title: "Monarch butterfly" content: potential for spreading the monarch parasite, "Ophryocystis elektroscirrha", into the wild. This parasite can rapidly build up in captive monarchs, especially if they are housed together. The spores of the parasite also can quickly contaminate all housing equipment, so that all subsequent monarchs reared in the same containers then become infected. One researcher stated that rearing more than 100 monarchs constitutes "mass-rearing" and should not be done. In addition to the disease risks, researchers believe these captive-reared monarchs are not as fit as wild ones, owing to the unnatural conditions they are raised in. Homeowners often raise monarchs in plastic


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: or glass containers in their kitchens, basements, porches, etc., and under artificial lighting and controlled temperatures. Such conditions would not mimic what the monarchs are used to in the wild, and may result in adult monarchs that are unsuited for the realities of their wild existence. In support of this, a recent study by a citizen scientist found that captive-reared monarchs have a lower migration success rate than wild monarchs do. The monarch was the first butterfly to have its genome sequenced. The 273-million base pair draft sequence includes a set of 16,866 protein-coding genes. The genome provides researchers insights


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: into migratory behavior, the circadian clock, juvenile hormone pathways and microRNAs that are differentially expressed between summer and migratory monarchs. More recently, the genetic basis of monarch migration and warning coloration has been described. There is no genetic differentiation between the migratory populations of eastern and western North America. Recent research has identified the specific areas in the genome of the monarch that regulate migration. There appears to be no genetic difference between a migrating and nonmigrating monarch but the gene is expressed in migrating monarchs but not expressed in nonmigrating monarchs. The monarch butterfly is not currently listed under


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or protected specifically under U.S. domestic laws. On 14 August 2014, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a status review of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act with a due date for information submission of 3 March 2015. The number of monarchs overwintering in Mexico has shown a long-term downward trend. Since 1995, coverage numbers have been


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: as high as during the winter of 1996–1997, but on average about . Coverage declined to its lowest point to date () during the winter of 2013–2014, but rebounded to in 2015–2016. The average population of monarchs in 2016 was estimated at 200 million. Historically, on average there are 300 million monarchs. The 2016 increase was attributed to favorable breeding conditions in the summer of 2015. However, coverage declined by 27% to during the winter of 2016–2017, most likely because of a storm that had occurred during March 2016 in the monarchs' overwintering area. A study in 2016 claimed that


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: the long-term trend in the size of the overwintering sites is cause for concern. After a ten-fold drop in the overwintering numbers of the eastern monarch butterfly population over the last decade, this study claimed there was a 11%–57% probability that this population will go quasi-extinct over the next 20 years. In Ontario, Canada, the monarch butterfly is listed as a Species of Special Concern. In fall 2016, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada proposed that the monarch be listed as endangered in Canada, as opposed to its current listing as a "species of concern" in


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: that country. This move, once enacted, would protect critical monarch habitat in Canada, such as major fall accumulation areas in southern Ontario, but it would also have implications for citizen scientists who work with monarchs, and for classroom activities. If the monarch were federally protected in Canada, these activities could be limited, or require federal permits. There is increasing concern related to the ongoing decline of monarchs at their overwintering sites; based on a 2014 twenty-year comparison, the overwintering numbers west of the Rocky Mountains have dropped more than 50 percent since 1997 and the overwintering numbers east of the


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: Rockies have declined by more than 90 percent since 1995. In February 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided a statistic showing that nearly a billion monarchs have vanished from the overwintering sites since 1990. At that time, one of the main reasons cited was the herbicides used by farmers and homeowners on milkweed, a plant used as a food source, a home and a nursery by the monarchs. A 2016 study also attributed the last decade's ten-fold decline in overwintering numbers of the eastern monarch population to the loss of breeding habitat, namely the many species of milkweed


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: ("Asclepias" species) that developing larvae require for food, however scientists believe there are other factors as well. A number of researchers believe milkweed loss during the breeding season is the cause because declines in milkweed abundance are highly correlated with the adoption of herbicide-tolerant genetically modified corn and soybeans, which now constitute 89% and 94% of these crops, respectively, in the U.S. However, correlative evidence does not prove causation, and other possible causes of the overwintering declines have been proposed. A number of conservationists attribute the disappearance of milkweed species to agricultural practices in the Midwest, where genetically modified seeds


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: are bred to resist herbicides that eliminate milkweed nearby. Growers eliminate milkweed that previously grew between the rows of food crops. Corn and soybeans are resistant to the effect of the herbicide glyphosate. The increased use of these crop strains is correlated with the decline in monarch populations between 1999 and 2010. Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas, said the Midwest milkweed habitat "is virtually gone" with 120–150 million acres lost. To help fight this problem, Monarch Watch encourages the planting of "Monarch Waystations". The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a suit in 2015 against


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: the EPA, in which it is argued that the agency ignored warnings about the dangers of glyphosate usage for monarchs. While herbicide-use has been proposed as one factor causing the decline in overwintering numbers of eastern monarchs, it is not the only possibility. Another is that the monarchs are experiencing problems reaching Mexico. This idea has been embraced by a number of leading monarch researchers, largely because of recent evidence showing that the number of breeding (adult) monarchs has not declined in the last two decades, based on long-term citizen science data. The lack of long-term declines in the numbers


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: of breeding, and migratory monarchs, yet the clear declines in overwintering numbers, implies there is a disconnect between these life stages, that must be growing. One expert has proposed that a large and growing threat to migrating monarchs is mortality from car strikes. Larvae feed exclusively on milkweed and consume protective cardiac glycosides. Toxin levels in "Asclepias" species vary. Not all monarchs are unpalatable, but exhibit Batesian or automimics. Cardiac glycosides levels are higher in the abdomen and wings. Some predators can differentiate between these parts and consume the most palatable ones. Bird predators include brown thrashers, grackles, robins, cardinals,


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: sparrows, scrub jays, pinyon jays, black-headed grosbeak, and orioles. Several species of birds have acquired methods that allow them to ingest monarchs without experiencing the ill effects associated with the cardiac glycosides. The oriole is able to eat the monarch through an exaptation of its feeding behavior that gives it the ability to identify cardenolides by taste and reject them. The grosbeak, on the other hand, has developed an insensitivity to secondary plant poisons that allows it to ingest monarchs without vomiting. As a result, orioles and grosbeaks will periodically have high levels of cardenolides in their bodies, and they


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: will be forced to go on periods of reduced monarch consumption. This cycle effectively reduces potential predation of monarchs by 50 percent and indicates that monarch aposematism has a legitimate purpose. Some mice are able to withstand large doses of the toxin. Overwintering adults become less toxic over time making them more vulnerable to predators. In Mexico, about 14% of the overwintering monarchs are eaten by birds and mice. In North America, eggs and first-instar larvae of the monarch are eaten by larvae and adults of the introduced Asian lady beetle ("Harmonia axyridis"). The Chinese mantis ("Tenodera sinensis") will consume


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: the larvae once the gut is removed thus avoiding cardenolides. Wasps commonly consume larvae. One monarch researcher emphasizes that predation on eggs, larvae or adults is natural, since monarchs are part of the food chain, thus people should not take steps to kill predators of monarchs. On Oahu, a white morph of the monarch has emerged. This is because of the introduction, in 1965 and 1966, of two bulbul species, "Pycnonotus cafer" and "Pycnonotus jocosus". They are now the most common insectivore birds, and probably the only ones preying on insects as large as the monarch. Monarchs in Hawaii are


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: known to have low cardiac glycoside levels, but the birds may also be tolerant of the chemical. The two species hunt the larvae and some pupae from the branches and undersides of leaves in milkweed bushes. The bulbuls also eat resting and ovipositing adults, but rarely flying ones. Because of its color, the white morph has a higher survival rate than the orange one. This is either because of apostatic selection (i.e. the birds have learned the orange monarchs can be eaten), because of camouflage (the white morph matches the white pubescence of milkweed or the patches of light shining


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: through foliage), or because the white morph does not fit the bird's search image of a typical monarch, so is thus avoided. Parasites include the tachinid flies "Sturmia convergens" and "Lespesia archippivora". "Lesperia"-parasitized butterfly larvae suspend, but die prior to pupation. The fly's maggot lowers itself to the ground, forms a brown puparium and then emerges as an adult. Monarch chrysalises are parasitized by pteromalid wasps, specifically "Pteromalus cassotis". These wasps lay their eggs in the larvae while the chrysalis is still soft. Up to 400 adults emerge from the chrysalis after 14–20 days, killing the monarch. The bacterium "Micrococcus


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: flacidifex danai" also infects larvae. Just before pupation, the larvae migrate to a horizontal surface and die a few hours later, attached only by one pair of prolegs, with the thorax and abdomen hanging limp. The body turns black shortly after. The bacterium "Pseudomonas aeruginosa" has no invasive powers, but causes secondary infections in weakened insects. It is a common cause of death in laboratory-reared insects. The protozoan "Ophryocystis elektroscirrha" is another parasite of the monarch. It infects the subcutaneous tissues and propagates by spores formed during the pupal stage. The spores are found over all of the body of


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: infected butterflies, with the greatest number on the abdomen. These spores are passed, from female to caterpillar, when spores rub off during egg laying and are then ingested by caterpillars. Severely infected individuals are weak, unable to expand their wings, or unable to eclose, and have shortened lifespans, but parasite levels vary in populations. This is not the case in laboratory rearing, where after a few generations, all individuals can be infected. Infection with this parasite creates an effect known as culling whereby migrating monarchs that are infected are less likely to complete the migration. This results in overwintering populations


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: with lower parasite loads. Owners of commercial butterfly breeding operations claim that they take steps to control this parasite in their practices, although this claim is doubted by most scientists who study monarchs. The black swallow-wort ("Cynanchum louiseae") and pale swallow-wort ("Cynanchum rossicum") plants are problematic for monarchs in North America. Monarchs lay their eggs on these relatives of native vining milkweed ("Cynanchum laeve") because they produce stimuli similar to milkweed. Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars are poisoned by the toxicity of this invasive plant from Europe. The area of forest occupied has been declining and reached its lowest


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: level in two decades in 2013. The decline is continuing but is expected to increase during the 2013–2014 season. Mexican environmental authorities continue to monitor illegal logging of the oyamel trees. The oyamel is a major species of evergreen on which the overwintering butterflies spend a significant time during their winter diapause, or suspended development. A 2014 study acknowledged that while "the protection of overwintering habitat has no doubt gone a long way towards conserving monarchs that breed throughout eastern North America", their research indicates that habitat loss on breeding grounds in the United States is the main cause of


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: both recent and projected population declines. Climate variations during the fall and summer affect butterfly reproduction. Rainfall, and freezing temperatures affect milkweed growth. Omar Vidal, director general of WWF-Mexico, said "The monarch's lifecycle depends on the climatic conditions in the places where they breed. Eggs, larvae and pupae develop more quickly in milder conditions. Temperatures above 95°F can be lethal for larvae, and eggs dry out in hot, arid conditions, causing a drastic decrease in hatch rate." If a monarch's body temperatures is below 86 °F a monarch cannot fly. To warm up they will sit in the sun or


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: rapidly shiver their wings to warm themselves. There is concern that climate change will dramatically affect the monarch migration. A study from 2015 examined the impact of warming temperatures on the breeding range of the monarch, and showed that in the next 50 years the monarch host plant will expand its range further north into Canada, and that the monarchs will follow this. While this will expand the breeding locations of the monarch, this will also have the effect of increasing the distance that monarchs must travel to reach their overwintering destination in Mexico, and this could result in greater


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: mortality during the migration. There has been a major push to conserve the monarch butterfly, which has been largely fueled by reports of the declining numbers of overwintering monarchs. Meanwhile, numbers of breeding monarchs in eastern North America have not declined. Given the concern over the overwintering numbers, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety, the Xerces Society and Lincoln Brower have filed a petition to the United States Department of the Interior to protect the monarch by having it federally protected. On 20 June 2014, President Barack Obama issued a presidential memorandum entitled "Creating a Federal


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators". The memorandum established a Pollinator Health Task Force, to be co-chaired by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and stated:The number of migrating Monarch butterflies sank to the lowest recorded population level in 2013–14, and there is an imminent risk of failed migration. In May 2015, the Pollinator Health Task Force issued a "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators". The strategy lays out current and planned federal actions to achieve three goals, two of which are:• Monarch


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: Butterflies: Increase the Eastern population of the monarch butterfly to 225 million butterflies occupying an area of approximately 15 acres (6 hectares) in the overwintering grounds in Mexico, through domestic/international actions and public-private partnerships, by 2020.• Pollinator Habitat Acreage: Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years through Federal actions and public/private partnerships. Many of the priority projects that the national strategy identifies will focus on the I-35 corridor extending for from Texas to Minnesota that provides spring and summer breeding habitats in the monarch's key migration corridor. There have been a number


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: of national and local efforts underway to establish pollinator habitat along highways and roadways, although this effort is controversial. Conservationists are lobbying transportation departments and utilities to reduce their use of herbicides and specifically encourage milkweed to grow along roadways and power lines. Reducing roadside mowing and application of herbicides during the butterfly breeding season will encourage milkweed growth. Conservationists lobby agriculture companies to set aside areas that remain unsprayed to allow the butterflies to breed. This practice is controversial because of the high risk of butterfly mortality near roads, as several studies have shown that millions of monarchs and


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: other butterflies are killed by cars every year While there are few scientific studies on the subject, the practice of butterfly gardening and creating "Monarch Waystations" is commonly thought to increase the populations of butterflies. Efforts to increase monarch populations by establishing butterfly gardens and waystations require particular attention to the butterfly's food preferences and population cycles, as well to the conditions needed to propagate milkweed. For example, in the Washington, D.C. area and elsewhere in the northeastern United States, monarchs prefer to reproduce on common milkweed ("Asclepias syriaca"), especially when its foliage is soft and fresh. As monarch reproduction


title: "Monarch butterfly" content: in that area peaks in late summer when milkweed foliage is old and tough, "A. syriaca" needs to be cut back in June - August to assure that it will be regrowing rapidly when monarch reproduction reaches its peak. In addition, milkweed seed may need a period of cold treatment before it will germinate. Monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch ("Danaus plexippus") is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names depending on region include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black veined brown. It may be the most familiar North American butterfly, and is


title: "Marina Beach" content: Marina Beach Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of , making it the longest natural urban beach in the country. The Marina is primarily sandy, unlike the short, rocky formations that make up the Juhu Beach in Mumbai. The average width of the beach is and the width at the widest stretch is . Bathing and swimming at the Marina Beach are legally prohibited because of the dangers, as the


title: "Marina Beach" content: undercurrent is very turbulent. It is one of the most crowded beaches in the country and attracts about 30,000 visitors a day during weekdays and 50,000 visitors a day during the weekends and on holidays. During summer months, about 15,000 to 20,000 people visit the beach daily. Before the 16th century, there were frequent incident of inundation of land near the coast due to rise in sea level. When the sea withdrew, several ridges and lagoons were left behind. On the southern side of Fort St. George, one such sand ridge ran from the mouth of the Cooum to the


title: "Marina Beach" content: present site of the Presidency College. On the rear side of the ridge was a huge depression on which the college grounds were later developed. The ridge is the site of the present-day beach. When Fort St. George was built in 1640, the sea was too close to the fort. The building of the harbour near the fort resulted in sand accretion to the south of the fort and the harbour and the sea, which was washing the ramparts of the fort, moved afar at about 2.5 km away from the fort creating a wide beach between the land and


title: "Marina Beach" content: the sea. Before the Madras harbour was built, the beach was just a strip of mud, teeming with mudskippers. The beach washed up close to the present day road for a long time until the harbour was built in 1881. Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, the governor of Madras from 1881 to 1886, who was captivated by the beach on an earlier visit to the city in the late 1870s, conceived and built the promenade along the beach in 1884 by extensively modifying and layering with soft sand. He also gave it the name "Madras Marina" in the same year. Since


title: "Marina Beach" content: the early 19th century, a number of public buildings were constructed fronting the beach. Ever since the harbour was built, the area south of the port has accreted significantly, forming the present day's beach mainly due to the presence of wave breakers laid for the construction of the harbour, although the coast in the northern region has undergone severe erosion. Eventually, the north-drifting current widened the beach to its present extent. The beach was formed as a result of arresting the littoral drift by the port's breakwater. The area of the beach is increasing 40 sq m every year due


title: "Marina Beach" content: to progradation. Since the creation of the promenade in 1884, there were several additions along the stretch. The country's first aquarium was established as one of the first additions in 1909. Shortly after the Independence, the Triumph of Labour statue and the Gandhi statue in 'march to Dandi' stride, which has been duplicated on the lawns of the Parliament House, were erected on the beach. In 1968, a number of statues of icons of Tamil literature was erected to mark the first World Tamil Conference, including Avvaiyar, Tiruvalluvar, Kambar, Subramania Bharathiyar, Bharathidasan and the Europeans Bishop Caldwell, G.U. Pope and


title: "Marina Beach" content: Veeramunivar. Anna memorial was built in 1970 and the MGR memorial in 1988, shortening the stretch at its northern end. Later addition was a statue for Kamaraj . In December 2016, then CM J. Jayalalithaa was also laid to rest here, inside the M.G.R. Memorial campus and a foundation stone for construction of a memorial for her there has been laid. On 8th August 2018, former CM M. Karunanidhi was laid to rest beside his mentor Annadurai at the Marina Beach. The Marina beach was famed for its pristine beauty, jolly ambiance, and rich ecosystems. However, since the middle of


title: "Marina Beach" content: the 20th century, the beach and water have become polluted. Proliferation of plastic bags, human waste, and other pollutants have rendered many parts of the beach unusable. In recent years, many voluntary organisations have taken up the task of cleaning up the Marina and protecting the ecosystem. Particular efforts include protection of olive ridley turtle nests along the Neelankarai section of the beach. Marina Beach lies on the stretch of coast where olive ridley sea turtles, a species classified as Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 (critically endangered), nest during mating season, chiefly between late October


title: "Marina Beach" content: and April peaking from mid-January to mid-February. The Ennore–Mamallapuram zone, on which the beach lies, is one of the three major nesting grounds on the Indian coast. However, with the expansion of the shrimp trawling fishery in the eastern coast of India in the mid-1970s, several individuals of the species are washed ashore dead every year. The eggs laid by the females along the beach are also sold in the local market by the fishermen and traders. In 1977, a recovery programme was started by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. Many volunteer organisations in the city, such as the


title: "Marina Beach" content: Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network and the Sea Turtle Protection Force of the TREE Foundation, get involved in conservation of the species along the coast. Meiofaunal composition at the Marina Beach chiefly includes turbellarians, nematodes, polychaetes, oligochaetes, and harpacticoids. Species of gastrotrichs are also found in the region. Common fishes found along the beach include mullets, sharks, silver bellies, rays, ribbon fish, skates, whitebait, dussumieria, Jew fish, horse mackerel, crabs, seer, pellona, pomfret, perches, lactarius, lethrinus, flying fish, engraulis, sardines, lobsters, sabre fish, barracuda, hilsa, tunny fish, Indian salmon, leather jackets, cookup, breams, catfish, snappers, synagris, bonito, soles, polynemus, and


title: "Marina Beach" content: prawns, among others. The Marina is a natural urban sandy beach along the Coramandel coast on the Bay of Bengal. Primarily sandy, the beach spans about , running from near Fort St. George in the north to Besant Nagar in the south and is the longest natural urban beach in India. The average width of the beach is and the width at the widest stretch is . Marina beach is a major tourist attraction of the city. People visiting Chennai make a point to visit the beach. It is also the main place for the local people to escape from


title: "Marina Beach" content: the summer heat. The beach is popular for its shops and food stalls run by about 500 shops run by about 1,212 vendors. The memorials and statues, morning walk, joggers' track, lovers' spot, aquarium, and the like make it a hangout for people of all ages. Kite flying and beach cricket are common sports at the beach, and there are also facilities for pony rides. Beach cricket at the Marina dates back several decades. However, Chennai City Police has banned it at different points due to its interference with traffic and beach walkers. The sea is generally rough and waves


title: "Marina Beach" content: are strong. There are fishermen colonies present at both ends of the beach. There are also joyrides, merry-go-rounds and mini giant wheels along the stretch, although they are installed without permission from any government agency. There are two swimming pools along the stretch—the Marina swimming pool and the Anna swimming pool. The Marina swimming pool was built in 1947 and is located on a 1.5-acre compound opposite the Presidency College. The pool is 100 m long and 34 m wide, bigger than the standard Olympic pool size of 50 m × 25 m and is deep. The shallow end is


title: "Marina Beach" content: 3.5 feet deep. It is maintained by Corporation of Chennai. It underwent renovation in 1994 and 2004. On an average, the swimming pool receives 1,500 people. During the summer months of April and May, the footfall is goes up to 2,500 people. As of 2018, there were 30 staff in the pool and six surveillance cameras. The Anna swimming pool is located opposite the clock tower building of the University of Madras and virtually remains hidden behind the Anna Square bus terminus. The pool is said to be the first Olympic size pool to be built in Tamil Nadu. It


title: "Marina Beach" content: was constructed in 1976 with a diving board. However, the diving board was removed later during a renovation. The pool is deep. It also has a toddler pool that is . Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) conducts regular coaching camps at the pool. The oval-shaped skating arena at the beach has an outer railing and standing area for people to watch from. As part of the 'Chennai Forever' initiative by the Tamil Nadu government, a tall, artificial waterfall was installed in September 2005 at a cost of 1.5 million. A visitor centre near the Cooum River mouth on


title: "Marina Beach" content: the Marina, similar to the Marina Barrage Visitor Centre in Singapore and San Antonio Visitor Center in the United States, has been planned as part of an initiative to create awareness of the need for clean waterways. In 2008, two floating fountains with spray height of 100 feet with colour lights for night view were planned to be installed in sea waters off the beach. In 2010, the Chennai Corporation procured new cleaning equipments to clean the beach at a cost of 8.011 million. These included a sand-cleaning machine capable of cleaning 15,000 m area in an hour procured at


title: "Marina Beach" content: a cost of 3.267 million, three skid steer loaders to clean narrow lanes commissioned at a cost of 2.652 million, imported lawn mower, ride-on mechanical sweeper, tree pruner and hedge trimmer. An automatic ticket-vending machine at a cost of 170,000 was also commissioned at the Marina swimming pool for managing the crowd. The corporation also planned to construct two more public conveniences at the beach. About 150 corporation staff, including a junior engineer, maintains the lawns and service lanes on the beach. As of 2013, the 3.1-km stretch of the beach from the Triumph of Labour statue to the lighthouse


title: "Marina Beach" content: has 31 high-mast lamps. According to police statistics, about 5,000 people use the 2-km-long Loop Road daily for their morning walk. Being the city's primary area for recreation, the entire stretch features numerous statues and monuments that have come up over the years along the beach promenade, called Kamaraj Salai. While the beach stretches along the eastern side of the road, the western side is dotted with various governmental institutions and historic and stately buildings from the British rule all along its length. Victory War Memorial, a memorial for the warriors who lost their lives in the World Wars, marks


title: "Marina Beach" content: the northern end of the beach. Memorials for C. N. Annadurai, M. G. Ramachandran, J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi, former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, are present on the northern end of the promenade known as the "Anna Square". As of May 2018, a Lilliputian Children’s Traffic Park was under construction near the Anna Memorial adjacent to the Anna Swimming Pool at a cost of 20.7 million. The traffic park measures 4,140 square meters, with facilities such as a viewing gallery, walking track, children's play area, traffic sign boards, and a riding track. All along the length of the promenade,


title: "Marina Beach" content: stone statues adorn the roadside area of the beach starting from the Triumph of Labour statue, the first statue erected in the beach, near the memorials at the Anna Square to Mahatma Gandhi statue near the lighthouse. Most statues are of national or local legends while others have symbolic significance like the Triumph of Labour statue. The statues along the promenade are (from north to south): Earlier present near Gandhi statue traffic island was a statue for Sivaji Ganesan, which was erected on 21 July 2006 . Following a court order, it was shifted on Aug 3, 2017 to a


title: "Marina Beach" content: newly built memorial on Durgabai Deshmukh Road near Adyar bridge. The other side of the road houses several historical buildings and institutions including the Chepauk Cricket Stadium, the University of Madras, the Presidency College, Vivekananda House, Queen Mary's College, Inspector General of Police Headquarters, All India Radio—Chennai, Dr. Annie Besant Park. In February 2008, the Chennai Corporation, previously known as "The Madras Corporation", took up the Marina Renovation Project with improved landscaping, seating arrangements, walkways, and lighting along the promenade, and architectural elements such as plazas, gazeboes, and pergolas were installed all along the stretch including 4 m-wide non-slippery granite


title: "Marina Beach" content: footpaths near the service lane, another 5 m-wide footpath, and 15 m-wide lawns. The blueprint of the renovation project included ornamental fountains, exclusive parking lots for two- and four-wheelers, a children's play area, bus shelters, ramps for physically challenged, and food courts. The whole length of the stretch from Triumph of Labour Statue to the Lighthouse measuring 3.1 km has been divided into 14 harmonious landscaped galleries dotting its span, each with an element of drama attached to the design in the form of small theatre-type galleries where visitors can sit. All the 14 sections vary significantly from one another


title: "Marina Beach" content: and were designed in such a way as to the differentiation of sections not leading to any break in the walkway, which is a continuous walking stretch from the Triumph of Labour Statue to the Kamaraj Statue. One of these galleries is flanked by two semi-circular stainless-steel pergolas resting on wire-cut brick columns. The galleries can accommodate over 1,000 people. The choice of natural stones and pillars used in each section of the promenade was based on the type of the buildings on the other side of the road. The walkway was designed as low-lying as is necessary to have


title: "Marina Beach" content: a clear view of the beach from the road. A total of 428 octagonal poles with seagull-shaped light fittings and additional high-mast lamps have been erected. Ten modern stainless steel bus shelters have been erected near the beach. There is a skating rink behind the Gandhi Statue which has been improved with hand rails and tiles on the periphery under the project. A total of 14 galleries with seating arrangements and a 4-m internal walkway along the sands and fountains have been created on the stretch from the Anna Square to the Lighthouse. This stretch has uninterrupted pavement and a


title: "Marina Beach" content: sub-road parallel to the main road. Five reverse osmosis plants capable of providing 30,000 litres of drinking water an hour free of cost to visitors is under construction. As part of the beautification project, the decade-old 250-watt lamps were replaced with 690 anti-corrosive lamps along Kamaraj Salai and the service road. The renovation was completed in December 2009 at a cost of 259.2 million. Although initially the corporation planned to outsource security personnel to protect the renovated structures, the plan was dropped and about 50 corporation staff were employed to man the stretch. In 2009, a 4.5-km-long stretch along the


title: "Marina Beach" content: beach was announced plastic-free zone, prohibiting the sale and use of plastic. In November 2010, the corporation imposed a fine of 100 on the usage of plastic items that are less than 20 µm thick on the entire stretch. Within a couple of years since the ban, the use of plastics on the beach was reduced by 70 percent. In 2012, the government allotted 89 million for the renovation of the memorials of Anna and MGR. This include 12 million and 43 million towards renovation of Anna Memorial and MGR Memorial, respectively, 34 million towards additional construction at the MGR


title: "Marina Beach" content: Memorial. In 2012, the corporation allotted 48.4 million for installing two high-mast lamps, a police watchtower, and a giant chess board and an interactive fountain in the children's play area. This also includes relocation of the shops to specific locations on the sand at a cost of 41.2 million. In 2017, plans to revamp the beach under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Indian government at a cost of 500 million have been drawn. The Marina continues to remain the most dangerous place to bathe or swim, recording the highest number of drownings in the state of Tamil Nadu. Bathing


title: "Marina Beach" content: and swimming are illegal at Marina beach since the undercurrent in the region is very strong, and there are no lifeguards stationed here. As many people throng the beach, quite often there are drowning mishaps. An estimated five sea-bathers are drowned every month at the beach, and most of the swimmers are dragged by the tides into the debris of a tramp ship "SS Damatis" that sank off the beach during a cyclone in 1966. Police personnel and lifeguards constantly patrol the whole area, which is divided into seventy-two sections, by means of horses and all-terrain vehicles (known as "beach


title: "Marina Beach" content: buggies"). Five spots off the beach, including near the Anna Square, Kannagi Statue, Triumph of Labour Statue and behind Vivekananda House, have been identified by the police as extremely unsafe due to the presence of whirlpools and rock projections in the seabed. In 2010, 75 people drowned in the sea along the 5-km stretch of the beach. Of this, the 1-km stretch from Anna Square to the Anna swimming pool is considered the most dangerous with as many as 29 persons drowning in the sea in 2010. The deep sea in this stretch is considered to still hold parts of


title: "Marina Beach" content: the smacked ship. In 2011, in addition to the tie-up with Coast Guard security personnel, the city police planned for a tie-up with the fire and rescue services department to provide a stand-by rescue team at the beach to save people from drowning. The rescue team, equipped with a rubber boat and a motor-fitted boat, was planned to be stationed at the Anna Square police station or the Marina police station. The law-enforcing agencies is planning to bring the beach under close watch by means of two watchtowers and at least a dozen surveillance cameras. The Chennai Corporation has agreed


title: "Marina Beach" content: in principle to create the security infrastructure based on a proposal sent by the Greater Chennai Police. The watchtowers are proposed to be erected behind the Triumph of Labour statue and the Gandhi statue. In August 2012, the government sanctioned six more all-terrain vehicles for patrolling the beach. In December 2012, in a measure to regulate parking and to control the entry of vehicles into the beach, the Chennai Corporation decided to install drop gates at seven entry points on the beach's service lane, including near the PWD Building, Subash Chandra Bose statue, Dr. Annie Besant statue, Vivekanandar Illam, Avvaiyar


title: "Marina Beach" content: statue, Veeramamunivar statue and the lighthouse. Despite intensive patrolling, illegal bike races and night races are also held along the stretch, resulting in public nuisances and, at times, death of the racers. With a length of 13 km, including a 6 km promenade, the Marina is considered the world's second longest urban beach, although there exist in fact several longer beaches, including Praia do Cassino (254 km) in Brazil, Cox's Bazar (120 km) in Bangladesh, Padre Island on the U.S. Gulf Coast, Ninety Mile Beach in Australia and Ninety Mile Beach (88 km) in New Zealand. However, unlike most beaches,


title: "Marina Beach" content: Marina is a natural sandy urban beach similar to the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, helping it earn the title. In December 2001, the Kannagi statue, which was erected in 1968 on the occasion of a World Tamil Conference held in Chennai, was removed for traffic maintenance reason as part of modernisation of the beach, which led to a huge protest and demonstration by the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. When the DMK later came to power, the statue was installed in the same place on 3 June 2006 by the DMK party chief M. Karunanidhi. On 9


title: "Marina Beach" content: August 2003, an open-air stage located 350 ft from the sea on the sands of the Marina called "Seerani Arangam", constructed in 1970, which was used by religious groups and political parties to address gatherings, was demolished by the state government in order to modernise the beach. This spot was a place where rallies were held for the freedom movement during the British Raj, and the stage was considered a symbol of the historical events that had taken place in the Marina. This created a great controversy. In 1966, a tramp ship "SS Damatis" sank near the Marina due to


title: "Marina Beach" content: a cyclone in the region. The beachfront was severely damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The tsunami waves, caused due to an "M" 9.2 magnitude earthquake at about 257 km south-southeast of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, on the Indian Ocean floor on 26 December 2004 at 6.20 am IST, struck the beach, which is about 2028 km North West from the epicentre, at 8.40 am IST. The reported height of the tsunami waves at the beach was 6 m which washed away about 206 persons on the beach, most of whom were morning joggers and children playing cricket on


title: "Marina Beach" content: the beach, including a few tourists. With the assistance of the World Bank, the government built 2,000 temporary Marina beach shelters each measuring about 250 sq.ft. to house families affected by the tsunami at a cost of 172.3 million. However, in 2012, new houses for residents of tenements on the Marina Beach was planned to be taken up under a Disaster Preparedness Project of the state government. As a visible change in the beach immediately after the tsunami, the intertidal area was much flatter on 27 December 2004, which usually featured a gentle slope. However, the usual slope started to


title: "Marina Beach" content: appear 4 days after the tsunami and normal profile was restored in about 15 days. The receding wave after the tsunami lasted for more than 24 h. Post tsunami, there was a distinct variation in the distribution of sand grains in the beach until the 4th day. However, from the 5th day after the tsunami, normal composition of sand grains appeared to have been restored at different depths. The tsunami also resulted in various geomorphological changes in the region such as those in the contour of the 2,000 km-long Burma Plate, which sits atop the India plate, resulting in a


title: "Marina Beach" content: rise in the land level of Chennai, ranging between 0.5 cm and 3 cm. Following the tsunami, there was a distinct increase in the meiofaunal density in the beach. Various meiofauna found in the beach after tsunami include foraminiferans ("Elphidium" sp.), cnidarians ("Halammohydra" sp., "Psammohydra" sp.), turbellarians ("Otoplana" sp., "Macrostomum" sp.), nemertines, nematodes ("Halalaimus setosus", "Desmodora" sp., "Chromadora" sp., "Sabatieria" sp., "Steineria" sp., "Metapselionema" sp.), gastrotrichs ("Chaetonotus" sp., "Thaumastoderma" sp.), rotifers, kinorhynchs ("Cateria" sp.), polychaetes ("Hesionides" sp.), archiannelids ("Polygordius madrasensis", "Saccocirrus minor"), oligochaetes ("Marionina" sp.), harpacticiod copepods ("Arenosetella indica", "Psammastacus acuticaudatus", "Leptastacus euryhalinus", "Emertonia minuta", "Sewellina reductus"), ostracods ("Polycope" sp.),


title: "Marina Beach" content: isopods ("Angeliera phreaticola"), halacarids ("Halacarus" sp.), insects, and various other species. Marina Beach was also the venue of the 2017 pro-Jallikattu protests. The mass gathering of more than a million people in protest of the ban on the traditional bull-embracing sport Jallikattu at the Marina beach in Chennai for 10 consecutive days turned several eyes on the city's beach from across the nation. The leader-less movement grew much bigger as protests began in other cities across the country and later by Tamils in 15 countries including United States of America, UK, China, Japan and Singapore. The protest came to end


title: "Marina Beach" content: only after the ban was revoked after the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 was amended by the state government to allow the sport. Being the most prominent open space in the city, the Marina Beach hosts several events throughout the year. The annual Independence Day and the Republic Day ceremonial parades and airshows are held along the promenade along with the unfurling of the national flag in the Marina. The annual idol-immersion event following the Hindu festival of Vinayaka Chathurthi takes place at the beach where most of the idols of Lord Ganesh kept on display during the


title: "Marina Beach" content: festival in the city is immersed into the sea. The event occurs in the month of August–September. The beach is also the venue for several marathon and walkathon campaigns throughout the year conducted for various cause. The beach receives the maximum number of visitors on the Kannum Pongal day, a day in the festival season of Pongal in mid-January, when about 150,000 people come to the beach. The annual Chennai Marathon managed by Chennai Runners is held in the beach starting from the Anna Square to Annai Velankanni Church on the Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar. It is India's biggest


title: "Marina Beach" content: city marathon and is also said to be South India's richest marathon, in which over 1,000 athletes and more than 20,000 people participate, which includes various categories such as a 21-km run for professional athletes, a city run for everybody, a junior run for children, a master's run for senior citizens and a wheelchair run for the disabled. From 2016, the Marina Runnerz Marathon managed by Marina Runnerz Running Group is held every year in the last weekend of February, this event prides itself on promoting running along Marina Beach, the second longest Urban beach in the world. In 2008,


title: "Marina Beach" content: the beach played host to India's first International Beach Volleyball Championship, "BSNL FIVB Chennai Challenger:2008", from 15 to 20 July to popularise beach volleyball. The event was organised by the Beach Volleyball Club and was sponsored by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. Eleven Indian teams along with 60 teams from 21 countries participated in the 6-day-long tournament offering a total prize money of US$40,000 in the men's and US$6,400 in the women's events. In March 2016, "My leader" campaign was launched in this historical place. The main focus of this event was to attract youngsters to take up politics. Kamaraj Salai,


title: "Marina Beach" content: a six-lane road and one of the arterial roads of Chennai City, runs alongside the beach providing a sea view starting from the Victoria War Memorial near the Cooum River delta till the lighthouse to the south. The road extends further south beyond the lighthouse where it is known as the 'Santhome High Road', running away from the sea but parallel to the beach till Santhome. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation has a terminus called the 'Anna Square' terminus at the northern end of the beach, Triplicane Terminus near Kannagi statue/Pycrofts Road, Vivekananda House (Ice House) Terminus and Foreshore Estate terminus.


title: "Marina Beach" content: Railway stations alongside the beach include the Chepauk, the Tiruvallikeni and the Lighthouse MRTS railway stations. There was a plan to build a 9.7-km elevated road along the beach connecting the lighthouse with the East Coast Road in the south at a cost of 10,000 million. However, the plan was dropped due to opposition from the public such as the 'Save Chennai Beaches' campaign. Although the beach promenade was created in 1884, the sandy shore has been mentioned in the literature much earlier. The beach shore has a mentioning in the verse no. 2297 of the 4000 Divya Prabandham written


title: "Marina Beach" content: by Peyalwar. The verse, dating back to 7th century AD, was written in Tamil, and it says that the sea was so rich with white waves bringing to the shore very precious gems like red corals and white pearls and that the light of the dusk (moonlight) falls on these gems at the shore and makes the area brightened with beautiful colours. Grant Duff, the governor of Madras who developed the beach promenade, recalls in his memoirs: Grant Duff christened it the "Madras Marina" in 1884, the same year when the beach promenade was created, on which he explains in


title: "Marina Beach" content: a letter: In "New India", the newspaper that was run by Annie Besant, the Irish theosophist and Home Rule advocate, the beauty of Marina Beach was described back in 1914. On 6 October 1914, Anne Besant wrote, She also added that Madras In January 2014, the corporation announced a makeover of the 2.8-km stretch on the southern part of the beach from Lighthouse to Foreshore Estate, including development of walkways, benches, a gallery, bicycle tracks, concrete roads, service trenches, rainwater trenches and streetlight fittings at an estimated cost of 400 million. The development would provide alternative accommodation to vendors of


title: "Marina Beach" content: the existing market on the Marina Loop Road by commissioning of a modern fish market on the stretch. The loop road connecting the Lighthouse and Foreshore Estate, which is currently a 20-metre-wide road, will be converted to a four-lane concrete road barricaded on both sides with stainless steel pillared railings and will pass all along the Santhome coast of the Marina Beach. A 2.4-metre-wide bicycle track, a 3.3-metre-wide walkway and a 2.5-metre-wide gallery will be developed on the eastern side of the road. The western side of the road will have a fish market with cold storage facilities as well


title: "Marina Beach" content: as a walkway. The Corporation also plans to develop more than 300 heritage pillars, each 1.2 metres tall, on the western side of Kamaraj Salai opposite the beach. The uniformly designed heritage pillars will be made of granite and iron on the stretch from All India Radio to Swami Sivananda Salai. The pillars would replace the existing walls of various institutions to improve aesthetics around the beach. In 2018, the Corporation revealed plans to make the beach disabled-friendly. Marina Beach has been featured in numerous Tamil movies, including the 2012 Tamil movie "Marina" that is entirely based upon the lives


title: "Marina Beach" content: of child workers in the beach. The entire story and screenplay for the comedy hit film "Kadhalikka Neramillai (1964)" were conceived on Marina Beach and the "Enna Paarvai" song sequence in the film was filmed in this beach. Marina Beach Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south, a distance of , making it the longest natural urban beach in the country. The Marina is primarily sandy, unlike the short, rocky formations that make


title: Edimmu content: Edimmu The edimmu, read incorrectly sometimes as ekimmu, were a type of utukku in Sumerian religion, similar in nature to the preta of the Hindu religions or the jiangshi of Chinese mythology. They were envisioned as the ghosts of those who were not buried properly. They were considered vengeful toward the living and might possess people if they did not respect certain taboos, such as the prohibition against eating ox meat. They were thought to cause disease and inspire criminal behavior in the living, but could sometimes be appeased by funeral repasts or libations. The edimmu were also thought to


title: "Free abelian group" content: a free group is free, and is a generalization of the fact that every nontrivial subgroup of the infinite cyclic group is infinite cyclic. The proof needs the axiom of choice. A proof using Zorn's lemma (one of many equivalent assumptions to the axiom of choice) can be found in Serge Lang's "Algebra". Solomon Lefschetz and Irving Kaplansky have claimed that using the well-ordering principle in place of Zorn's lemma leads to a more intuitive proof. In the case of finitely generated free abelian groups, the proof is easier, does not need the axiom of choice, and leads to a


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: Welsh Corgi The Welsh Corgi, sometimes known as just a Corgi (, Welsh for "dwarf dog"; plural "Corgis" or occasionally the etymologically consistent "Corgwn"; ), is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales, United Kingdom. Two separate breeds are recognized: the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. In 1925 the first Welsh Corgi was bred. Historically, the Pembroke has been attributed to the influx of dogs alongside Flemish weavers from around the 10th century, while the Cardigan is attributed to the dogs brought with Norse settlers, in particular a common ancestor of the Swedish Vallhund.


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: A certain degree of interbreeding between the two types has been suggested to explain the similarities between the two. The Pembroke is the more popular breed of the two, with the Cardigan Welsh Corgi appearing on The Kennel Club's list of Vulnerable Native Breeds. There are several physical differences between the two types according to the breed standards: the Cardigan is larger overall, both in weight and in height. Traditionally, the tails were of different shapes, but docking had previously been used. With regards to their health, according to a 2004 survey, they both had similar lifespans, although kidney or


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: urethral conditions are more likely in the Pembrokes. Furthermore, Pembroke Corgis were more likely to have eye problems than the Cardigan breed. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi gained its popularity over the Cardigan Welsh Corgi because Queen Elizabeth II preferred the Pembroke. The favored corgis had longer bodies, thick coats of fur, and some are born without a tail. Welsh Corgis have a strong association with Queen Elizabeth II, who has personally owned more than 30 dogs, either Pembrokes or Corgi-Dachshund crosses (known as dorgis). Welsh Corgis have historically been used as herding dogs, specifically for cattle. They are of the


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: type of herding dog referred to as "heelers", meaning that they would nip at the heels of the larger animals to keep them on the move. Both Pembrokeshire and Cardigan are historically agricultural areas of Wales. The combination of the low height off the ground and innate agility of Welsh Corgis would allow them to avoid the hooves of cattle. The term "Corgi" means either cur dog or dwarf dog ("cor" = dwarf, "gi" = lenitive of "ci", dog) in the Welsh language, which was not intended as an insult to the dog's size, rather as a purely descriptive term.


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: There is also a folk legend that says Corgis were a gift from the woodland fairies, and that the breed's markings were left on its coat by fairy harnesses and saddles. Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire are adjoining historical counties in SW Wales. !--The geographical distance between the two areas for which the modern breeds are named, may have resulted in separate evolution of the breeds. -->Different tales have been told of the Corgi's origin: some believe that the two modern breeds evolved from a shared ancestry, while others attribute the import of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi to Flemish weavers starting around


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: the 10th century. Further theories on the origin of the Pembroke variety suggest that they may have originated from central European herding breeds from the area around modern Germany. Depending on the time period when these dogs were imported to Wales, they could have been either Deutsche Bracken, or the Dachshund breed. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi has been attributed to the influences of Nordic settlers in the region. Dogs of similar dimensions exist in modern Scandinavia, called the Swedish Vallhund, and it is claimed by some historians that these two breeds share a common ancestor. Farmers in Cardiganshire began to


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: switch from cattle to sheep in the late 19th century, but the existing breed was unsuited to working the sheep flocks. The dog began to be crossed with the Welsh Sheepdog, and this is the source of the merle colour pattern in the breed. The subsequent similarities between the two types of Welsh Corgis have been attributed to cross-breeding between the two, or simply selected breeding from farmers who wished to have the Cardigan variety appear closer in nature to the Pembroke breed. The first recorded date for Corgis appearing in the show ring in Wales is 1925. Captain J.


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: P. Howell called together a meeting of breeders of both the Pembroke and the Cardigan varieties, and formed the Welsh Corgi Club, with an initial membership of 59 members. A general breed standard was drawn up, and Corgis began to appear in conformation shows. Until this point, neither breed had been specifically bred for looks. Members of this club were primarily interested in the Pembroke variety, although the Cardigan variety also appeared. At that point the breeds were referred to as the Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire varieties; the names were later shortened. There were a number of disputes between breeders of


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: the two types in early shows, as judges who were breeders of one type would often favour them. The Welsh Corgi appeared at Crufts for the first time in 1927. The first Championship was awarded at a Cardiff show in 1928, to a red and white Pembroke bitch named Shan Fach. The breeds continued to be judged together until 1934, when The Kennel Club recognised each breed separately. In that initial registration, some 59 Cardigans and 240 Pembrokes were listed in the pedigree books. The decisions about the breed to which each dog belonged were sometimes left to the owners,


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: who were free to choose whichever they felt was the most appropriate. The first dog to be named Best in Show at an open conformation show was Ch. Bowhit Pivot. Cardigan Welsh Corgis continued to be rarer than Pembrokes, with only 11 registrations made in the war year of 1940. Both breeds survived the Second World War, although the Cardigans registered with the Kennel Club numbered only 61 by the end of the war. Pembrokes became very popular during the post war years in the United Kingdom; in 1953 it was ranked as the fourth most popular breed by the


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: Kennel Club, behind the English Cocker Spaniel, the German Shepherd and the Pekingese. In 1955, the reserve Best in Show at Crufts was the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Kaytop Maracas Mint, who was beaten by the Standard Poodle Ch. Tzigane Affri of Nashend. The Corgi breeds declined in popularity: veterinary physician Brian Singleton suggested in "The Times" in 1963 that this was due to issues with their temperament. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi was listed in the Kennel Club's first list of Vulnerable Native Breeds in 2006. This list is for those breeds which register less than 300 dogs in any one


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: year; there had been 84 Cardigan Corgis registered in 2006. After an initial increase, this declined to 46 in 2010, but then rose to the highest numbers since the list began in 2015, with a total of 124 puppies registered. In 2013, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was also added, as there had been only 241 puppies registered that year. While the Kennel Club blamed this on the importation of foreign dog breeds, "The Daily Telegraph" blamed the decline on the ban on tail docking introduced six years before. However, 2015 saw an increase of 34% in the number of Pembroke


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: registrations; the popularity of Corgis on Instagram was credited for the change. Pembrokes were removed from the Vulnerable Native Breeds list in 2016. In 1933 the first Welsh Corgis were brought to the United States by American breeder Mrs Lewis Roesler, for her Merriedip Kennels in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. She had previously been well known for breeding Old English Sheepdogs. Roesler purchased a Pembroke bitch, Little Madam, at London's Paddington Station for £12. Wanting a mate for the dog, she visited several Corgi kennels and bought a dog called Captain William Lewis. The American Kennel Club (AKC) first


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: registered Welsh Corgis in 1934, as a single breed, and Little Madam was the first registered animal of the breed. The first litter was registered later that year, by Mr E.M. Tidd in Oakland, California, from a bitch named Toots which he had purchased in Canada. Tidd imported Ch. Bowhit Pivot for his breeding lines in 1935, registering him with the AKC as Sierra Bowhit Pivot. In addition to his British titles, he became the first Corgi to be awarded Champion status in the US, and the first such dog to be named Best of Group at a conformation show


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: in the United States. A month after those achievements, Little Madam repeated his victories. The Pembroke Welsh Corgi club was formed in 1937, and the first show was held at Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge's Giralda Farms in New Jersey. Following the Second World War, there were imports from the United Kingdom, including Rozavel Uncle Sam which dominated the show circuit for Corgis. In 1949, he became the first Pembroke winner of Best in Show at an open conformation show in the United States. By 1998, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi had become the 37th most popular breed of dog in the United


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: States. A pair of Cardigan Welsh Corgis were imported to the US in 1931, but the first member of that breed to be registered with the AKC was Blodwen of Robinscroft in 1935. They have never had the draw in the United States given to the Corgis of the Pembroke type. In 1997, some 752 Cardigan Welsh Corgis were registered with the AKC, compared to 8,281 of the Pembrokes. There are two breeds of Welsh Corgis, the Cardigan and the Pembroke, each named for the county in Wales where it originated. The dogs share several similar traits, such as their


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: coats, which are water resistant and shed on average twice a year. The body of the Cardigan is slightly longer than that of the Pembroke; both breeds have short legs, placing their bodies close to the ground. But they are not as square in outline as a typical Terrier, or have an elongated body as great as that of a Dachshund. There are only minor differences in the shape of the head, both appear fox-like. The head of a Cardigan Welsh Corgi is typically larger than that of an equivalent Pembroke, and has a larger nose. It can take a


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: few days following birth for the true colour of a Corgi's coat to appear, and this is particularly evident in those with tricolour or black and tan markings. Corgis in the modern era often compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at non-competitive herding tests. Cardigan and Pembroke Corgis exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials – known colloquially as a "mad run". Welsh Corgis were once used to guard children. The differences between the two breeds include bone structure, body length, and


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: size. Cardigans are the larger of the two breeds, with large rounded ears and a fox-like, flowing tail set in line with the body. Though the Cardigan is allowed more colours than the Pembroke, white should not predominate in its coat. The Cardigan is a double-coated dog where the outer coat is dense, slightly harsh in texture, and of medium length. The dog's undercoat is short, soft, and thick. According to the breed standard, the breed stands between at the withers, and should weigh between . The skeletal structure of the Cardigan differs from the Pembroke, in that there is


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: a more exaggerated bend in the front two legs, which fits around the ribcage of the animal. In addition, the Cardigan is more heavily set than the Pembroke, with denser bone mass. There are a greater number of colours of coat present in the Cardigan breed than the Pembroke, with the breed standard allowing for a variety of shades of red, sable and brindle. White markings are expected on this breed of Corgi, and one with a black coat is allowed to have tan or brindle points under conformation show rules. Merle markings are present in the breed, although this


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: is normally restricted to blue merle. There are several disqualification criteria in the breed standard for the purpose of conformation showing. This would include drop ears, a white coat, blue eyes or non-solid black noses in dogs without merle colouration. Pembrokes feature pointed ears, and are somewhat smaller in stature than the Cardigan. They are low-set, intelligent, strong and sturdy with stamina sufficient to work a day on the farm. The common height at the withers is between , while a male dog of this breed should weigh no more than , and a female . The tail is shorter


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: than that of a Cardigan, which can be accomplished through breeding or docking. Historically, the Pembroke was a breed with a natural bob tail (a very short tail), and today, if the Pembroke has a tail at all, it is usually curly. Due to the advent of tail docking in dogs, the bob tail was not aggressively pursued, with breeders focusing instead on other characteristics, and the tail artificially shortened if need be. Given that some countries now ban docking, some breeders are again attempting to select dogs with the genes for natural bob tails. Fewer colours of coat appear


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: in the Pembroke breed. These include red, sable, tan, fawn and black, each of which can be with or without white markings. Plain white or grey coats can also be seen, but these would be considered to be a serious fault for the purposes of conformation shows. However, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi has no specific disqualification criteria present in the breed standard. Pembroke Welsh Corgis have two coats that vary in length along their body. The first coat is a shorter, inner coat that is resistant to harsh weather, while the outer coat is rougher and longer, but still of


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: medium length. The length of the coat differs upon various parts of the body. Fur tends to be longer and thicker behind their fore and hind legs, as well as underneath their bodies. In addition, they appear to have more voluminous fur on their chest, neck, and shoulders. Pembroke Welsh corgis have shedding coats. According to the Kennel Club "Purebred Dog Health Survey" conducted in 2004, the two breeds had similar average lifespans: the median age at death was 12 years 3 months for Pembrokes, and 12 years 2 months for Cardigans. The main causes of death were similar in


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: both breeds: the primary causes were canine cancer and old age. However, the Pembroke breed showed a higher proportion of deaths attributed to either kidney failure or a urethral obstruction. The survey showed that the breeds suffer from similar rates of ongoing health conditions, with one exception. Whereas more than a quarter of Pembroke Welsh Corgis surveyed suffered from some type of eye condition, only 6.1% of the Cardigan Corgis did. Eye conditions typical in the Corgi breeds include progressive retinal atrophy, which occurs more often in dogs over six years of age, and canine glaucoma, which again is more


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: common in older dogs. Similar percentages in the survey were seen in both breeds for issues relating to reproduction, such as requiring caesarian sections and having false pregnancies. Further similarities were also seen related to musculoskelatal issues, including arthritis. However, Hip dysplasia, common in some types of dogs, is rare in the Corgi breeds. Queen Elizabeth II has long been associated with Corgis. After a visit to Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath in 1933, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret made it well known to their family that they liked the Corgis owned by the Marquess. Their father, Prince Albert, Duke


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: of York (later George VI), purchased the Pembroke Corgi Rozavel Golden Eagle, from the Rozavel kennels in Surrey. It was renamed Dookie. Princess Elizabeth was then given a Pembroke Corgi of her own, named Susan, for her 18th birthday in 1944. She had a strong connection to the dog, which was hidden under rugs in the Royal Carriage following her wedding to Prince Philip. Susan became the progenitor of all the Corgis owned by the Royal Household since. The Queen has bred ten generations of dogs from Susan, owning personally more than 30 of the dogs which were either pure-bred


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: Pembroke Welsh Corgis or crossbreed Corgi/Dachshunds called Dorgis. Corgis have also appeared on screen, stage and in novels. Corgis as characters were incorporated into the storybook fantasies "Corgiville Fair", "The Great Corgiville Kidnapping", and "Corgiville Christmas" of American author and illustrator Tasha Tudor. In 1961, a Corgi was featured in the Walt Disney film "Little Dog Lost", which led to an increase in popularity for the breed within the United States. A theatrical adaptation took place of Welsh author Roald Dahl's "The BFG" which toured the UK in 1991 required several different Corgis to perform on stage as those of


title: "Welsh Corgi" content: Queen Elizabeth. In the anime "Cowboy Bebop", the crew has a super-intelligent Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Ein, on their ship. The "Top Shelf" graphic novel "Korgi" plays on the folklore tradition of the Corgi as a faerie draft animal. It features the "Mollies" (fairy-like beings) who live in close relationship with the land and their Korgi friends, who are based on and resemble the Welsh Corgi breeds. Welsh Corgi The Welsh Corgi, sometimes known as just a Corgi (, Welsh for "dwarf dog"; plural "Corgis" or occasionally the etymologically consistent "Corgwn"; ), is a small type of herding dog that originated


title: Bluebird content: Bluebird The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous bird in the order of Passerines in the genus Sialia of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and rose beige, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color patterns are similar and there is no noticeable difference in size between the two sexes. Bluebirds species include: Bluebirds are territorial and prefer open grassland with scattered trees. This is similar to the behaviour of many species of woodpeckers. Bluebirds can typically produce


title: Bluebird content: between two and four broods during the spring and summer (March through August in the Northeastern United States). Males identify potential nest sites and try to attract prospective female mates to those nesting sites with special behaviors that include singing and flapping wings, and then placing some material in a nesting box or cavity. If the female accepts the male and the nesting site, she alone builds the nest and incubates the eggs. Predators of young bluebirds in the nests can include snakes, cats, and raccoons. Bird species competing with bluebirds for nesting locations include the common starling, American crow,


title: Bluebird content: and house sparrow, which take over the nesting sites of bluebirds, killing young, smashing eggs, and probably killing adult bluebirds. Bluebirds are attracted to platform bird feeders, filled with grubs of the darkling beetle, sold by many online bird product wholesalers as mealworms. Bluebirds will also eat raisins soaked in water. In addition, in winter bluebirds use backyard heated birdbaths. By the 1970s, bluebird numbers had declined by estimates ranging to 70% due to unsuccessful competition with house sparrows and starlings, both introduced species, for nesting cavities, coupled with a decline in habitat. However, in late 2005, Cornell University's Laboratory


title: Bluebird content: of Ornithology reported bluebird sightings across the southern U.S. as part of its yearly Backyard Bird Count, a strong indication of the bluebird's return to the region. This upsurge can be attributed largely to a movement of volunteers establishing and maintaining bluebird trails. Of all the birds a gardener could choose to attract, the bluebird is the quintessential helpful garden bird. Gardeners go to extreme lengths to attract and keep them in the garden for their advantageous properties. Bluebirds are voracious insect consumers, quickly ridding a garden of insect pests. In traditional Iroquois cosmology, the call of the bluebird is


title: Bluebird content: believed to ward off the icy power of Sawiskera, also referred to as Flint, the spirit of the winter. Its call caused Sawiskera to flee in fear and the ice to recede. Songwriters have portrayed the bluebird as a muse, as in the song "Voices in the Sky" by the British rock group The Moody Blues, from their 1968 album "In Search of the Lost Chord". Bluebird The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous bird in the order of Passerines in the genus Sialia of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush


title: "Symposium (Plato)" content: he has learned from Socrates. The story, as told by Apollodorus, then moves to the banquet at Agathon’s home, where Agathon challenges each of the men to speak in praise of the Greek god, Eros. Apollodorus tells to his friend a story of a symposium, or banquet, that was hosted by the playwright Agathon to celebrate his victory in a dramatic festival the night before. Socrates is late to arrive, after he became lost in thought on the porch of a nearby neighbor. When they are done eating, Eryximachus takes the suggestion made by Phaedrus, that they should all make


title: "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (video game)" content: in September 2011 as part of Sony's Classics HD series. It was revealed on the PlayStation Blog that it would be ported from the PC version, because it had more details and more content than the PlayStation 2 version. It was released on the European PlayStation Network on August 10, 2011. The PlayStation 3 version does not include the downloadable bonus missions that the Xbox or PC version had. "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" received positive reviews upon the game's release. GameSpot's Greg Kasavin said that "Splinter Cell" has "hands down the best lighting effects seen in any game to date."


title: "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" content: spy in the video games. October of the same year, Iwanyk has stated that filming will start early 2015. April 2015, Liman had left the director's chair, with reports that studio were talking with Joseph Kahn as his replacement. By July, Ubisoft hired Frank John Hughes to do rewrite on the film's script. In January 2017, Iwanyk confirmed that the script had been completed and sent to Hardy to read over. The producer explained that the movie is intended to have its own style within the action movie genre, and that the production team is aiming to make, an edgy


title: "Music of Canada" content: fixture in most public drinking establishments. God Save the King/Queen has been sung in Canada since British rule and by the mid-20th century was, along with "O Canada", one of the country's two "de facto" national anthems. The beginning of the 19th century Canadian musical ensembles had started forming in great numbers, writing waltzes, quadrilles, polkas and galops. The first volumes of music printed in Canada was the "Graduel romain" in 1800 followed by the "Union Harmony" in 1801. Folk music was still thriving, as recounted in the poem titled "A Canadian Boat Song". The poem was composed by the


title: "Frankfurt Airport" content: of further expansions at this location. With the foundation of Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926 a rapid boom of civilian air travel started and soon the airship base became too small to handle the demand. Plans for a new and larger airport located in the Frankfurt City Forest south-west of Schwanheim were approved in 1930, but were not realised due to the Great Depression. After the "Machtergreifung" in 1933 the government revived the plans and started the construction of the new airport. On the northern part of the airport originated in 1935 a two-storey station building with a six-storey tower,


title: "William P. Hobby Airport" content: jetliners. Braniff was also operating nonstop flights from Hobby to Panama City, Panama with Boeing 707 and Boeing 720 jets during the late 1960s. Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH), now George Bush Intercontinental Airport, opened in 1969 because of expansion limitations at Hobby. All airlines serving Hobby then moved their operations to Intercontinental and Hobby was left without any scheduled passenger airline service. The Civil Aeronautics Administration recommended years earlier that Houston plan to replace Hobby. The first airline to resume passenger flights at the airport was Houston Metro Airlines, a commuter air carrier, which in early 1970 was operating "cross


title: "Greater Napanee" content: they went on to capture the All-Ontario, Clarence Schmalz Cup as the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey champions by defeating the Hanover Barons of the Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The Raiders used to be the only EBJCHL team to ever capture the All Ontario title up until the Picton Pirates accomplished the task in 2013. Their home games are played in the Strathcona Paper Centre, which opened in 2004. Prior to the Raiders, Napanee played in the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey League as The Napanee Kelly Tiremen. Their uniform resembled the green, yellow and white


title: "Ryan Phillippe" content: based partly on the life experiences of himself and his friends (including the filming of "Straight A's" in Shreveport in 2011), but is partly meant to be "a fun scary movie in the vein of "Misery"". Filming took place on location in Shreveport in the fall of 2012. The movie was released on October 10, 2014. In October 2013, Phillippe began filming the thriller "Reclaim" in Puerto Rico. The movie features Phillippe as an American man who travels to Puerto Rico with his wife (played by Rachelle Lefevre) to adopt an orphan from Haiti. After a confrontation with a local


title: Schnapps content: Schnapps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain spirits. The English loanword "schnapps" is derived from the colloquial German word "Schnaps" (plural: "Schnäpse") which is used in reference to spirit drinks. The word "Schnaps" stems from Low German language and is related to the German term ""schnappen"", which refers to the fact that the spirit or liquor drink is usually consumed in a quick slug from a small


title: Schnapps content: glass (i.e., a shot glass). In British English, a corresponding term is "dram" [of liquor]. The German term "Schnaps" refers to any kind of strong alcoholic drink, similar to how "eau de vie" (water of life) is used in French, "aguardiente" (burning water) in Spanish, or "aguardente" Portuguese. In Austria, Switzerland, southern Germany, and the French region of Alsace, a type of schnapps called "Obstler" or "Obstbrand" (from the German "Obst", fruit) is very popular. "Obstler", which are fruit brandies, are mainly associated with the southern part of the German-language area. In northern Germany, almost all traditional distilled beverages are


title: Schnapps content: grain-based. The main kinds of fruit used for German schnapps are apples, pears, plums, cherries, and apricots. Fruits other than these five are rarely used. Apples are used along with pears to make "Obstwasser" (fruit water); pears are used to produce Poire Williams ("Williamsbirne", William's pear); several types of plums make "" (plum water); cherries make "Kirschwasser" (cherry water); and apricots are used to make Austrian "Marillenschnaps" (apricot brandy). A raspberry-flavored spirit called "Himbeergeist" (raspberry spirit) is also referred to as "schnapps", although it is not an "Obstler". Instead, it is an infusion of macerated fresh berries in neutral spirits,


title: Schnapps content: which have been steeped for several weeks before being distilled. The different kinds of "Obstler" are similar to the varieties of "Rakija" found in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Slivovitz is a popular schnapps made from Damson plums found throughout the region. "Kräuterlikör" (herbal liqueur) is another popular form of schnapps, often sweetened. Well known brands include Jägermeister, Underberg, Kuemmerling, Killepitsch and Wurzelpeter. An inexpensive heavily sweetened form of liqueur is made in America by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit syrup, spices, or other flavors. Referred to as "schnapps", these are bottled with an alcohol content typically between 15%


title: Schnapps content: and 20% ABV (30–40 proof), though some may be much higher. Schnapps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain spirits. The English loanword "schnapps" is derived from the colloquial German word "Schnaps" (plural: "Schnäpse") which is used in reference to spirit drinks. The word "Schnaps" stems from Low German language and is related to the German term ""schnappen"", which refers to the fact that the spirit or liquor


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: Staffordshire Bull Terrier The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, short-coated breed of dog of English lineage and may be considered to be within the pit bull type. In the United Kingdom before the 19th century, blood sports such as bull baiting, bear baiting and cock fighting were common. At the cattle market, dogs were set upon bulls, bears, or other large animals, with the intent of tenderizing the meat but more commonly to provide entertainment for the crowd. Another blood sport dogs were involved in during this time was dog fighting. Dog fighting involved gambling on dogs that were


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: released into a pit in hopes of betting on the recognized winner: the last surviving dog. This breed has been bred for purposes of fighting and aggression. A dog fighting contest was cheaper to organize and easier to conceal from the law than bull baiting or bear baiting. These blood sports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws. The early bull and terrier dogs were developed as a result of breeding for the characteristic known as gameness. Gameness was a desirable trait during a time when pitting dogs against bear or bull was common.


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: Gameness ultimately tests the strength and skill of the dogs. Land-race working dogs crossbred with the early bull and terrier types with this gameness trait provided the ancestral foundation stock for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier name was officially accepted by The Kennel Club on May 25, 1935. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club was formed in June 1935, after the acceptance of the breed by The Kennel Club. It is unusual for a breed to be recognized without first having a club in existence or a breed standard in place. A standard was not drawn up until


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: June 1935 at the Old Cross Guns, a Black Country pub in Cradley Heath where 30 Stafford enthusiasts gathered. It was there that the group also elected the club's first secretary, Joseph Dunn, a well-known figure connected with the breed. Challenge certificates were awarded to the breed in 1938, and the first champions were Joseph Dunn's Ch. Gentleman Jim and Ch. Lady Eve taking titles in 1939. Staffordshire Bull Terriers have been the traditional mascot of the army regiments in Staffordshire since 1882. C/Sgt Watchman V is the current serving mascot. The breed was recognised in the United States by


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: the American Kennel Club in 1975. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, stocky, and very muscular dog, with a similar appearance to the much larger American Staffordshire Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier. The coat is smooth and clings tightly to the dog's body, making movement through air and water much easier for the breed. This dog has a broad, wedge-shaped head (male considerably more so than female), defined occipital muscles, a relatively short fore-face, dark round eyes and a wide mouth with a clean scissor-like bite (the top incisors slightly overlap the bottom incisors). The breed has small


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: ears, pronounced cheek muscles, and tight jowls. The breed's waist is tucked up into their loins and the last 1–2 ribs of the rib-cage are usually visible. The tail is often straight and thin, with a slight curve at the end. The hind quarters are well-muscled. The breed is naturally muscular and may appear intimidating. Staffordshires come in a variety of colours: brindle, fawn, red, blue, black, and white. Blending of these colours with white and with any other colour broken up over the body is known as "pied". It is advised not to breed from Staffordshires with light eyes


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: or Merle which is a result of a genetic mutation and can cause health issues such as blindness and loss of hearing. The dogs stand 36 to 41 cm (14 to 16 in) at the withers (ridge between the shoulder blades) and weigh 13 to 17 kg (29 to 37 lb) for males; females are 11 to 15.4 kg (24 to 34 lb). Staffordshire Bull Terriers may be at risk for these health problems: The breed is known to be at a higher risk from mastocytoma (mast cell tumors) than the general population of dogs. A UK Kennel Club survey


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: determined the median lifespan of the breed to be 12.75 years. UK vet clinic data determined the median to be 10.7 years. The modern breed is one that has a temperament suitable as a companion dog but due to its breeding and history, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is known for its character of fearlessness and toughness. However, this breed is also known to have an affectionate nature and is naturally loyal; they are also a friendly and lively breed. The breed is known to be quick learning and Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are considered easy to house train. Staffordshires are


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: notably adaptable in terms of changing home or even owners but this can cause issues as it makes them vulnerable to dog napping. With proper socialization of the breed from a young age, Staffordshires can be friendly to both other dogs and humans. Staffordshires are known to fight if challenged. When encountering unknown dogs, the Staffordshire could become aggressive if challenged by the unacquainted dog. This breed is also known to be headstrong and stubborn which contributes to the occurrence of challenge-related aggression. However, with dutiful obedience training by a confident owner, can alleviate this aggression. RSPCA chief vet Mark


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: Evans said "Our experience suggests that problems occur when bad owners exploit the Staffie's desire to please by training them to show aggression." In March 2018, Staffordshire Police took Cooper, a two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, from an RSPCA animal center in Taunton for training. He is the first police dog of this breed in the UK.. Staffies are the subject of debate as to whether or not they may be added to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Breed-specific legislation includes breed-specific restrictions and requirements: The purported Irish variety of Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also referred to as Irish bull terrier, is


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: not recognized by any notable kennel club or breed registry. Some suspect the dogs are American Pit Bull Terriers with an Irish nomenclature to circumvent breed-specific legislation bans, such as the United Kingdom's Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. A statement by the RSPCA raised concern that "the 'Irish' variety – which it does not recognise as a breed" contributed to a rise in incidents of dog fighting at a level equivalent to that of the 1980s. A 2002 article published in "The Telegraph", quoted Beverley Cuddy, then editor of "Dogs Today", who called the Irish bull terrier a complete fiction, stating


title: "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" content: "There is no recognised Irish Staffordshire bull terrier breed." Staffordshire Bull Terrier The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, short-coated breed of dog of English lineage and may be considered to be within the pit bull type. In the United Kingdom before the 19th century, blood sports such as bull baiting, bear baiting and cock fighting were common. At the cattle market, dogs were set upon bulls, bears, or other large animals, with the intent of tenderizing the meat but more commonly to provide entertainment for the crowd. Another blood sport dogs were involved in during this time was dog


title: "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" content: Shche ne vmerla Ukraina Šče ne Vmerla Ukrajiny ni Slava, ni Volja or Šče ne Vmerla Ukrajina, i Slava, i Volja, officially known by its title as the State Anthem of Ukraine or its shortened call Šče ne vmerla Ukrajina, is the national anthem of Ukraine. The anthem's music was officially adopted by Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada on 15 January 1992. The official lyrics were adopted on 6 March 2003 by the Law on the Anthem of Ukraine (Закон про Гімн України). In the first half of the 20th century, during unsuccessful attempts to gain independence from Russia, Poland, and Hungary,


title: Tapir content: Tapir A tapir ( , or , ) is a large, herbivorous mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. The five extant species of tapirs, all of the family Tapiridae and the genus Tapirus, are the Brazilian tapir, the Malayan tapir, the Baird's tapir, the kabomani tapir and the mountain tapir. The four species that have been evaluated (all except the kabomani) are all classified on the IUCN Red List as Endangered or Vulnerable. The tapirs have a number of


title: Tapir content: extinct relatives in the superfamily Tapiroidea. The closest extant relatives of the tapirs are the other odd-toed ungulates, which include horses, donkeys, zebras and rhinoceroses. Five extant species within one extant genus are widely recognised. Four are in Central and South America, while the fifth is in Asia. (Some authors describe more, and a number are extinct): Size varies between types, but most tapirs are about 2 m (6.6 ft) long, stand about 1 m (3 ft) high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg (330 and 700 lb). Their coats are short and range in color


title: Tapir content: from reddish brown, to grey, to nearly black, with the notable exceptions of the Malayan tapir, which has a white, saddle-shaped marking on its back, and the mountain tapir, which has longer, woolly fur. All tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded, protruding rumps with stubby tails, and splayed, hooved toes, with four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them to walk on muddy and soft ground. Baby tapirs of all types have striped-and-spotted coats for camouflage. Females have a single pair of mammary glands, and males have long penises relative to their body


title: Tapir content: size. The proboscis of the tapir is a highly flexible organ, able to move in all directions, allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. Tapirs often exhibit the flehmen response, a posture in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth to detect scents. This response is frequently exhibited by bulls sniffing for signs of other males or females in oestrus in the area. The length of the proboscis varies among species; Malayan tapirs have the longest snouts and Brazilian tapirs have the shortest. The evolution of tapir probosces, made up almost entirely


title: Tapir content: of soft tissues rather than bony internal structures, gives the Tapiridae skull a unique form in comparison to other perissodactyls, with a larger sagittal crest, orbits positioned more rostrally, a posteriorly telescoped cranium, and a more elongated and retracted nasoincisive incisure. Tapirs have brachyodont, or low-crowned teeth, that lack cementum. Their dental formula is: Totaling 42 to 44 teeth, this dentition is closer to that of equids, which may differ by one less canine, than their other perissodactyl relatives, rhinoceroses. Their incisors are chisel-shaped, with the third large, conical upper incisor separated by a short gap from the considerably smaller


title: Tapir content: canine. A much longer gap is found between the canines and premolars, the first of which may be absent. Tapirs are lophodonts, and their cheek teeth have distinct lophs (ridges) between protocones, paracones, metacones and hypocones. Tapirs have brown eyes, often with a bluish cast to them, which has been identified as corneal cloudiness, a condition most commonly found in Malayan tapirs. The exact etiology is unknown, but the cloudiness may be caused by excessive exposure to light or by trauma. However, the tapir's sensitive ears and strong sense of smell help to compensate for deficiencies in vision. Tapirs have


title: Tapir content: simple stomachs and are hindgut fermenters that ferment digested food in a large cecum. Young tapirs reach sexual maturity between three and five years of age, with females maturing earlier than males. Under good conditions, a healthy female tapir can reproduce every two years; a single young, called a calf, is born after a gestation of about 13 months. The natural lifespan of a tapir is about 25 to 30 years, both in the wild and in zoos. Apart from mothers and their young offspring, tapirs lead almost exclusively solitary lives. Although they frequently live in dryland forests, tapirs with


title: Tapir content: access to rivers spend a good deal of time in and underwater, feeding on soft vegetation, taking refuge from predators, and cooling off during hot periods. Tapirs near a water source will swim, sink to the bottom, and walk along the riverbed to feed, and have been known to submerge themselves under water to allow small fish to pick parasites off their bulky bodies. Along with freshwater lounging, tapirs often wallow in mud pits, which also help to keep them cool and free of insects. In the wild, the tapir's diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves, particularly young, tender


title: Tapir content: growth. Tapirs will spend many of their waking hours foraging along well-worn trails, snouts to the ground in search of food. Baird's tapirs have been observed to eat around 40 kg (85 lb) of vegetation in one day. Tapirs are largely nocturnal and crepuscular, although the smaller mountain tapir of the Andes is generally more active during the day than its congeners. They have monocular vision. Copulation may occur in or out of water, and in captivity, mating pairs will often copulate multiple times during oestrus. Intromission lasts between 10 and 20 minutes. Adult tapirs are large enough to have


title: Tapir content: few natural predators, and the thick skin on the backs of their necks helps to protect them from threats such as jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas, and tigers. The creatures are also able to run fairly quickly, considering their size and cumbersome appearance, finding shelter in the thick undergrowth of the forest or in water. Hunting for meat and hides has substantially reduced their numbers and, more recently, habitat loss has resulted in the conservation watch-listing of all four species; the Brazilian tapir is classified as vulnerable, and the Baird's tapir, the mountain tapir, and the Malayan tapir are endangered. The first


title: Tapir content: tapirids, such as "Heptodon", appeared in the early Eocene of North America. They appeared very similar to modern forms, but were about half the size, and lacked the proboscis. The first true tapirs appeared in the Oligocene. By the Miocene, such genera as "Miotapirus" were almost indistinguishable from the extant species. Asian and American tapirs were believed to have diverged around 20 to 30 million years ago; tapirs later migrated from North America to South America around 3 million years ago, as part of the Great American Interchange. For much of their history, tapirs were spread across the Northern Hemisphere,


title: Tapir content: where they became extinct as recently as 10,000 years ago. "T. merriami", "T. veroensis", "T. copei", and "T. californicus" became extinct during the Pleistocene in North America. The giant tapir "Megatapirus" survived until about 4,000 years ago in China. Approximate divergence times based on a 2013 analysis of mtDNA sequences are 0.5 Ma for "T. kabomani" and the "T. terrestris"–"T. pinchaque" clade, 5 Ma for "T. bairdii" and the three South American tapirs and 9 Ma for the "T. indicus" branching. "T. pinchaque" arises from within a paraphyletic complex of "T. terrestris" populations. The tapir may have evolved from the


title: Tapir content: paleothere "Hyracotherium" (once thought to be a primitive horse). The species of tapir have the following chromosomal numbers: The Malayan tapir, the species most isolated geographically from the rest of the genus, has a significantly smaller number of chromosomes and has been found to share fewer homologies with the three types of American tapirs. A number of conserved autosomes (13 between karyotypes of Baird's tapir and the South American tapir, and 15 between Baird's and the mountain tapir) have also been found in the American species that are not found in the Asian animal. However, geographic proximity is not an