The zodiac was the name given by the ancient Greeks to the heavens. It was an imaginary belt in the celestial sphere, extending about 80 degrees on either side of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun among the stars. The width of the zodiac was determined originally so as to include the orbits of the Sun and Moon and of the five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) that were known to the people of ancient times.
The zodiac is divided into 12 sections of 300 degrees each, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Starting with the vernalequinox and then proceeding eastward along the ecliptic, each of the divisions is named for the constellation situated within its limits in the second century BC. The names of the zodiacal signs are Aries, the Ram; Taurus, the Bull; Gemini, the Twins; Cancer, the Crab; Leo, the Lion; Virgo, the Virgin; Libra, the Balance; Scorpio, the Scorpion; Sagittarius, the Archer; Capricorn, the Goat; Aquarius, the Water Bearer; and Pisces, the Fish. Because of the precession of the equinoxes about the ecliptic, a 26,000-year cycle, the first point of Aries retrogrades about 10 degrees in 70 years, so that the sign Aries today lies in the constellationPisces. In about 24,000 years, when the retrogression will have completed the entirecircuit of 3600, the zodiacal signs and constellations will again coincide.
It is believed that the zodiacal signs originated in Mesopotamia as early as 2000 BC . The Greeks adopted the symbols from the Babylonians and passed them on to the other ancient civilisations. The Egyptians assigned other names and symbols to the zodiacal divisions. The Chinese also adopted the 12-fold division, but called the signs rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, hen, dog, and pig. Independently, the Aztec Indians devised a similar system. Research Zodiac
The Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is an endangered sub-species of tiger found in the wild in a small area of north-east Asia. In 1998 there were some 450 Amur Tigers living in the wild, and an international zoo population of some 500 Research Amur Tiger
The buffalo is several species of large wild cattle distinguished by their horns being flattened at the base and triangular in section. The typical African Buffalo (Synceros caffer) inhabits open bush country generally near rivers all over Africa south of the Sahara.
The common or Indian buffalo (Bubalus Buffelus or BosBubalus) is larger than the ox and with stouter limbs, originally from India, but now found in most of the warmer countries of the Eastern Continent. A full-grown male is a bold and powerful animal, quite a match for the tiger. The buffalo is less docile than the common ox, and is fond of marshy places and rivers. It is, however, used in tillage, draught, and carriage in India, Italy, etc. The female gives much more milk than the cow, and from the milk the ghee or clarified butter of India is made. The hide is exceedingly tough, and a valuable leather is prepared from it, but the flesh is not very highly esteemed.
Another Indian species is the arnee (Bubalus. ami), the largest of the ox family. The name buffalo is also applied to wild oxen in general, and particularly to the bison of North America. Research Buffalo
Cicindela is the tiger beetle genus of the ground beetle family, Carabidae. The species are native chiefly of the warmer regions, with five British species occuring. All have a similarly shaped body, though colourings vary and are the only ground beetles to fly away instantly when disturbed. They are predacious, the larvae lying in wait for their prey at the mouth of their burrow. Research Cicindela
The Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae) is a tigermoth of the Arctiidae family, found in localised pockets across Europe and Asia flying from May to July. The caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth is about 15 mm long and marked by equal transverse bands of yellow and black, lives gregariously (perhaps twenty-four in a group) feeding upon the leaves of common kinds of field and meadow groundsels including dandelion and ragwort. From the leaves of the plants the caterpillars store poisonous alkaloids. Birds quickly learn that the Cinnabar Moth caterpillar is not good to eat, and having eaten one leave the others alone - there are a few exceptions, and Cuckoos are particulary fond of the caterpillars. The adult moths have a wing span of about 35 mm and are mainly red in colour with a brown or black body and brown forewings patterned with red areas. Research Cinnabar Moth
The Clouded Leopard or Clouded Tiger (Neofelis nebulosa) is a large species of wild cat ranging from Nepal to eastern Borneo. It has a relatively large head, short legs and a long tail and its pattern consists of large, black-edged dark patches. It is about two metres in total length and weighs around 20 kg. It lives in the forest feeding on birds and small mammals, but is not closely related to either the leopard or the tiger. Research Clouded Leopard
The cougar or puma (Felis concolor) is a large American cat, inhabiting most parts of America. Its colour is a uniform fawn or reddish-brown, without spots or markings of any kind. It may attain a length of 2.7 meters, inclusive of the tail. In habits it is stealthy and nervous, and seldom or never attacks man. It is by some called the panther or red tiger, and is one of the most destructive of all the animals of America, particularly in the warmer climates, where it carries off fowls, dogs, cats, and other domestic animals. Research Cougar
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilioglaucus) is a large Swallowtailbutterfly found in temperate regions of Canada, central and eastern USA. Males are yellow and black with orange and blue markings on the hind wings. The females are black-brown with blue and reddish designs on the hind wings. Research Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
The Field Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris) or Green Tiger Beetle, is a beetle of the ground beetle family, Carabidae, found in Britain and Europe, and ranging from about ten to fifteen millimetres in length with a bright, emerald-green body. Research Field Tiger Beetle
A hybrid is the product of a femal animal or plant which has been impregnated by a male of a different but nearly allied species or genus. Uncertainty prevails respecting the productive crossing of species, but it seems to be established that while the crossing of different genera may result in offspring, that of different orders will not.
Hybrids are obtained amongst fishes from different Species of carp; amongst birds, from the goldfinch and canary, the swan and the goose, etc; amongst mammals, from the horse and the zebra, the horse and the ass, the produce of the last two being the mule proper; from the lion and tiger, the dog and wolf, the dog and fox, the goat and ibex.
Instances of hybrids between animals of different genera have been furnished by the union of the goat and the antelope, and of the stag and the cow. It used formerly to be considered that the propagative power of hybrids was either absolutely null, or that they propagated only with an individual of the pure breed; but the experiments of Charles Darwin and other 10th century researches showed that although infertility to some degree generally attends sexual intercourse between different species, yet in such intercourse every degree of difference from absolute sterility up to complete fertility is found. The results hitherto obtained may be summarized as follows: The crossing of species of different families is in almost every case infertile; allied species are capable of producing offspring, and this capability is in indefinite ratio to the degree of their likeness; hybrids are frequently fertile with their parents, but more rarely among themselves; there is no fixed relation between the degree of fertility manifested by the parent species when crossed and that which is manifested by their hybrid progeny.
In many cases two pure species can be crossed with unusual facility, while the resulting hybrids are remarkably sterile; and, on the other hand, there are species which can only be crossed with extreme difficulty, though the hybrids when produced are very fertile. Research Hybrid
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Zodiac
