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lapwing

(Encyclopedia)lapwing, common name for some members of the family Charadriidae, which includes the plovers. Lapwings are almost all inland or upland birds, found in all temperate and tropical regions except North A...

kagu

(Encyclopedia)kagu käˈgo͞o [key], common name for a long-legged, heronlike bird, Rhynochetos jubatus. It has a loose, gray plumage with darker bandings; broad, rounded wings marked with white, black, and red; an...

Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, 5th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, 5th earl of, 1771–1820, Scottish philanthropist, founder of the Red River Settlement. Emigration to America seemed to him the best solution for the poverty of his countrymen...

Saint Bernard, breed of dog

(Encyclopedia)Saint Bernard, breed of massive working dog developed in Switzerland in the 18th cent. and perfected by British breeders during the 19th cent. It stands from 25 to 29 in. (64–74 cm) high at the shou...

wrasse

(Encyclopedia)wrasse răs [key], common name for a member of the large family Labridae, brilliantly colored fishes found among rocks and kelp in tropical seas. Wrasses, related to the parrotfishes (which are includ...

supernova

(Encyclopedia)supernova, a massive star in the latter stages of stellar evolution that suddenly contracts and then explodes, increasing its energy output as much as a billionfold. Supernovas are the principal distr...

Dewdney, Anna

(Encyclopedia)Dewdney, Anna, 1965–2016, American children's book author and illustrator, b. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., as Anna Elizabeth Luhrmann, B.A. Wellesley, 1987. After illustrating adult and children's books ...

Denison Dam

(Encyclopedia)Denison Dam, 17,200 ft (5,243 m) long, on the Red River along the Texas–Okla. border, NW of Denison, Tex. The dam, built by the U.S. Corps of Engineers for flood control and hydroelectric power, was...

Drew, Charles Richard

(Encyclopedia)Drew, Charles Richard, 1904–50, African-American physician, b. Washington, D.C. A surgeon and a professor at Howard Univ. (1935–36; 1942–50), he developed a means of preserving blood plasma for ...

Basmachi

(Encyclopedia)Basmachi bäsmäˈchē [key], revolt against Communist rule in Central Asia by Muslims and bandits, 1917–30. The Basmachi fought a guerrilla war against the Red Army, leading uprisings in the Fergan...