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In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs. As the interface with the surroundings, it plays the most important role in protecting against pathogens. Its other main functions are insulation and temperature regulation, sensation and vitamin D and B synthesis. Skin is considered one of the most important parts of the body.
Skin has pigmentation, or melanin, provided by melanocytes, which absorb some of the potentially dangerous ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. It also contains DNA repair enzymes which help to reverse UV damage, and people who lack the genes for these enzymes suffer high rates of skin cancer. One form predominantly produced by UV light, malignant melanoma, is particularly invasive, causing it to spread quickly, and can often be deadly. Human skin pigmentation varies among populations in a striking manner. This has sometimes led to the classification of people(s) on the basis of skin color.
Mammalian skin often contains hairs, which in sufficient density is called fur. The hair mainly serves to augment the insulation the skin provides, but can also serve as a secondary sexual characteristic or as camouflage. On some animals the skin is very hard and thick, and can be processed to create leather. Reptiles and fish have hard protective scales on their skin for protection, and birds have hard feathers, all made of tough β-keratins. Amphibian skin is not a strong barrier to passage of chemicals and is often subject to osmosis. A frog sitting in an anesthetic solution will quickly go to sleep.
Damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue, often giving rise to discoloration and depigmentation of the skin.
The skin is often known as "the largest organ of the human body". This applies to exterior surface, as it covers the body, appearing to have the largest surface area of all the organs. Moreover, it applies to weight, as it weighs more than any single internal organ, accounting for about 15 percent of body weight. For the average adult human, the skin has a surface area of between 1.5-2.0 square meters, most of it is between 2-3 mm thick. The average square inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes, and more than a thousand nerve endings.
information credit to: www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/white-squirrel/
What is a White Squirrel?
White squirrels are almost always a white version of the eastern grey squirrel. There are a few types of genetic aberrations that cause the white coats. The first is albinism, caused by a mutation on a gene that codes for pigmentation. Albinos have red eyes. The other is a white morph, caused by a different gene. It is a naturally occurring trait of eastern grey squirrels that is very, very rare. In our study, we’re trying to figure out just how rare.
Why are there white squirrels?
For some odd reason, eastern grey squirrels in the US do have a gene that will make their coats white. It’s somewhat rare to see a white squirrel, though, because white squirrels are likely highly selected against. In other words, predators to squirrels such as hawks really like it when their prey is highlighted white!
There are a few towns in the US, though, that have very high numbers of white squirrels. This could be for a few reasons. First, predators in towns tend to be low. This cancels out the negative selection against the white morph. Sometimes in towns, a few neighbors will also select against the normal coloration of eastern grey squirrel. Yes, that happens. After a few generations, all you get are whites, and they can spread to the rest of the town! Fascinating!
Two pheasants seen near Milnthorpe - one with normal pigmentation and the other with white feathers. Albinism or Leucism is the cause of the lack of pigment in the white pheasant's feathers.
Note the dry skin and dark pigmentation on my knuckles, a side effect of my current chemotherapy. Taken with six-year-expired colour print film, hence the retro look.
via
The skin lightening cream is known by different names. Some people call it bleaching cream since it gets rid of the original color of your skin and gives you a lighter one. Others simply call it as a whitener. Others also refer to it as a brightener. Even with different names, it is known as a touch of beauty. Many people invest in skin lightening because it makes you look fairer. It makes your skin look naturally healthy and beautiful. For special occasions, it also makes your skin a perfect canvas for makeup.
How Does it Work?
What makes these creams work? You may wonder why it comes in different colors, sizes, and prices. What makes one skin or face lightening cream different from the other? What should you look for when choosing the best cream for you? To answer all your questions, you need to understand how a lightening cream works first.
It makes your skin lighter by decreasing the amount of melanin in it. More melanin in your skin can actually darken it. This is a result of genetics, too much sun exposure, imbalance or changes in your hormones, and the use of skin products that have specific chemicals. Skin damages can also cause darkening.
Although these products are primarily used for cosmetic purposes, it is actually used to treat skin abnormalities as well. Professional studies are conducted for skin brightening as treatment, although this purpose is not yet popular among skincare aficionados. It is actually used for those who want to get rid of their freckles, dark spots, acne marks, age spots, skin discoloration, and to make birthmarks and scars less visible.
Whitening your skin naturally
Make an Informed Choice
With pharmacies and grocery isles filled with different kinds of skin lightener, you need to make a wise decision as opposed to going through a trial-and-error process. Here are some factors that you should consider when choosing a bleaching cream for face or any kind of lightening product:
Read – Check the ingredients of the product. If you have special skin condition, make sure to check with your doctor first. If not, you can simply make sure that it does not contain possibly harmful chemicals. Steer clear from mercury, which may appear in the list of ingredients as calomel, mercurous, mercuric, or mercurio.
Another ingredient to be wary of is hydroquinone. Make sure it does not exceed 2%. Also, choose products that do not contain any steroids and artificial coloring.
Popular Natural Ingredients – For natural skin lightening, these are the healthy, natural ingredients that are usually used: Kojic acid, bearberry, lemon juice, mulberry, turmeric powder, whole milk, and liquorice. You can even make your own skin lightening home remedies with these ingredients if you have the time.
Other healthy ingredients that you should look for are Vitamin E oil, Glycolic and Salicylic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, and Alpha Hydoxy Acid. These are the contents of the best skin whitening products. These are great antioxidants that can help get rid of skin impurities, reduce pigmentation for a lighter skin, make skin more elastic, moisturize skin, exfoliate it to get rid of dead cells, and vanish age spots.
Choices
You actually have different choices when it comes to skin whitening. It comes in different forms, colors, sizes and prices. Different studies were conducted to help identify ways on how to expedite and intensify the whitening process. Some of the most popular forms of whitening products are the whitening soap, body lotion, skin lightening cream, and cosmeceuticals.
Whitening soap – Whitening soaps are perhaps the most affordable whitening solutions. The problem is that you can only use them on the outer part of the skin. When you use it, you also rinse it so you cannot count on optimum effects. Some people attest on the effectiveness of their skin whitening soaps.
However, you have to remember that their effects are only to an extent. They don’t have long-term effects and don’t give you optimum whitening results. Still, these soaps are great for maintenance and for minor whitening needs.
Body lotion and lightening creams – Your skin absorbs these lotions and creams so you get better whitening results compared to soaps. Paired with less exposure to the sun and the use of sunscreen, you can get better results. Aside from the natural ingredients mentioned earlier, another popular natural ingredient is papaya. It is also exfoliates skin effectively.
Cosmeceuticals – Studies for these are still ongoing, so you need the assistance of an expert to determine if these work for you. Ensure that there are no complications, if you have other skin or internal organ issues, when planning to use these.
Taking care of your skin
Scar Lightening
Scars are unsightly and even though you cannot get rid of them completely, you can actually lighten them. Just make sure that you follow the directions that come with the whitening product. Apply the cream directly to your scar. Use it about twice a day until it lightens. Be patient as it does not produce your desired results overnight. Also, use sunscreen for protection.
These are the things that you have to remember when choosing the best lightening cream. It is your best ally to achieve a lighter skin.
The post Skin Lightening Cream – Touch of Beauty appeared first on Find The Best Skin Lightening Cream.
skinlighteningcreams.net/skin-lightening-cream-touch-of-b...
We are quite happy to have a nice spring day, though the forcasters are saying it won't last long :( It's a great day to smile anyhow. George developed some coloration on his stomach that looked much like a bruise to me. I might not have noticed except that he has a tattoo on his stomach that you can no longer read all of. So I took him in and he got a clean bill of health, just skin pigmentation, so we are VERY happy about that!
14/52 - 52 Weeks for Dogs (April 5-11)
I missed the shooting from the hip challenge, so I thought I would still give it a try, I liked a lot of the shots that I ended up with so I may have to add it to my bag of tricks, then again I ended up with some pretty not so good shots too...either way it was fun!
A large male sunbathing and cooling itself with sand on Chrystalls Beach, Otago, New Zealand.
New Zealand sea lions are only found in New Zealand. They are one of the rarest species of sea lion in the world and arguably the most threatened because of their declining numbers and restricted breeding range.
Sea lions are found mainly on beaches in Otago and Southland areas and New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands.
Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System the New Zealand sea lions is classed as Nationally Critical, the highest threat classification in New Zealand.
Formerly known as the Hooker's sea lion the species has a blunt nose and short whiskers.
There is a marked difference in appearance between adult males and females.
Mature males are brown to black in colour with well-developed manes reaching to the shoulders.
Females are lighter in colour, predominantly creamy grey with darker pigmentation around their flippers.
Adult females: length 1.6-2.0 m, weight 100-160 kg
Adult males: length 2.4-3.5 m, weight 250-400 kg.
Pups of both sexes are chocolate brown with paler areas around the head. Juvenile males can resemble adult females in colour and size.
Range
Archaeological evidence suggests that NZ sea lions used to be found along the entire length of the NZ coast from the north of the North Island down to Stewart Island and the subantarctic Islands. The finding of sea lion remains in excavations and historical records indicate that both Mäori and European settlers hunted sea lions.
Nowadays NZ sea lions breeding colonies are only found in the Auckland and Campbell Islands (North West Bay of Campbell Island). 79% of the species’ pups are born in three islands of the Auckland Islands (Dundas, Enderby and Figure of Eight). The Auckland Islands sea lion colonies are nevertheless a remnant of what used to be once before the island’s discovery in 1806. Soon after sea lions were exploited for their pelts for a period of 24 years until activities ceased due to the low numbers of animals remaining. It is evident that many New Zealand sea lions were killed during this time but it is unknown exactly how many due to poor and often non-existent record keeping. Occasional killings continued until the late 1880's when the animals were protected by law.
In 1993 a single female, born at the Auckland Islands, started to breed on the Otago peninsula. From 1993 to 2014, 63 pups have been born at the Otago peninsula with the original female's daughter, granddaughters and great-granddaughters now breeding there. Breeding is also occurring in small numbers on Stewart Island.
Haul-out sites are more widespread and extend to Macquarie Island in the south to Stewart Island and the islands of Foveaux Strait.
Sea lions favour sandy beaches as haul-out areas. On warm summer days they will flick sand over themselves to try to keep cool. Females with pups will often move well inland on islands using vegetation or forest for shelter.
Population
Recent population estimates set the total population at about 10,000 and declining. This makes the New Zealand sea lion the rarest sea lion species in the world. Apart from the Australian sea lion (whose population is estimated to be 10,000-15,000), all other sea lion species are in the hundreds of thousands!
Built in 1919-1920, this Chicago School and Sullivanesque-style building was designed by Louis Sullivan for the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank in Columbus, Wisconsin as one of his late-career “jewel box” bank buildings that are largely located in smaller communities throughout the midwest. The building was the last “jewel box bank” designed by Sullivan, and the second-to-last commission of his career, and was intended to communicate the bank as a modern and progressive institution, rather than employing the stodgier and more traditional Classical design found on most other banks of the era. The bank was commissioned by the president of the bank, J. Russell Wheeler, whose wife, Anna May Wheeler, pushed him to commission Sullivan to design a new home for the bank. In addition to Louis Sullivan, the building’s stained glass windows, were designed by architectural decorator Louis J. Millet, and the terra cotta by clay modeler Kristian Schneider, whom developed moulds for the building’s terra cotta, metal, and plaster details. The two artisans worked alongside Sullivan on several other bank projects. The building was heavily documented in Sullivan’s 1924 “A System of Architectural Ornament”, published shortly before he died.
The building is clad in red tapestry brick, which features blue and green mixed with the red clay mixture in some bricks, creating variation in color and texture across the facade. The brick creates a backdrop to some of the best terra cotta on any of Sullivan’s projects. The terra cotta features many of the floral and geometric motifs found on Sullivan’s other works, and is arranged similarly to other Sullivan banks that utilized brick cladding. The building features two principal facades, with a narrower facade along James Street, and a broader facade facing Dickason Boulevard. The James Street facade features two openings close to ground level, with the eastern bay housing a large plate glass window, and the western bay housing a doorway flanked by skylights, both of which are recessed under a large terra cotta architrave and flanked by square pilasters with decorative Sullivanesque ornament panels at the capitals. The architrave above the doorway and window is divided into three segments by vertical terra cotta elements that feature floral motifs and, like many Sullivan buildings, appear like plants with roots, branches, and crowns. The outer panels of the architrave feature circular cartouches with hexagonal trim, leaves, and geometric elements, with circular central medallions featuring the years 1861, when the bank was founded, and 1919, when the bank was completed. The central panel is clad in marble with the words “Farmers & Merchants Union Bank” and “Louis Sullivan, Architect” engraved into the stone with yellow pigmentation, contrasting against the white and green marble background. Atop the two vertical elements on either side of the central panel are griffin sculptures holding shields, a common element on many of Sullivan’s “Jewel Box Banks,” while the base of the outer vertical elements features the initials of the bank at the base. Above the architrave is an arched bay that houses a stained glass window, trimmed with decorative terra cotta at the inner and outer rings of the arch, with the bay becoming more recessed after each concentric arch, much like the entrances to medieval Romanesque churches. Besides a band of belt coursing that runs on either side of the architrave and wraps the corner to a tapered buttress on the Dickason Boulevard facade, the only other adornment is an eagle sculpture on a vertical trim element at the center of the parapet, which terminates many brick courses above the arched opening below, and another band of terra cotta trim along the top of the parapet, which forms a cap on the parapet around the perimeter of the building’s low-slope roof. On the Dickason Boulevard facade, the building features five recessed clerestory arched bays housing stained glass windows, flanked by tapered buttresses. Surrounding the arched tops of the windows are decorative trim panels with floral motifs, which begin just below the base of the arches, and extend up above the top of the arches, terminating in a band of belt coursing. Atop the buttresses at either end are trim elements featuring large spheres atop rectilinear legs with floral motifs below, undulating in and out with the brick below. Additionally, a band of belt coursing, which wraps the corner of Dickson Boulevard and James Street, runs beneath the windows, only interrupted by the buttresses. Toward the back, on the building’s original rear wing, there are three windows at eye level in the original building, with bands of belt coursing below and at the top of the parapet. The rear window is a recessed bay window flanked by two pilasters with sullivanesque terra cotta panels, while the smaller windows are flanked by sullivanesque relief panels. The rear wing features a roof at multiple heights, and was extended in 1961 with a matching addition by Law, Potter and Nystrom, since removed. The rear of the taller portion of the building features a simple recessed bay with an arched window, and a similar eagle sculpture and vertical trim piece as on the front facade.
Inside, the front wing of the building features a tall banking hall with brick cladding on the walls up to the level of the windows, where it terminates at a wooden sill. The space is split down the middle by a row of brick piers and low walls framing the teller cages, which terminate at the sill line of the windows, dividing the space while still allowing it to read as a single continuous lofty space. The brick forms piers at the teller’s cages, pilasters separating desks on the exterior wall, and low brick walls with marble caps. The upper portion of the walls and the coffered ceiling in this space is finished with white plaster, which gives the space a very vertical and airy feeling, as do the cream-colored terrazzo floors, which feature black edges at the base of the walls, tying the space together. The space features a terra cotta water fountain, or bubbler, also designed by sullivan, which features intricate ornament by Schneider. The space also features two mezzanine balconies with metal railings that run below the arched windows at the front and rear of the space, allowing managers to observe the activities in the lobby and teller area below from the rear balcony, while the front balcony exists solely to balance the space and keep it symmetrical. An office for private conferences with customers was originally located near the front of the space, along with a manager’s office, allowing convenience for customers seeking a meeting with the bank management. The teller’s side of the space also housed the bank’s two vaults and several other private offices. The bank originally featured a large meeting room in the one-story rear wing, behind the vaults, with a women’s waiting room sitting along the Dickason Boulevard side of the rear wing, featuring a bay window and a restroom. The building’s interior has changed in function somewhat due to the growth of the bank, changes in bank operations, and expansion of the building with new additions to house offices and a drive-through in the rear.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, and is a contributing structure in the Columbus Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The building saw an addition in 2006, clad in buff brick, which replicated a historic building that formerly stood to the east, and wraps the building to the rear, with a two-story section behind a one-story annex that connects the one-story rear wing of the bank to the new building. This wing replaced older additions made in 1961, which matched the one-story rear wing of the historic building, and 1980, which was modern in appearance and slightly recessed along James Street to give precedence to the historic building. The building still functions as the main office branch of the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank, which has grown substantially. The building has been long considered to be among the best of Sullivan’s “Jewel Box Banks,” and has been kept in excellent condition by the bank’s careful and caring generational stewardship.
This is the same one that I caught inside the house.
One of the more interesting vaejovids, both ecologically and taxonomically, is Pseudouroctonus reddelli (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972), a relatively large, dark-colored species distributed throughout much of central Texas (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972 ; Stockwell 1986). As with other vaejovids, individuals may be found under surface debris such as rocks or logs. However, P. reddelli is unusual in that it is troglophilic, with the majority of specimens having been captured from caves (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972; Stockwell 1986) despite the lack of any obvious adaptations for cave dwelling (such as lack of eyes or pigmentation, or elongated appendages) as seen in troglobitic scorpions. (Brown 1997)
Range "Texas: In caves and canyons/grottoes of the Balcones Escarpment, Hill Country, from Georgetown to Austin to San Antonio to Del Rio. Commonly found under limestone rocks that are in shade of oaks." - Kari J McWest
Geelbekneushoringvoel
(Tockus leucomelas)
Geelbekneushoringvoel
(Tockus leucomelas)
The southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) is a hornbill found in southern Africa. Yellow-billed hornbills feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. This hornbill species is a common and widespread resident of dry thornveldt and broad-leafed woodlands. They can often be seen along roads and water courses.
It is a medium-sized bird, 48–60 centimetres (19–24 in) in length, 132–242 grams (0.291–0.534 lb) in weight and is characterized by a long yellow and down-curved beak. This beak is huge in comparison to its body and can account for up 1/6th of the entire body length. Male beaks are on average 90 mm long while female beaks are an average of 74 mm. Males are generally bigger than females but there is overlap between the sexes. The size difference of the beak is a fairly reliable way of differentiating sex in wild hornbills.
The casque that characterizes all hornbills is of a very modest size in the southern yellow-billed hornbill. It is small, but it covers almost the entire length of the beak in males (less so in females), and may give the impression that they do not actually have a casque. As in all hornbills, the size of the beak actually intrudes on the frontal vision of the bird and the first two neck vertebrae are fused together.
Also, like most other hornbills, they possess a long tail, long eyelashes, stubby legs and stubby toes. The front three toes are fused together near the base.
They have white belly, grey neck, and black back plumage with abundant white spots and stripes. The neck has gray spots and the chest is lightly striated with black. Southern yellow-billed hornbills have no plumage pigmentation save for melanin, which can only produce shades of black and white.[2] The eyes are usually yellow, though brown has also been seen. The skin around the eyes and in the malar stripe is pinkish. The related eastern yellow-billed hornbill from north-eastern Africa has blackish skin around the eyes.
The southern yellow-billed hornbill is active during morning, day and evening. At night, it will sleep high in a tree so it won’t be preyed on. They can be found alone, in couples or in small groups. They generally tend to be loners unless it is breeding season, nesting season or if there is local migration during dry season.
The southern yellow-billed hornbill is often seen searching for food on the ground or in shrubs. It will not dig the ground, but it will overturn debris to find insects. It can also be seen pursuing insects by hopping heavily after it.
They are generally sedentary and they will defend their territories with elaborate displays. However, during the dry season, they will sometimes range widely in order to find food. Couples are usually monogamous and have a clear division of labour between males and females.
They have been known to live for up to 20 years in captivity, though their longevity in the wilds remains unknown.
Wikipedia
approx 2000m, South Chilcotin Mts, British Columbia
from Bryonet by Rod Seppelt regarding purple liverworts - "Such reddish purple pigmentation (anthocyanins) is not unusual in some hepatics when exposed to high incident solar radiation. For example, Cephaloziella varians in a number of continental Antarctic locations (even at 77s latitude), when exposed to direct insolation is a deep blackish purple. Out of direct sunlight it is a rich green. The pigmentation serves to filter the high levels of incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), protecting the photo system from damage. In high summer in Antarctica the PAR can exceed 2000 micro moles/ meter squared/ second and full photosynthesis is achieved at 150-160."
my photos arranged by subject - www.flickr.com/photos/29750062@N06/collections
The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern parts of the United States and some Caribbean islands. Common synonyms include the green anole, American anole and red-throated anole. It is sometimes referred to as the American chameleon due to its color-changing abilities; however, it is not a true chameleon.
This species is native to North America, where it is found mainly in the southeastern parts of the continent. Anoles are most abundant on the Atlantic Coastal Plains in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, and the Gulf Coastal Plain in Texas. The species has been introduced into Hawaii.
Anoles are territorial. In fact some have even been witnessed fighting their own reflection in mirrored glass. Stress in an anole can be identified by several symptoms. These symptoms include a constant shade of brown and a persistent black semicircle behind their eyes and chronic lethargy. In a group of one male and several females some aggressive chasing may occur, but the encounters are short lived and less violent than between males.
During shedding an anole may use its mouth to pull the old skin off and will usually eat it. In addition to discarding their tails, anoles will attempt to bite perceived predators if cornered, which can be somewhat painful, but does not cause much harm other than some scratching of the bite area caused by the lizard's teeth.
When an anole is stressed out, or nervous, they will begin to turn a dark brown. Green means that an anole is happy, healthy, or relaxed. Some anoles, when relaxed, on a hot day will turn a soft yellow-green in color. There are many shades of brown and green. The darker the shade of brown, the more stressed, cold, or possibly ill the lizard is.
Anoles are curious creatures. A healthy lizard usually has a good awareness of its surroundings. The males are very territorial and will fight other males to defend its territory.
The typical breeding season for green anoles starts from as early as April and ends to as late as August and lasts even occasionally into September. It is during this time that the most brilliant displays of these creatures can be seen, as the males must court the females with their elaborate displays of extending their brightly colored dewlaps while bobbing up and down, almost doing a dance for her while she runs in temptation from the male. The pursuit will continue until the two successfully mate. Usually, when the female is ready to mate, she may let the male simply "catch" her and he will thus grasp a hold of a fold of her skin above her neck area, or she will bow her head before him and simply "let" him take his grasp. At this point, the male will position his tail underneath the female's near her vent and the mating ritual will take place.
After a 2–4 week span following mating, the female will lay her first clutch of eggs, usually ranging from 1–2 in the first clutch. She will continue to lay eggs during the season until a total of 10 or so eggs have been produced. When it comes time for her to lay her eggs, she will bury them in the soft soils or compost nearby, and after that she no longer takes any care for it. The egg(s) are left alone to incubate by the light of the sun and if successful will hatch in 30–45 or so days.
The hatchlings must fend for themselves, as anoles are by nature solitary animals since birth and are not cared for by the mother or the father. The young hatchlings must be wary of other adult anoles in the area as well as larger reptiles and mammals who could eat them.
For breeding anoles in captivity, however, for best results the eggs must be taken out of the adults' enclosure and incubated in moist, not wet, vermiculite at a temperature of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit and around 70% humidity. The eggs will hatch within 35–40 or so days.
Once the eggs hatch, the young should be put into their own separate enclosure (separate from the adults), and the enclosure's temps and humidity levels should match that of the adult anoles. Hatchlings can be fed soft-shelled pinhead crickets, small leaf-hoppers, flightless fruit-flies, and other pesticide-free insects that do not exhibit a hard exoskeleton. The same goes true for adults as well. Pesticide-free insects are a must for anoles, so do not go for bugs in the area if you know that pesticides are sprayed or if you live in a rural area with lots of car exhaust and air pollution that can get on the insect.
Generally, the typical coloration for a green anole ranges from the richest and brightest of greens to the darkest of browns, with little variation in between. There are a few exceptions, however, which are caused when a lack in one of the pigment genes occurs. There are three layers of pigment cells – chromatophores that make up the green anole color spectrum: the xanthophores, responsible for the yellow pigmentation; cyanophores, responsible for the blue pigmentation, and melanophores, responsible for the brown and black pigmentation. The combination of the xanthophores and cyanophores are what make up the different arrays of green seen in the green anole, whereas the melanophores are responsible for its change to brown when the anole is cold or stressed. When there is a lack of one of these pigments, color mutations, also called "phases," can occur. In particular, this can lead to the incidence of the rare and beautiful blue-phased green anole, which lacks xanthophores, or the yellow pigment that makes up the green hues of the green anole's color spectrum. What results is a blue, often baby or pastel blue, anole. These rare beauties have become a recent popularity in the trade market. When the anole is completely lacking xanthophores, however, it is said to be axanthic. Such individuals are often completely pastel or baby-blue in hue, however are extremely rare -- usually produced in 1 out of every 20,000 individual anoles in the wild. Other color phases can also occur, such as the yellow-phased green anole, which lacks cyanophores, which are responsible for the blue pigment in the green anole color spectrum. However, none are as popular or as brilliant as the blue-phased green anole. Colonies of these rare color-phased anoles have been reported, but anoles with these color mutations rarely live for long, since the green anole relies on its green and brown camouflage to hunt down prey as well as hide from predators.
The Brown Anole is a highly invasive lizard in the same genus as the Carolina anole. It is native to Cuba and several other Caribbean islands, but has been introduced in Florida and has spread through the state. It has seriously depleted the population of carolina anoles throughout its range, due to competing with them for food and habitat. Some think that these lizards spread when they laid their eggs in potted plants at nurseries, which were then shipped throughout the state.
The information above was gathered from Wikipedia.
Scarlet Ibis at Poznan Zoological Gardens (Eudocimus ruber; Ibis szkarlatny; Stare zoo w Poznaniu). A juvenile Scarlet Ibis is brown with a white belly and rump (intense pink in shade, completely scarlet adults, except for black tips on their wings). The extremely fantastic birds inhabit tropical, northern South America, mostly along the coastline and the islands of the Caribbean, and nest in trees, laying two to four pale green eggs with brown streaks. By the age of 2 years, the young ibises are transformed into their scarlet coloration. Birds in zoos in some cases lose a few of their color, because these birds get their bright color from the food they consume.
Lex belongs to my sister- and brother-in-law. A white boxer may have spotted skin pigmentation and may be prone to deafness. Lex is deaf, but a good boy nonetheless.
See it on Fluidr: www.fluidr.com/photos/38152864@N06.
1. flickr.com/photos/99179113@N00/7403839084/, 2. I do not trust people who don't love themselves and yet tell me, 'I love you.' There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt., 3. Everyone has their weak spot. The one thing that, despite your best efforts, will always bring you to your knees, regardless of how strong you are otherwise., 4. She waited for the train to pass. Then she said, "I sometimes think that people’s hearts are like deep wells. Nobody knows what’s at the bottom. All you can do is imagine by what comes floating to, 5. When angry, count four. When very angry, swear., 6. Somehow she knew that you didn't get many moments like this in your life:, 7. flickr.com/photos/99179113@N00/6338181488/, 8. I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.,
9. The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful., 10. I close my eyes, thinking that there is nothing like an embrace after an absence, nothing like fitting my face into the curve of his shoulder and filling my lungs with the scent of him., 11. A good heart is better than all the heads in the world., 12. Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience., 13. If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot see the beauty of the sunset., 14. A person is neither whole nor healthy without the memories of photo albums. They are the storybook of our lives. They provide a nostalgic escape from the tormented days of the present., 15. Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think., 16. The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.,
17. a muse posing with natural light, 18. Everything vanishes around me, and works are born as if out of the void. Ripe, graphic fruits fall off. My hand has become the obedient instrument of a remote will., 19. Every cloud has its silver lining but it is sometimes a little difficult to get it to the mint., 20. the (in)tangible comfort of visual poetry, 21. To read between the lines was easier than to follow the text., 22. ~ the heart is forever inexperienced ~, 23. there's a third part to every two people that doesn't exist when they are seperate, 24. holding space,
25. i do not tire, 26. When everyone else sits, poetry stands., 27. The man who has experienced shipwreck shudders even at a calm sea., 28. picking up pieces... remembering you.. smiling..., 29. What we learn with pleasure we never forget., 30. If hands could you free you, heart, Where would you fly?, 31. There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature., 32. no one can undo what a poet does.,
33. belonging, 34. Dreams have only the pigmentation of fact., 35. wrong way, 36. needling, 37. echo, 38. bordered by blue i fly away, 39. remember:, 40. leftovers,
41. sun sets on 2007, 42. graham did not arrive by ural, 43. back on beach, 44. family and friends, 45. bloomin' cactus, 46. OPA! Are you up to it?, 47. Through the park, 48. Desert sunset
Created with fd's Flickr Toys
These cichlids were abundant in Lake Tanganyika. They were often followed by smaller fish, hoping to catch a meal from the wake of their effective sand-sifting mouths. They are maternal mouthbrooders, and undergo impressive pigmentation and behavioural changes when courting.
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The Postcard
A Valentine's Series postcard featuring an image which is a glossy real photograph.
The card was posted in Grantham, Lincs. on Wednesday the 26th. September 1962 to:
Miss H. Douglas,
4 Townsend,
Woodford Halse,
Rugby,
Warwicks.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"We had a grand day
here yesterday. Weather
better than at Whitby -
considerably warmer.
Went to Skegness for
the day on Monday.
Good weather there.
No plans for the rest
of the week.
Going to Nottingham
on Saturday.
With lots of love,
J. A. & C."
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire with a population of 38,372 in 2020. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th. century, with fishing as its original industry, then developing into a resort in the 19th century.
The town lies on the Greenwich meridian, and its average annual rainfall is amongst the lowest in the British Isles.
In 2021, The Trainline named Cleethorpes beach the second best seaside destination in the UK that is reachable by train, just behind Margate.
Gregory Crewdson
So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?
Well, the 26th. September 1962 marked the birth of Gregory Crewdson. Gregory is a fine-art photographer, landscape photographer, and professor. He specialises in photographing tableaux of American homes and neighbourhoods.
Crewdson was born in the Park Slope neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York. He attended John Dewey High School, graduating early.
As a teenager, he was part of a punk rock group called The Speedies that hit the New York scene. Their song, 'Let Me Take Your Photo' proved to be prophetic to Crewdson's future career. In 2005, Hewlett Packard used the song in advertisements to promote its digital cameras.
At Purchase College, State University of New York, he began experimenting with photography, although not yet taking it seriously, Crewdson only saw it as a creative outlet and hobby.
Gaining school recognition and a growing interest for art, he graduated from SUNY Purchase and later attended Yale University receiving his Master of Fine Arts. His senior thesis embodied everyday life through portraiture of Lee, Massachusetts residents, the same location that later inspired his first series Natural Wonder from 1992 to 1997.
He has taught at Sarah Lawrence, Cooper Union, Vassar College, and Yale University, where he has been on the faculty since 1993. He is now a professor at the Yale University School of Art.
In 2012, he was the subject of the feature documentary film Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters. The film series followed the construction and the behind-the-scenes explanation from Crewdson himself of his thought process and vision for his pieces of his collection Beneath the Roses.
Crewdson is represented by Gagosian Gallery worldwide and by the White Cube Gallery in London.
-- Crewdson's Style
Crewdson's photographs usually take place in small-town America, but are dramatic and cinematic. They feature often disturbing, surreal events. His photographs are elaborately staged and lit using crews familiar with motion picture production and lighting large scenes using motion picture film equipment and techniques.
He has cited the films Vertigo, The Night of the Hunter, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blue Velvet, and Safe as having influenced his style, as well as the painter Edward Hopper and photographer Diane Arbus.
Crewdson's photography became a mix between his formal photography education and his experimentation with the ethereal perspective of life and death, a mix of lively pigmentation and morbid details within a traditional suburbia setting.
Crewdson was unknowingly in the making of the Pleasures and Terrors of Domestic Comfort exhibition of the Museum of Modern Art, earning him a following both from his previous educators and what would become his future agents and promoters of his work.
The grotesque yet beautifully created scenes were just the beginning of Crewdson's work, all affected with the same narrative mystery he was so inspired by in his childhood and keen eye for the surreal within the regular.
Gregory Crewdson's most recognized and iconic collection is Beneath the Roses, similar to his previous projects, its haunted urgency and profound dislocation from the audience is uncomfortable yet familiar.
Beneath the Roses was aimed to capture cinematic production in the stillness of one picture. With a budget similar to that of a small movie production, each image involved hundreds of people and weeks to months of planning.
Crewdson explored the idea of challenging tradition with experimentation of his title outside of the U.S. at the abandoned Cinecittá studios outside of Rome. Known for its mysterious stillness and emptied character, the set was new to Crewdson's typical use of subject and storyline but reflected the same balance and organic nature of a created set turned into an art piece.
After years of exploring the idea of cinematic photography, Sanctuary was Crewdson's return to photography, his original hobby and technical training.
Most recently, Crewdson has created Cathedral of the Pines, similar to Beneath the Roses and Twilight, a distanced interpretation of exaggerated drama by an intervention into natural in its most synergetic state. The collection was shown at Gagosian Gallery in New York City. The collection returns to his early photographic origins in Becket, Massachusetts set deep in the woods far from familiarity of subject and setting.
Built in 1919-1920, this Chicago School and Sullivanesque-style building was designed by Louis Sullivan for the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank in Columbus, Wisconsin as one of his late-career “jewel box” bank buildings that are largely located in smaller communities throughout the midwest. The building was the last “jewel box bank” designed by Sullivan, and the second-to-last commission of his career, and was intended to communicate the bank as a modern and progressive institution, rather than employing the stodgier and more traditional Classical design found on most other banks of the era. The bank was commissioned by the president of the bank, J. Russell Wheeler, whose wife, Anna May Wheeler, pushed him to commission Sullivan to design a new home for the bank. In addition to Louis Sullivan, the building’s stained glass windows, were designed by architectural decorator Louis J. Millet, and the terra cotta by clay modeler Kristian Schneider, whom developed moulds for the building’s terra cotta, metal, and plaster details. The two artisans worked alongside Sullivan on several other bank projects. The building was heavily documented in Sullivan’s 1924 “A System of Architectural Ornament”, published shortly before he died.
The building is clad in red tapestry brick, which features blue and green mixed with the red clay mixture in some bricks, creating variation in color and texture across the facade. The brick creates a backdrop to some of the best terra cotta on any of Sullivan’s projects. The terra cotta features many of the floral and geometric motifs found on Sullivan’s other works, and is arranged similarly to other Sullivan banks that utilized brick cladding. The building features two principal facades, with a narrower facade along James Street, and a broader facade facing Dickason Boulevard. The James Street facade features two openings close to ground level, with the eastern bay housing a large plate glass window, and the western bay housing a doorway flanked by skylights, both of which are recessed under a large terra cotta architrave and flanked by square pilasters with decorative Sullivanesque ornament panels at the capitals. The architrave above the doorway and window is divided into three segments by vertical terra cotta elements that feature floral motifs and, like many Sullivan buildings, appear like plants with roots, branches, and crowns. The outer panels of the architrave feature circular cartouches with hexagonal trim, leaves, and geometric elements, with circular central medallions featuring the years 1861, when the bank was founded, and 1919, when the bank was completed. The central panel is clad in marble with the words “Farmers & Merchants Union Bank” and “Louis Sullivan, Architect” engraved into the stone with yellow pigmentation, contrasting against the white and green marble background. Atop the two vertical elements on either side of the central panel are griffin sculptures holding shields, a common element on many of Sullivan’s “Jewel Box Banks,” while the base of the outer vertical elements features the initials of the bank at the base. Above the architrave is an arched bay that houses a stained glass window, trimmed with decorative terra cotta at the inner and outer rings of the arch, with the bay becoming more recessed after each concentric arch, much like the entrances to medieval Romanesque churches. Besides a band of belt coursing that runs on either side of the architrave and wraps the corner to a tapered buttress on the Dickason Boulevard facade, the only other adornment is an eagle sculpture on a vertical trim element at the center of the parapet, which terminates many brick courses above the arched opening below, and another band of terra cotta trim along the top of the parapet, which forms a cap on the parapet around the perimeter of the building’s low-slope roof. On the Dickason Boulevard facade, the building features five recessed clerestory arched bays housing stained glass windows, flanked by tapered buttresses. Surrounding the arched tops of the windows are decorative trim panels with floral motifs, which begin just below the base of the arches, and extend up above the top of the arches, terminating in a band of belt coursing. Atop the buttresses at either end are trim elements featuring large spheres atop rectilinear legs with floral motifs below, undulating in and out with the brick below. Additionally, a band of belt coursing, which wraps the corner of Dickson Boulevard and James Street, runs beneath the windows, only interrupted by the buttresses. Toward the back, on the building’s original rear wing, there are three windows at eye level in the original building, with bands of belt coursing below and at the top of the parapet. The rear window is a recessed bay window flanked by two pilasters with sullivanesque terra cotta panels, while the smaller windows are flanked by sullivanesque relief panels. The rear wing features a roof at multiple heights, and was extended in 1961 with a matching addition by Law, Potter and Nystrom, since removed. The rear of the taller portion of the building features a simple recessed bay with an arched window, and a similar eagle sculpture and vertical trim piece as on the front facade.
Inside, the front wing of the building features a tall banking hall with brick cladding on the walls up to the level of the windows, where it terminates at a wooden sill. The space is split down the middle by a row of brick piers and low walls framing the teller cages, which terminate at the sill line of the windows, dividing the space while still allowing it to read as a single continuous lofty space. The brick forms piers at the teller’s cages, pilasters separating desks on the exterior wall, and low brick walls with marble caps. The upper portion of the walls and the coffered ceiling in this space is finished with white plaster, which gives the space a very vertical and airy feeling, as do the cream-colored terrazzo floors, which feature black edges at the base of the walls, tying the space together. The space features a terra cotta water fountain, or bubbler, also designed by sullivan, which features intricate ornament by Schneider. The space also features two mezzanine balconies with metal railings that run below the arched windows at the front and rear of the space, allowing managers to observe the activities in the lobby and teller area below from the rear balcony, while the front balcony exists solely to balance the space and keep it symmetrical. An office for private conferences with customers was originally located near the front of the space, along with a manager’s office, allowing convenience for customers seeking a meeting with the bank management. The teller’s side of the space also housed the bank’s two vaults and several other private offices. The bank originally featured a large meeting room in the one-story rear wing, behind the vaults, with a women’s waiting room sitting along the Dickason Boulevard side of the rear wing, featuring a bay window and a restroom. The building’s interior has changed in function somewhat due to the growth of the bank, changes in bank operations, and expansion of the building with new additions to house offices and a drive-through in the rear.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, and is a contributing structure in the Columbus Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The building saw an addition in 2006, clad in buff brick, which replicated a historic building that formerly stood to the east, and wraps the building to the rear, with a two-story section behind a one-story annex that connects the one-story rear wing of the bank to the new building. This wing replaced older additions made in 1961, which matched the one-story rear wing of the historic building, and 1980, which was modern in appearance and slightly recessed along James Street to give precedence to the historic building. The building still functions as the main office branch of the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank, which has grown substantially. The building has been long considered to be among the best of Sullivan’s “Jewel Box Banks,” and has been kept in excellent condition by the bank’s careful and caring generational stewardship.
Spinecheek Anemonefish - Premnas biaculeatus. This species varies dramatically in colour according to the pigmentation of the anemone in which it lives. It has a sharp spine just below and behind the eye on each side.
Peacock feather. Peacocks are known for their bright colors. However, when their feathers are wet they appear brown which indicates that the bright colors aren’t a result of pigmentation. Something else is going on! Peacocks achieve its stunning plumage display through structural coloration, more commonly known as iridescence. Structural coloration results from a lightwave interaction with the surface. The light can be reflected, refracted, or sometimes both, and the effect is angle dependent. Depending on the angle and the wavelength, lightwaves may constructively or destructively interfere with each other resulting in different colors and brightness.
information credit to: www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/white-squirrel/
What is a White Squirrel?
White squirrels are almost always a white version of the eastern grey squirrel. There are a few types of genetic aberrations that cause the white coats. The first is albinism, caused by a mutation on a gene that codes for pigmentation. Albinos have red eyes. The other is a white morph, caused by a different gene. It is a naturally occurring trait of eastern grey squirrels that is very, very rare. In our study, we’re trying to figure out just how rare.
Why are there white squirrels?
For some odd reason, eastern grey squirrels in the US do have a gene that will make their coats white. It’s somewhat rare to see a white squirrel, though, because white squirrels are likely highly selected against. In other words, predators to squirrels such as hawks really like it when their prey is highlighted white!
There are a few towns in the US, though, that have very high numbers of white squirrels. This could be for a few reasons. First, predators in towns tend to be low. This cancels out the negative selection against the white morph. Sometimes in towns, a few neighbors will also select against the normal coloration of eastern grey squirrel. Yes, that happens. After a few generations, all you get are whites, and they can spread to the rest of the town! Fascinating!
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[order] CICONIIFORMES | [family] Ardeidae | [latin] Nycticorax nycticorax | [UK] Black-crowned Night-Heron | [FR] Bihoreau gris | [DE] Nachtreiher | [ES] Martinete Comun | [NL] Kwak
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 98 cm
spanwidth max.: 110 cm
size min.: 58 cm
size max.: 65 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 21 days
incubation max.: 22 days
fledging min.: 40 days
fledging max.: 22 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 2
eggs max.: 7
Genus description
Ixobrychus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae. It has a single representative species in each of North America, South America, Eurasia and Australasia. The tropical species are largely resident, but the two northern species are partially migratory, with many birds moving south to warmer areas in winter. The Ixobrychus bitterns are all small species, their four larger relatives being in the genus Botaurus. They breed in large reedbeds, and can often be difficult to observe except for occasional flight views due to their secretive behaviour.
Physical characteristics
The adult has distinctive coloring, with black cap, upper back and scapulars; gray wings, rump and tail; and white to pale gray underparts. The bill is stout and black, and the eyes are red. For most of the year, the legs of the adult are yellow-green, but by the height of the breeding season, they have turned pink. The eyes of the juvenile black-crowned night heron are yellowish or amber, and the dull gray legs lack the colorful pigmentation of those of the adult. The juvenile has a brown head, neck, chest and belly streaked with buff and white. The wings and back are darker brown, though the tips of the feathers have large white spots. These spots are particularly large on the greater secondary coverts. The young do not acquire full adult plumage until the third year.
Habitat
Fresh, salt or brackish water, areas with aquatic vegetation or on forested margins of shallow rivers, streams, pools, ponds, lakes, swamps and mangroves. Feeding in dry land and along marine coasts. Roosts in leafy trees: pine, oak, mangroves, etc, or bamboo.
Feeding
The black-crowned night heron is an opportunistic feeder. Its diet consists mainly of fish, though it is frequently rounded out by other items such as leeches, earthworms, aquatic and terrestrial insects. It also eats crayfish, mussels, squid, amphibians, lizards, snakes, rodents, birds, eggs, carrion, plant materials, and garbage and refuse at landfills. It is usually a solitary forager, and it strongly defends its feeding territory. The night heron prefers to feed in shallow waters, where it grasps its prey with its bill instead of stabbing it. A technique called 'bill vibrating'--which is opening and closing the bill rapidly in water--creates a disturbance which may lure prey. Evening to early morning are the usual times it feeds, but when food is in high demand, such as during the breeding season, it will feed at any time of the day.
Conservation [conservation status from birdlife.org]
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Nycticorax nycticorax is a widespread summer visitor to much of the southern half of Europe, which accounts for less than a quarter of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is relatively small (<87,000 pairs), and underwent a moderate decline between 1970-1990. Although the species was stable overall during 1990-2000-with stable, fluctuating or increasing trends across the vast majority of its European range-its population has not yet recovered to the level that preceded its decline.
A species with a worldwide distribution, known to breed in isolated areas of south-western, southern and Eastern Europe. Most of these birds are migratory and winter in Sub-Saharan Africa. The population of the European Union amounts to 25200-28200 breeding pairs, which represents 40-50% of the total European population. Notwithstanding the important Italian population is increasing, a decline is noticed in several regions, including the Netherlands, France and Greece following destruction of wetlands
Breeding
Black-crowned night herons are presumed to be monogamous. Pair formations are signaled by males becoming aggressive and performing snap displays, in which they walk around in a crouched position, head lowered, snapping their mandibles together or grasping a twig. The snap display is followed by the advertisement display to attract females. In this display a male stretches his neck out and bobs his head, and when his head is level with his feet, he gives a snap-hiss vocalization. Twig-shaking and preening may be occur between songs. It has been suggested that these displays provide social stimulus to other birds, prompting them to display. This stimultion in colonial species may be crucial for successful reproduction. Females that come near the displaying male are rejected at first, but eventually a female is allowed to enter his territory. The newly-formed pair then allopreens (cleaning each other) and engages in mutual billing. At the time of pair formation, the legs of both sexes turn pink. Copulation usually takes place on or near the nest, and begins the first or second day after the pair is formed.
There is one brood per season. Black-crowned night herons nest colonially, and often there can be more than a dozen nests in one tree. The nest is built near the trunk of a tree or in the fork of branches, either in the open or deep in foliage. The male initiates nest building by beginning to build a new nest or refurbishing an old one. The nest is usually a platform lined with roots and grass. During and after pair formation, the male collects sticks and presents them to the female, who works them into the nest. The male's twig ceremony gradually changes to nest building.
The eggs are laid at 2 day intervals, beginning 4-5 days after pair formation. Incubation, which lasts 24-26 days, is carried out by both adults. The clutch size is 3-5 eggs. The eggs are greenest on the first day and fade to pale blue or green after that. On hot days, the parents wet their feathers, perhaps to keep the eggs cool. Both parents brood the young. After 2 weeks, the young leave the nest, although they don't go far. By 3 weeks, they can be found clustered at the tops of trees if they are disturbed. By Week 6-7 they fly well and depart for the feeding grounds. Adult black-crowned night herons do not recognize their own young and will accept and brood young from other nests. The young have a tendancy to regurgitate their food onto intruders when disturbed.
Migration
Migratory and dispersive. In July-August juveniles disperse in all directions, mostly north and west of colonies. This dispersal merges into autumn migration which in Europe lasts through September and October; some linger into December in North Africa. Overwhelming majority of west Palearctic birds winter in tropical Africa where southern limits unknown as resident breeding population present. Rather early return to west Palearctic colonies, from mid-March with most back by mid-April.
Built in 1919-1920, this Chicago School and Sullivanesque-style building was designed by Louis Sullivan for the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank in Columbus, Wisconsin as one of his late-career “jewel box” bank buildings that are largely located in smaller communities throughout the midwest. The building was the last “jewel box bank” designed by Sullivan, and the second-to-last commission of his career, and was intended to communicate the bank as a modern and progressive institution, rather than employing the stodgier and more traditional Classical design found on most other banks of the era. The bank was commissioned by the president of the bank, J. Russell Wheeler, whose wife, Anna May Wheeler, pushed him to commission Sullivan to design a new home for the bank. In addition to Louis Sullivan, the building’s stained glass windows, were designed by architectural decorator Louis J. Millet, and the terra cotta by clay modeler Kristian Schneider, whom developed moulds for the building’s terra cotta, metal, and plaster details. The two artisans worked alongside Sullivan on several other bank projects. The building was heavily documented in Sullivan’s 1924 “A System of Architectural Ornament”, published shortly before he died.
The building is clad in red tapestry brick, which features blue and green mixed with the red clay mixture in some bricks, creating variation in color and texture across the facade. The brick creates a backdrop to some of the best terra cotta on any of Sullivan’s projects. The terra cotta features many of the floral and geometric motifs found on Sullivan’s other works, and is arranged similarly to other Sullivan banks that utilized brick cladding. The building features two principal facades, with a narrower facade along James Street, and a broader facade facing Dickason Boulevard. The James Street facade features two openings close to ground level, with the eastern bay housing a large plate glass window, and the western bay housing a doorway flanked by skylights, both of which are recessed under a large terra cotta architrave and flanked by square pilasters with decorative Sullivanesque ornament panels at the capitals. The architrave above the doorway and window is divided into three segments by vertical terra cotta elements that feature floral motifs and, like many Sullivan buildings, appear like plants with roots, branches, and crowns. The outer panels of the architrave feature circular cartouches with hexagonal trim, leaves, and geometric elements, with circular central medallions featuring the years 1861, when the bank was founded, and 1919, when the bank was completed. The central panel is clad in marble with the words “Farmers & Merchants Union Bank” and “Louis Sullivan, Architect” engraved into the stone with yellow pigmentation, contrasting against the white and green marble background. Atop the two vertical elements on either side of the central panel are griffin sculptures holding shields, a common element on many of Sullivan’s “Jewel Box Banks,” while the base of the outer vertical elements features the initials of the bank at the base. Above the architrave is an arched bay that houses a stained glass window, trimmed with decorative terra cotta at the inner and outer rings of the arch, with the bay becoming more recessed after each concentric arch, much like the entrances to medieval Romanesque churches. Besides a band of belt coursing that runs on either side of the architrave and wraps the corner to a tapered buttress on the Dickason Boulevard facade, the only other adornment is an eagle sculpture on a vertical trim element at the center of the parapet, which terminates many brick courses above the arched opening below, and another band of terra cotta trim along the top of the parapet, which forms a cap on the parapet around the perimeter of the building’s low-slope roof. On the Dickason Boulevard facade, the building features five recessed clerestory arched bays housing stained glass windows, flanked by tapered buttresses. Surrounding the arched tops of the windows are decorative trim panels with floral motifs, which begin just below the base of the arches, and extend up above the top of the arches, terminating in a band of belt coursing. Atop the buttresses at either end are trim elements featuring large spheres atop rectilinear legs with floral motifs below, undulating in and out with the brick below. Additionally, a band of belt coursing, which wraps the corner of Dickson Boulevard and James Street, runs beneath the windows, only interrupted by the buttresses. Toward the back, on the building’s original rear wing, there are three windows at eye level in the original building, with bands of belt coursing below and at the top of the parapet. The rear window is a recessed bay window flanked by two pilasters with sullivanesque terra cotta panels, while the smaller windows are flanked by sullivanesque relief panels. The rear wing features a roof at multiple heights, and was extended in 1961 with a matching addition by Law, Potter and Nystrom, since removed. The rear of the taller portion of the building features a simple recessed bay with an arched window, and a similar eagle sculpture and vertical trim piece as on the front facade.
Inside, the front wing of the building features a tall banking hall with brick cladding on the walls up to the level of the windows, where it terminates at a wooden sill. The space is split down the middle by a row of brick piers and low walls framing the teller cages, which terminate at the sill line of the windows, dividing the space while still allowing it to read as a single continuous lofty space. The brick forms piers at the teller’s cages, pilasters separating desks on the exterior wall, and low brick walls with marble caps. The upper portion of the walls and the coffered ceiling in this space is finished with white plaster, which gives the space a very vertical and airy feeling, as do the cream-colored terrazzo floors, which feature black edges at the base of the walls, tying the space together. The space features a terra cotta water fountain, or bubbler, also designed by sullivan, which features intricate ornament by Schneider. The space also features two mezzanine balconies with metal railings that run below the arched windows at the front and rear of the space, allowing managers to observe the activities in the lobby and teller area below from the rear balcony, while the front balcony exists solely to balance the space and keep it symmetrical. An office for private conferences with customers was originally located near the front of the space, along with a manager’s office, allowing convenience for customers seeking a meeting with the bank management. The teller’s side of the space also housed the bank’s two vaults and several other private offices. The bank originally featured a large meeting room in the one-story rear wing, behind the vaults, with a women’s waiting room sitting along the Dickason Boulevard side of the rear wing, featuring a bay window and a restroom. The building’s interior has changed in function somewhat due to the growth of the bank, changes in bank operations, and expansion of the building with new additions to house offices and a drive-through in the rear.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, and is a contributing structure in the Columbus Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The building saw an addition in 2006, clad in buff brick, which replicated a historic building that formerly stood to the east, and wraps the building to the rear, with a two-story section behind a one-story annex that connects the one-story rear wing of the bank to the new building. This wing replaced older additions made in 1961, which matched the one-story rear wing of the historic building, and 1980, which was modern in appearance and slightly recessed along James Street to give precedence to the historic building. The building still functions as the main office branch of the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank, which has grown substantially. The building has been long considered to be among the best of Sullivan’s “Jewel Box Banks,” and has been kept in excellent condition by the bank’s careful and caring generational stewardship.
Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon) is a shallow salt lake in the southwest of the altiplano of Bolivia, within Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and close to the border with Chile.
The reddish color of its waters, which is caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae.
The birds which can be seen in some of the pictures are flamingos.
Details best viewed in Original Size.
I photographed this white Tiger (using negative film) in the lobby of the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas back when Siegfried & Roy were giving filled-to-capacity performances. Many years later I digitized this image and others via an Epson Perfection 3170 photo scanner.
The white tiger or bleached tiger is a pigmentation variant of the mainland Asian tiger. It is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, in the Sunderbans region and especially in the former State of Rewa. It has the typical black stripes of a tiger, but its coat is otherwise white or near white. The white Bengal tigers are distinctive due to the color of their fur. The white fur is caused by a lack of the pigment, which is found in Bengal tigers with orange color fur. When compared to Bengal tigers, the white Bengal tigers tend to grow faster and heavier than the orange Bengal tiger. They also tend to be somewhat bigger at birth, and as fully grown adults. White Bengal tigers are fully grown when they are 2–3 years of age. White male tigers reach weights of 440 to 510 lbs. (200 to 230 kg) and can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) in length. As with all tigers, the white Bengal tiger's stripes are like fingerprints, with no two tigers having the same pattern. The stripes of the tiger are a pigmentation of the skin; if an individual were to be shaved, its distinctive coat pattern would still be visible. For a white Bengal tiger to be born, both parents must carry the unusual gene for white coloring, which only happens naturally about once in 10,000 births. Dark-striped white individuals are well-documented in the Bengal tiger subspecies (Panthera tigris) as well as having been reported historically in several other subspecies. Currently, several hundred white tigers are in captivity worldwide, with about one hundred being found in India. Their unique white color fur has made them popular in entertainment showcasing exotic animals, and at zoos. Their rarity could be because the recessive allele is the result of a one-time mutation or because white tigers lack adequate camouflage, reducing their ability to stalk prey or avoid other predators and thus survive in the wild.
Because of the extreme rarity of the white tiger allele in the wild, the breeding pool was limited to the small number of white tigers in captivity. According to Kailash Sankhala, the last white tiger ever seen in the wild was shot in 1958. Today there is a large number of white tigers in captivity. A white Amur tiger may have been born at Center Hill and has given rise to a strain of white Amur tigers. A man named Robert Baudy realized that his tigers had white genes when a tiger he sold to Marwell Zoo in England developed white spots and bred them accordingly. The Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa Bay had four of these white Amur tigers, descended from Robert Baudy's stock. To preserve more genetic diversity and avoid genetic defects, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums barred member zoos from intentionally breeding to produce white tigers, white lions, or king cheetahs in a white paper adopted by the board of directors in July 2011. The paper explains that selecting for or against any particular allele would result in a loss of genetic diversity. Instead, the alleles should be maintained at their natural frequencies. Inbreeding to produce abnormal appearances can also produce congenital defects that impact health and welfare. Sometimes the traits themselves can cause problems, such as albinism's visual and neural effects. Additionally, animals with an abnormal appearance do not serve as well as ambassadors for their species in the zoos' mission to educate the public.
Additional information may be obtained at Wikipedia.
A friend contacted me two weeks ago regarding a spike he had been watching, in that he believed it to be of a Violet Helleborine that lacked any colouring. And last week it began to flower, showing the pale, colourless flowers and green stem. As a plant it looks incredible, and easily mistake for a BLH but the leaves are the wrong shape, of course.
So, plans were made to meet on Sunday.
In the meantime, a friend the other side of the country mailed me to let me know the plant's location as he had heard from another friend.
Nothing much stays a secret in the orchid world.
We were to meet up, the walk the short path to the orchids, and for me, not that much of a drive.
I left at eight so to be in time, and now that Jubilee Way was open again after the fuel spill on Friday, going was easy.
Up the motorway before turning off, going up, ever-narrower lanes until I came to a layby where Ian was waiting, so we chatted while we waited for Terry to arrive.
It was Terry that found the plant and would lead us there.
Across a clearing and into the wood, and away from any other orchids was the triple spike of a Violet Helleborine without colour.
There is a named variant that lacks chlorophyll called var. rosa, but is lacking in pigmentation. Many plants have this too, many orchids too.
We took shots with and without lights, some came out better than others. And that was that, half an hour done and we were done.
My plan had been to head back to Barham to look at the Violet Helleborines there, I just had to find my way back to the motorway.
I retraced my steps back to the motorway, or the roundabout before it, and saw on the sign the way to the tunnel. It did say Dartford, but I just saw tunnel, must have told myself it was the Channel Tunnel, only when back on the motorway I realised I was heading in the wrong direction, and the distance to the Dartford Tunnel was just over 20 miles.
Sigh.
I got off at the next junction, and all I had to do was go round the roundabout, all the way round, and then be right.
But there was traffic, and roadworks, and a two minute trip round it took half an hour, even then I had to drive on the verge to make it to the on ramp.
My second mistake was thinking I knew the way to Barham the back road way from Stone Street. Once off Stne Street there is a maze of lanes going up and down downs, through woods and past isolated farms. They all look the same.
I ended up driving along a lane so little uses the grass either side of the tyre tracks was six inches high. The road less travelled indeed.
I got to Kingston at half eleven, clouds were rolling in and my heart wasn't in it, so I went home, out onto the A2, then down through Coldred and Langdon to St Maggies.
Lunch was burgers. And beer.
So when the afternoon came I could watch football. Three games back to back, though I slept through most of Leeds v Cardiff. Sunderland v Ipswich ended in an away win, as Town really grew into the game and won 2-1.
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The Small Tortoiseshell is one of our most-familiar butterflies, appearing in gardens throughout the British Isles. Unfortunately, this butterfly has suffered a worrying decline, especially in the south, over the last few years. This butterfly has always fluctuated in numbers, but the cause of a recent decline is not yet known, although various theories have been proposed. One is the increasing presence of a particular parasitic fly, Sturmia bella, due to global warming - this species being common on the continent. The fly lays its eggs on leaves of the foodplant, close to where larvae are feeding. The tiny eggs are then eaten whole by the larvae and the grubs that emerge feed on the insides of their host, avoiding the vital organs. A fly grub eventually kills its host and emerges from either the fully-grown larva or pupa before itself pupating. Although the fly attacks related species, such as the Peacock and Red Admiral, it is believed that the lifecycle of the Small Tortoiseshell is better-synchronised with that of the fly and it is therefore more prone to parasitism. This is one of our most widespread butterflies, occurring throughout the British Isles, including Orkney and Shetland.
The intensely pigmented young leaf of the hybrid plant. Young leaves of Jatropha scaposa are green and young leaves of Jatropha curcas are sometimes intensely pigmented, especially in times of water stress.
In traditional Bangladesh, holud which translates to turmeric, was specially used on brides-to-be before their wedding day. It was commonly believed that turmeric offers several benefits when applied on the skin, including reduction in spots and pigmentation, as well as body hair growth. It was also believed that it leaves the skin with a glow, while giving it a soft and fair appearance. Thus, to make the bride prettier before her big day, specially prepared turmeric (not the one used for cooking) was applied on her face, as well as the rest of her body which will be exposed upon wearing a saree. Thus, the term 'Gaye Holud' which literally translates to 'Body Turmeric', refers to the application of turmeric on the body before the wedding.
This tradition was originally followed by the bride's close family, who would each take turn in applying the paste on her, and then offer/feed her some traditional sweets to help start her new life with a sweet taste. Over the years, the tradition transformed into a formal event, and the groom's family also got invited to join in the ceremony. The groom however, was strictly not allowed to join as he could only see his new bride at the most beautiful state, which is on the wedding day.
After a while, the same traditions were also followed for the groom, whereby everyone except the bride were invited to follow the rituals. In recent times, this traditional has seen a further transformation, where bride and groom both sit together, and guests from both sides follow the rituals of turmeric paste and traditional sweets.
The Blacker the food the richer it is. Color is a pigmentation based on compounds. Black contains all the colors. Black foods are known to be rich in Zinc. Black foods contain Melanin, and Flavonoids (Resveratrol, Xanthohumol, Anthocyanins, bioflavonoids, Tannins, Flavan-3-ols)
Seen while standing around waiting for the non-appearance of a White-throated Nightjar. I was practiciing with my new toy, an add-on lens to increase flash range. It's messy but seems to work when you can align it straight, which is not all the time.
Bird colours are often completely different when taken by flash than in daylight. My theory is that this applies to 'structural' colouring i.e. colours not due to pigmentation, but made by feather structure that is comparable to the wavelength of light. Blue is an impossible colour for birds by pigmentation so this is undoubtedly structural colouration. Compare with a daylight photo about 10 photos back.
Why would structural colour be so much more brilliant by flash? Again, my theory is that it is related to the directionality of the light - structural colour works best when there is a single source of light and all rays are going in more or less the same direction. This fits with the common observation that "iridescent" birds (structural colouring) can "catch the light".
Amazingly, her coloration is accurate to pigmentation found in plesiosaur fossils.
Featured on Life In Plastic: nerditis.com/2016/02/24/life-in-plastic-uma-unidentified-...
Another Amazing La bella Donna Event Don’t Miss it!
One More day at Laguna Beach Montage Hotel Saturday 25th from 4 -7
Learn More About Kathy & Nicole Tracy
La Bella Donna Cosmetics co-founder Kathy Tracy, who runs the company's Los Angeles office, is a walking testimonial for her products. She credits La Bella Donna's signature product - Loose Mineral Foundation. "I never go out without my minerals," explains Kathy, who has always been in the public eye. The New York native, a former model, continued to work sporadically while raising her two children (son; David and daughter, La Bella Donna co-founder Nicole Tracy) in Los Angeles.
"I've always been involved in fashion. After David was born, I wanted to have flexibility, so I made the transition from modeling to wardrobe consulting, which evolved into image consulting. I worked for private clients and for corporations and I needed to look good - it was my business. But I started to have trouble with makeup. I have sensitive skin and I'm of Italian descent, which means that I have an unusual skin tone. Unfortunately, makeup would turn colour on me within an hour -it required constant touching up. Either it looked mask-like or it would fade away. I gave up on traditional foundations and became a sun-worshipper because I looked better with a suntan - it looked like makeup. Well, now we know what that does to the skin. I developed hyper-pigmentation and excessive dryness, and because of my colouring was not a good candidate for a peel. I was very frustrated."
At the same time, Nicole, who was in college, was modeling and developed adult acne. Their personal makeup challenges led the mother-daughter team to develop a foundation to meet their own high standards: no known irritants; superior, long-lasting coverage; colour that stays true; appropriate and beneficial for all ages and skin types (Kathy and Nicole have very different skin complexions). The result, La Bella Donna Loose Mineral Foundation, launched in 1994, has made them pioneers in the mineral makeup movement.
Nicole Tracy doesn't have to worry about acne any more. Although the co-founder of La Bella Donna Cosmetics currently spends more time behind a desk running a national cosmetics company than in front of a camera, she and her mother, Kathy, remain La Bella Donna's best advertisements. "Between my mother - who had her own problems with makeup - and me, we had drawers full of makeup we couldn't wear because of all the FD&C dyes, oil or alcohol, talc, fragrance and preservatives," says Nicole, who joined forces with Kathy in 1994 to develop a makeup formula that worked for both of them. "We especially wanted to bridge the gap between wellness and beauty; we didn't set out to create a 'natural' makeup, because those don't necessarily give you the coverage you need in shades close to your own skin tone," she explains. A savvy businesswoman, Nicole, who grew up in Los Angeles, relocated to her native New York in 1998 to establish an East Coast presence for La Bella Donna. She developed the line while completing her studies at the University of Southern California, from which she received a B.S. degree in Communications and Business. Nicole currently resides in Los Angeles,
California with her husband and two children.
Bleached Purple Rice Coral (Montipora dilatata) at Lisianski Island in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The lavender-colored coral (Montipora dilatata) in the center retained its normal healthy pigmentation. All of the pale coral surrounding it is bleached. Photo by: NOAA and Courtney Couch/Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, 2014
For more information, visit www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/
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The aging process effect on skin results in blotchy pigmentation and visible small blood vessels near the skin surface. Treatment of these blood vessels or spider vessels (telangiectasias) below the level of the collar bone is diffult. However in the head and neck region these blood vessels are sensitive to and can be removed by laser treatments.
The photos below show a patient before any treatment, 1 1/2 months after the first treatment and then 1 1/2 months after the second treatment of spider vessels on the chin. Although not guaranteed for every patient sensitive patients can have complete removal of facial spider vessels within 3 laser treatments.
Picture courtesy from member of Intai-intai Bougainvillea
This version of varigated leaves proves that the leaves chlorophyll not necessarily mean albino reaction,it could be deep pigmentation too!
This young lady has been hanging around the neighbourhood. Blackbirds are common as muck but this one apparently has leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation but not to the extent of albinism.
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One of two white tigers, called Brooklyn & Maxi, that live at Dierenpark Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Both are Bengal tigers with some deficit in their pigmentation. They're no albino's because they have dark brown stripes and blue eyes (instead of red, as albino's have).
My photostream on black or on white.
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