Melanin

 When you find a feather on the ground, it has probably been molted naturally after a full year of use. If it’s an outer wing feather, like these gull feathers, you might notice that the black tip of the feather is largely intact while the surrounding white parts are far more worn.  This is partially …

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Rigby snap under lever 12 bore

Rigby snap under lever 12 bore with vertical bolt. Early 1890s. The odd comb shape is original according to records. Vintage Guns The condition some of these old 100+ year old guns are in is marvelous.

Ruger No.1

This is an ad but is it shows the No. 1 is still around and sells. It is a favorite of Steve’s and mentioned it in his book, Good Guns, Again.

Senticolis triaspis (Green Rat Snake)

  It’s always fun to see a snake species I haven’t encountered in the wild before… while teaching the Chiricahuas Trees Course last week in southeastern Arizona, participant Cris Falco spotted it crossing the trail, and @forestpathologist yelled back to me about a “green snake”, which I instantly registered as Senticolis triaspis (Green Rat Snake). …

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Apache Trout, Gila Trout

This year, the Apache Trout has been removed from the endangered species list, a significant milestone for this critically endangered species. The Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache) is a freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family (Salmonidae). Native to Arizona, it is renowned for its vibrant coloration and its preference for cold, clear mountain streams and …

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Woodcock

  A CE Monroe image.It is woodcock season and this is a good image that captures some of the feel.Grouse camp starts Oct 17th but l don’t hunt woodcock now. The season is short and there are shot restrictions. Seeing lots this year, however.

Librocubicularist

Truth: A librocubicularist is a person who enjoys reading in bed. The word is considered to have been coined by American author Christopher Morley, who used it in his 1919 novel The Haunted Bookshop. Caroli DuFresne Peterson Trust bibliophiles to come up with a name for it. Leave the dishes. Let the celery rot in …

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Funerary Horse Decorations

Pazyryk culture, a Saka (Central Asian Scythian) nomadic Iron Age archaeological culture (6th-3rd Centuries BC) identified by excavated artifacts and mummified humans found in the Siberian permafrost, in the Altay Mountains, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The mummies are buried in long barrows (kurgans) similar to the tomb mounds of Scythian culture in Ukraine. Pazyryk are considered …

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Mora Moa

Eastern Moa (Emeus crassus) by Caxela The Paleo Page There was talk of reengineering it. We live in strange times.