrived at the most decisive moment upon the ground, and taking Napoleon in the rear and flank assisted materially in completing the great victory of Belle Alliance or the Battle of Waterloo. He was a rough and fearless soldier, noted for his energy and rapid movements, which had procured him the name of ' MarshalVorwarts' (Forward). Research Gebhard Blucher
Henry Brougham (BaronBrougham and Vaux) was a Scottish politician. He was born at in 1778 at Edinburgh and died in 1868. He was educated at Edinburgh, studied law there, and was admitted a member of the Society of Advocates in 1800. Along with Jeffrey, Horner, and Sydney Smith he bore a chief part in the starting of the Edinburgh Review in 1802, to which he contributed a great number of articles.
Finding too circumscribed a field for his abilities in Edinburgh he removed to London, and in 1808 was called to the English bar. In 1810 he entered parliament as member for the borough of Camelford, joined the Whig party, which was in opposition, and soon after obtained the passing of a measure making the slave-trade felony. From 1812 until 1816 he remained without a seat, when he was returned for Winchelsea. He represented this borough up to 1830. On his return to parliament he at once began an agitation for social, political, and especially educational reform. In 1825 he was elected LordRector of Glasgow University, and also introduced a bill into parliament for the incorporation of the London University, of which he may be considered one of the chief founders.
He bore an active part in establishing the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in 1827. Meantime his reputation as a brilliant speaker and able barrister had been gradually increasing, and his fearless and successful defence of Queen Caroline in 1820 and 1821 placed him on the pinnacle of popular favour. At the general election of 1830 he was returned for the large and important county of York. In the ministry of Earl Grey he accepted the post of lord-chancellor, and was raised to the peerage in 1830 with the title of BaronBrougham and Vaux. In this post he distinguished himself as a law reformer, and aided greatly in the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832.
In 1834 the Whig ministry were dismissed, and this proved the end of his official life, as he was never afterwards a member of any ministry, though for years he continued an active member of the House of Lords. In connection with his later years we may mention his presidency of the Law Amendment Society and of the Social Science Association. In legal procedure he was the means of introducing various reforms. He latterly resided much at Cannes. LordBrougham accomplished a large amount of literary work, contributing to newspapers, reviews, and encyclopaedias, besides writing several independent works; and he had no mean reputation in mathematics and physical science. His works, collected by himself, and published in eleven volumes between 1857 and 60, include; 1st, Lives of Men of Science, time of George III; 2nd, Lives of Men of Letters, time of George III.; 3rd, 4th, British Statesmen, time of George III; 5th, Foreign Statesmen, time of George III; 6th, Natural Theology; 7th, Rhetorical and Literary Dissertations and Addresses; 8th, Rhetorical and Political Dissertations; 9th and. 10th, Speeches on Social and Political Subjects; llth, The British Constitution. He also wrote an autobiography published posthumously under the title: Life and Times of Henry, LordBrougham. Research Henry Brougham
Philip the Good was a duke of Burgundy. He was born in 1396 and died in 1467. Upon the murder of his father, John the Fearless, in 1419, Philip the Good vowed revenge on the dauphin and approached the English. His efforts assisted Henry V, and the north of France was easily subdued. On the death of Henry V Philip the Good continued to support the Duke of Bedford. Philip the Good's alliance with the English lasted until 1435. Research Philip the Good
In Khoisi mythology, Heitsi-eibid is a hero. The son of a cow and of the grass she had eaten, he is renowned as a magician, hunter, and fearless fighter. Heitsi-eibid rid the Khoisi tribe of the monster Ga-gorib. Although allegedly killed on numerous occasions, he is believed to resurrect himself. Research Heitsi-eibid
The Battle of Heligoland was a naval engagement between the British and the Germans, on August the 28th, 1914, during the Great War. On the outbreak of war, British submarines were sent to watch German naval movements in the bight of Heligoland, and acting on the information they supplied, the British Admiralty determined to carry out a sweep. The original intention was to operate mainly with light cruisers, destroyers, and submarines, supporting them only with the two battle cruisers, HMS Invincible and HMS New Zealand, against attack by the heavy German ships.
Fortunately Sir John Jellicoe, on learning of this plan, made 'urgent representations as to the necessity of supporting the force with battle cruisers' of Sir D. Beatty's battle-cruiser squadron; and on August the 27th, 1914, on his own responsibility he ordered Sir D. Beatty with the three other available battle cruisers and Commodore Goodenough's 1st light cruisersquadron to take part in the operation. Of this aid most of the other British vessels engaged were not aware, and thus at first they took Beatty's and Goodenough's ships for enemies.
Early in the morning of August the 28th, Commodore Tyrwhitt with the light cruisers HMS Arethusa and HMS Fearless, and 33 destroyers, and Commodore R. Keyes with eight submarines, searched the bight, manoeuvring to cut off the German light craft from their bases. The Germans were completely surprised, and it was low water, so that their heavy ships in port could not put to sea. Nine destroyers of the 1st German flotilla were on guard, disposed in a semicircle about 20 miles from the Elbemouth, with the light cruisers Hela, Stettin, Frauenlob, and Ariadne supporting them.
The British broke into the destroyer cordon and engaged Frauenlob and Stettin, which came up to the destroyers' aid. The German destroyer V 187 was disabled by the British fire, and had to be sunk by her crew to avoid capture. Two British destroyers were damaged, and HMS Arethusa was hit 35 times by Frauenlob, with a loss of 12 killed and 20 wounded, before she drove the German cruisers back.
About 8.30 a.m. Commodore Goodenough's light cruisers arrived and attacked further to the west, but had to fall back owing to danger from the British submarines. Observing that the British light craft were apparently unsupported, the Germans made an effort to cut them off. The German light cruisers Ariadne, Frauenlob, Strassburg, Stralsund, Mainz, and Coin closed on the vessels under the command of Tyrwhitt and Keyes, and the position became so serious that Tyrwhitt signalled by wireless to Beatty that he was hard pressed.
At this moment ships of the 1st British light cruisersquadron re-entered the fight and checked the Germans. HMS Birmingham and HMS Nottingham concentrated a superior fire on Mainz, which stopped her attack. At 11 a.m. the battle cruisers HMS Lion, HMS Queen Mary, HMS Princess Royal, HMS Invincible, and HMS New Zealand avoided a submarine attack (probably British submarines were mistaken for German ones, as all the U-boats in the area of operations are stated by the German official history to have been-in port), and, steaming at full speed, sighted Mainz at 12.30 and opened fire on her with crushing effect, leaving her helpless and sinking.
A little later Coin was sighted and shelled until she burst into flame. At this point Ariadne intervened, and was left in shattered and sinking condition after two salvoes from HMS Lion. Coin was sighted a second time and sunk at 1.35 by two more salvoes from the same ship, the whole of her crew being killed except one stoker. From Mainz the British rescued 350 men, 60 of them badly wounded. The Germans saved most of Ariadne's crew. The German loss was thus 3 light cruisers and 1 destroyer, with 712 killed, 149 wounded, and 379 captured. The British casualties were 31 killed and 52 wounded, while HMS Arethusa was much damaged but was quickly repaired.
The German official history blames the defensive tactics of the German main fleet for this severe reverse, which, it states, produced a bad moral effect in the German navy; it also criticises the British dispositions. Research Battle of Heligoland
Three Amigos! is a comedy western starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short in a story about three actors who play fearlessheroes in films but in real life are bumbling bozos and how they are accidentally hired to protect a small Mexican village from bandits. Three Amigos! was directed by John Landis in 1986. Research Three Amigos!
The RSN Brave is a SingaporeFearless class patrol vessel. The ship is armed with Whitehead triple tube 324 mm B515 torpedoes launchers taking the Whitehead A244S torpedo. Air defence is provided by the Simbad system, with the Mistral surface-to-air missile, while the ship' s short to medium range anti-ship missile is the IsraeliGabriel II. The ship's main gun, installed
on the bow deck, is the Otobreda 76 mm Super Rapide. The gun fires 6 kg shells to a range of 16 km and is capable of a firing rate of 120 rounds per minute. The ship is also armed with four CIS 50 12.7 mm general purpose machine-guns. Research Brave III
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Humming-bird
