Transportation Index

Far left, The Chiva Bus Parade. Left Center, Mother Goose Auto Parade.
Center Right, Road Sign Graphics. Far Right, one of the first airplanes.

       Transport or transportation is the movement of people, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles and operations. Transport is important because it enables trade between people, which is essential for the development of civilizations.

       Transport infrastructure consists of the fixed installations including roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations) and seaports. Terminals may be used both for interchange of passengers and cargo and for maintenance.

Vehicles traveling on these networks may include automobiles, bicycles, buses, trains, trucks, people, helicopters, watercraft, spacecraft and aircraft.

       Operations deal with the way the vehicles are operated, and the procedures set for this purpose including financing, legalities, and policies. In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private, depending on the country and mode.

       Passenger transport may be public, where operators provide scheduled services, or private. Freight transport has become focused on containerization, although bulk transport is used for large volumes of durable items. Transport plays an important part in economic growth and globalization, but most types cause air pollution and use large amounts of land. While it is heavily subsidized by governments, good planning of transport is essential to make traffic flow and restrain urban sprawl.

• Visit Our Transportation Coloring Index at Crayon Palace

Our Transportation Artifacts:

• The Proud Miss O'Haggin
• Mother Goose Auto Parade - mini book
• United States Road Sign Graphics - printable
• The Chiva Bus Parade
• The Train by C. H. Crandall
• Craft a Paper Monoplane
• Color and Shade Vintage Racing Cars
• Coloring Pages of Antique Automobiles
• How to Draw: Old Fashioned Airplanes
• "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines"
• Design a Superior Paper Airplane 
• Air Transportation Silhouettes
  

Visit Transportation Museums Online:

• The National Museum of Transportation
• New York Transit Museum
• Explore St. Louis' Museum of Transportation

President John Adams

Illustrated portrait of President John Adams.

       John Adams (1735-1826), was the second President of the United States, and the most famous member of a family of distinguished statesmen. He was born at Quincy, Mass., and educated at Harvard College. After completing a course in law he was admitted to the bar (1758). Adams' attention was directed to politics by the question as to the right of the English Parliament to tax the colonies, and in 1765 he published some essays strongly opposed to the claims of the mother country. As a member of the Continental Congress he was strenuous in his opposition to the home government, and in organizing the various departments of the colonial government. On May 13th, 1776, he seconded the motion for a declaration of independence proposed by Lee of Virginia, and was appointed a member of the committee to draw it up. The declaration was actually drawn up by Jefferson, but it was Adams who carried it through Congress.

       In 1778 he went to France on a special mission, and after a brief home visit returned to Europe. For nine years he resided abroad as representative of his country in France, Holland and England. After taking part in the peace negotiations be was appointed, in 1785, the first ambassador of the United States to the court of Saint James.

       He was recalled in 1788, and in the same year was elected Vice-President of the republic, under Washington. In 1792 he was reelected Vice-President, and at the following election was chosen President. Though a member of the Federalist party, which favored a strong central government, Adams was frequently at variance with Hamilton, the real leader of that party, and his administration was stormy. He had to face not only dissensions in his own party, but the bitter hostility of Jefferson and his adherents. The Jeffersonians were in warm sympathy with the French Revolutionists, while the Federalists favored England. Adams, determined to keep the country at peace, and above all from extending aid to France, sent three commissioners in 1797 to treat with the French government, as the relations between the two nations were somewhat strained. The insulting proposal of Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, that the United States pay France tribute money, aroused bitter indignation in America, and quick preparations were made for war. A brief naval war did actually take place, in which the French frigate La Vengeance was sunk by the Constellation. The prospect of America allied with England soon brought France to terms, and the difficulties were peacefully adjusted. 

       Adams, however, dug his political grave by his advocacy of the Alien and Sedition Laws, which were directed at the opponents of the administration. These laws were denounced as violations of the right of free speech and the freedom of the press, and their passage caused the downfall of the Federalist party. Adams failed of reelection, but before he retired from office he made one of the most important appointments in American history - that of John Marshall to the chief justiceship of the Supreme Court. Other events of his administration were the death of Washington and the formal removal of the government offices to Washington (1800), then set in the midst of a forest and exceedingly rough and unattractive in its primitiveness. 

       At the close of his term of office Adams retired to private life, disappointed and embittered at his failure to secure reelection. However, the subsequent election of his son, John Quincy Adams, to the Presidency was a consoling incident of his last days. He died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary 

of the Declaration of Independence, only a few hours after Thomas Jefferson passed away. The death of two such illustrious men on the same day has no parallel in the political history of America or of any other country. Adams' last words were, "Thomas Jefferson still survives." He did not know of the sad event in Virginia. 

Administration of John Adams, 1797-1801 Outline and Questions.

The Fourth of July

The Fourth of July 
by Charles Sprague

To the sages who spoke, to the heroes who bled,

To the day and the deed, strike the harp-

strings of glory!

Let the song of the ransomed remember the

dead,

And the tongue of the eloquent hallow the story!

O'er the bones of the bold

Be that story long told,

And on fame's golden tables their triumphs en-

rolled

Who on freedom's green hills freedom's banner un-

furled,

And the beacon-fire raised that gave light to the world!

They are gone--mighty men! --and they sleep in their

fame:

Shall we ever forget them? Oh, never! no, never!

Let our sons learn from us to embalm each great

name,

And the anthem send down--"Independence for-

ever!"

Wake, wake, heart and tongue!

Keep the theme ever young;

Let their deeds through the long line of ages be

sung

Who on freedom's green hills freedom's banner un-

furled,

And the beacon-fire raised that gave light to the world!

Old Apple Recipes

The following methods for preparing apples are over 100 years old! (1880)

Apples Creole 

       Make a sirup by boiling together one and one-half cupfuls of water, one and one-half cupfuls of sugar and two cloves. Peel and core six firm tart apples and boil in the sirup until tender, about ten minutes. When the apples are tender, remove carefully from the sirup and set aside to cool. Reboil the sirup for ten minutes and pour over the apples. 

       Heat to the boiling point three-fourths cupful of brown sugar and one-fourth cupful of water. Cook for eight minutes or until a little of the mixture forms a firm ball when dropped into cold water. After removing from the fire add one-half cupful of pecan nuts and beat until creamy. With this mixture fill the cavities in the apples. Serve cold with whipped cream or a custard sauce. 

Steamed Apple Pudding 

       Rub together two tablespoonfuls of butter and two cupfuls of soft bread crumbs. Add one-half cupful of finely chopped apples, one-half cupful of sugar, one-eighth teaspoonful of nutmeg, the grated rinds of one lemon and one orange, and one cupful of currants washed thoroughly. After mixing well add one tablespoonful each of lemon juice and orange juice, or two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, and two well-beaten eggs. Pack into a greased mold, cover, and steam for two hours. Serve hot with hard sauce or fruit sauce. 

Jellied Apples 

       Peel and quarter six large, tart, red apples. Place in a baking dish, adding two cupfuls of sugar dissolved in two cupfuls of boiling water. Cover the dish and bake in a slow oven until the apples are tender and colored a deep pink. Lift the apples carefully from the dish and place in a mold rinsed in cold water. Soak one and one-half tablespoonfuls of gelatin for five minutes in one-half cupful of cold water. Add to the hot apple juice and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Stir in the juices of one orange and one lemon and pour over the apples. Chill, turn out, and serve with soft custard or whipped cream. 

Apple Gingerbread 

       Peel and core three large, tart apples. Cut in very thin slices and spread on the bottom of a well-greased baking dish. After melting one-third cupful of shortening in two-thirds cupful of boiling water, add one cupful of molasses and one beaten egg. Sift together two and three-fourths cupfuls of flour, one and one-half teaspoonfuls of baking soda, one-half teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful each of cinnamon and ginger, and one-fourth teaspoonful of cloves. Stir into the liquid mixture and beat until smooth. Pour over the apples and bake in a moderate oven for about forty minutes. Cut in squares and serve warm either plain or with a liquid sauce, hard sauce, or whipped cream. 

Apple Rolls 

       Sift together two cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of salt and four teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Rub in four tablespoonfuls of shortening, adding enough milk to make a soft dough. Roll on a floured board to the thickness of one-eighth inch, keeping the dough rectangular in shape. Spread over it two tablespoonfuls of softened butter, one cupful of finely chopped raw apples and one-fourth cupful of sugar mixed with one teaspoonful of cinnamon. Roll the dough up tightly and cut into slices three-fourths inch thick. Place in a greased pan and bake in a hot oven for about fifteen minutes. Serve hot or cold. 

Apple Dumplings 

       Sift together two cupfuls of flour, four teaspoonfuls of baking powder and one teaspoonful of salt. Rub in four tablespoonfuls of shortening, adding enough cold water or milk to make a soft dough. Roll on a floured board to the thickness of one-eighth inch, and cut in three-inch or four-inch squares. In the center of each square place an apple, cored and peeled. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and fold the ends together. After placing the dumplings in a greased baking pan pour in two-thirds cupful of boiling water, one-third cupful of sugar and two tablesponfuls of butter. Bake for forty minutes in a moderate oven, basting every ten minutes with the liquid. Serve hot with hard sauce. 

Apple Omelet 

       Beat to a stiff froth the whites of four eggs. Then add the yolks of four eggs and continue beating until well mixed. Add gradually two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. In a hot frying pan or omelet pan melt one tablespoonful of butter. Pour in the mixture and cook slowly until firm. Spread over the omelet one cupful of thick, slightly sweetened apple sauce, fold over, and place on a hot platter. Serve immediately with powdered sugar. 

Apple Fritters 

       Sift together one and one-third cupfuls of flour, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder and one-fourth teaspoonful of salt. Add to two-thirds cupful of milk one egg beaten until light. Combine the mixtures, beating until smooth. Peel two or three large, tart apples, cut into thin slices, and stir into batter. Remove the coated slices one at a time and drop into deep fat heated to 360 degrees or until it will brown a piece of bread in sixty seconds. Drain on soft paper and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately, either plain or with a well-seasoned sauce. 

Apple Salad 

       Cut a thin slice from the tops of six large, firm, red apples. With a strong spoon scoop out the pulp and drop the apple shells into cold, slightly acidulated water until ready to use. Cut the pulp into dice and mix with popped corn and celery, allowing one-half cupful of each to each cupful of apple. Mix with cream mayonnaise dressing and stuff into the carefully drained apple shells. Garnish with celery tops and serve on lettuce. 

Baked Apples and Custard 

       Peel and core six firm, tart apples and place in a baking dish. Fill the cavities of the apples with sugar, cover the dish and bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes. To two eggs slightly beaten add one-third cupful of sugar and two cupfuls of scalded milk. Pour this over the apples, cooking them uncovered in a slow oven for about twenty minutes longer or until the custard is firm and the apples tender. Serve cold. Care must be taken not to have the oven too hot or the custard will separate. 

The Cider Mill

The Cider-Mill

Marion Franklin Ham

Through the years I send you greeting, 

Long-forgotten cider-mill; 

Like an echo from my childhood, 

I can hear your music still, 

Creaking, creaking, 

Slowly creaking, 

While the horse goes round; 

Keeping time, in woful squeaking, 

To the laughter and the shrieking, 

And the shouts of merriment ; 

Till again I catch the scent 

Of the russet pomace steaming ; 

And again, in wistful dreaming, 

I can see the mellow splendor 

Of the luscious apple gleaming, 

Heaped upon the swarded ground. 

Oh, the amber-tinted cider! 

How it bubbled, how it flowed! 

In the gold of Autumn sunshine, 

How it glistened, how it glowed! 

How it darkled, 

How it sparkled, 

With a glitter as it ran! 

How it gurgled, trickling, rushing, 

Foaming, frothing, leaping, gushing, 

As no other liquid can! 

Then, in wanton idleness, 

How it loitered, slipping, slipping, 

While the honey-bees were sipping 

Draughts of beaded nectar 

From the brown drops dripping, dripping 

O'er the red lips of the press!

Idle dreams ! Again I draw 

Through a yellow barley-straw 

Magic vintage, sweeter, rarer, 

Than Olympian wine, forsooth ; 

And my eager lips I steep, 

Drinking long and drinking deep, 

Till my shrivelled cheeks are ruddy 

With the long-lost glow of youth. 

Long embalmed in dusty silence, 

Shrouded with the rust of years, 

Old companion, here I pledge you 

In a brimming cup of tears. 

Vacant places, 

Vanished faces, 

From the shadows speak to me. 

Boyish lips now mute forever, 

Hands estranged, that I may never 

Clasp save in eternity, 

With your song has passed away 

Boyhood's wealth of lusty treasure, 

Sunny hours of careless pleasure; 

And my heart, grown old in sorrow, 

Marches to a sadder measure. 

You and I have had our days. 

At Apple-Pickin' Time

At Apple-Pickin' Time.

by Mary A. Roberts

When a frosty carpet sparkles in the hollow 'neath the hill. 

And the night-chilled earth is waking from the dawning white and still, 

Oh, the air is crisp and bracing as a breeze from o'er the brine, 

Full of Nature's pungent nectar at apple-pickin' time! 

The leaves are golden yellow, the nuts are turning brown, 

And milkweed seeds sail weightless on their air-ships' silky down; 

Bold spiders, daring aeronauts, in filmy fastness float, 

A cobweb cable streaming from every wind-tossed boat; 

The air from purple vintage is heavy with new wine, 

Farewell madrigals the blackbirds sing at apple-pickin' time. 

Oh, the wealth of bearing orchards ! Oh, Hesperides' globes of gold! 

And apples red as rubies that Autumn's full hands hold! 

Fragrant as the fabled attar is the Pippin in its prime; 

Short-lived Autumn is a prodigal at apple-pickin' time.

The Apple Rhyme

THE APPLE RHYME
Author Unknown
In my garden grows a tree
Of apple-blossom, where for me
A blackbird perches every day, 

Sings his song and flies away.
So since fairies make for birds
Music out of fairy words,
I have learned from it a rhyme
For folk to sing at apple-time,
Which (if you live where apples grow),
You'll find a useful thing to know.


Apple Time
Author Unknown
Shower-time, flower-time, earth is new and fair;
May-time, hay-time, blossoms everywhere;
Nest-time, best time, days have longer grown;
Leaf-time, brief time, make it all your own;
Berry-time, cherry-time, songs of bird and bee;
But, of all the happy times, apple-time for me.
Wheat-time, sweet time, in the closing year;
Sheaf-time, leaf-time, now will disappear;
Yellow ones and mellow ones, dropping from the tree;
Rusty Coats and Pippins, apple-time for me.


In Apple-Time
Author Unknown
When the red is on the apple,
And the apple 's on the tree,
When Myrtilla with her basket
Flings a saucy glance at me,
All the joys of all the seasons
Ripen in a rosy glee,
When the red is on the apple,
And the apple 's on the tree.

Jelly Fish

Jelly fish photo by Matthias M.

       The jelly fish is the popular name of several different animals found in the sea and so called because of the transparent, jelly-like substance constituting most of the body. They are often called sea blubbers or sea nettles, from their shape or their long stringing tentacles, with which they seize their prey. In the water they move rapidly and present a singularly-beautiful appearance. One of the most common forms is a bell-like body which swims gracefully through the water by alternately expanding and contracting. The animals are sometimes cast up on sea beaches, but out of the water they lose their beauty and have the appearance of formless masses of jelly.

Are Jellyfish the Weirdest Animals In the Ocean?

by It's Okay To Be Smart

More About Jelly Fish from The Web:

• Sea Animals Minus Back-Bones

Frigate Bird

       A frigate bird or man-of-war bird is a tropical web-footed bird, related to the pelican. It takes its name from the savage attacks it makes upon gulls and other birds, when they are carrying their prey. In flight the frigate bird is powerful and graceful, and its prey is taken upon the wing. In the breeding season the pouch under the male's bill, which he is able to inflate, be- comes a bright scarlet. The birds breed in large colonies on rocky cliffs or in the tops of tall trees on uninhabited islands. The upper plumage is dark brown.

More About The Frigate Bird From The Web:

• Male Frigate Birds Prepare to Mate
• Frigate birds ride air currents like a roller coaster
• Nesting Frigate Birds and Turtle Babies

Apple Time

APPLE TIME. 

By George Cooper

Come and see the chubby faces 

Peep from under lifted leaves 

Which the noisy breeze displaces 

What a jolly tune it weaves! 

Crimson faces, scarlet faces, 

Faces green, and gold, and brown; 

For a troop of tricksy goblins 

Only last night wandered down, 

In apple-time! 

How the rough old Boughs are tossing 

In the cool and crispy air! 

Do you hear the children crossing 

O'er the meadows, here and there? 

Goblin faces, peeping, hiding 

Seem to greet them every one; 

And the orchard-rows are ringing 

With the frolic and the fun, 

In apple-time! 

Oh, the little hands that dip in 

Baskets shallow, baskets deep, 

Where the Russet and the Pippin 

Mingle in a shining heap! 

Long before the sunset's glory 

Orchard boughs are lone and bare; 

But another golden Autumn 

Sees the goblin faces there, 

In apple-time!  

Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Stencils

       These old-fashioned Thanksgiving stencils are for personal crafts and classroom decor. There is a portrait of a Native American chief with a feather headdress, a ship for exploring and the discovery by sea and an old-fashioned turkey.

Paper Cuts of Jigging Pigs!

        Above are jigging (dancing) pigs and below is a single paper cut pig with a turnip. Have fun including these silhouettes in your crafts for the classroom!

Vintage Egyptian Paper-Cuts for The Classroom

        These vintage Egyptian paper cuts are for your classroom projects. Depicted here are designs of costume, text "Egypt", scarabs, lotus, jewelry etc...

Flying Squirrel: 6 Facts About

A flying squirrel is called a tagalog in India.

A flying squirrel is a curious little squirrel which does not really fly, but which can glide downward through the air with a movement similar to flight. 

6 Facts About Flying Squirrels:

1. It accomplishes "flight" by means of an extension of its fur-covered skin on each side of its body, between its fore and hind legs. The little animal runs to the top of a tree, leaps out, spreading its legs and at the same time stretching out this side skin, which resists the air like a parachute. In this position the squirrel can glide sixty feet through the air but only in a downward direction.
2. These animals are nocturnal in their habits, sleeping during the day and roaming the woods for food at night.
3. They feed on nuts and leaf buds, and also on the eggs of birds and even the young, when obtainable.
4. The common flying squirrel of the eastern part of the United States is about five inches long, exclusive of its bushy tail.
5. It has bright black eyes and soft fur, which is grayish on the upper and white on the underneath side of the body. 
6. The tagalog, the large flying squirrel of India, is sometimes called the flying marmot or flying cat. 

How the flying Squirrel Soars by Nature on PBS.

Fox Terrier

The illustration is that of the more
 popular smooth-coated terrier;
 some have hair that is hard and wiry.

       The fox terrier is a small dog with long, flat and rather narrow head, strong jaws and small V-shaped ears. It has become almost universally a household pet, especially in America, Canada and England. The nose is black, the eyes small and the body strong.

       The color is usually white, with black or tan markings. The fox terrier was formerly used to drive

foxes from their holes, hence the name. These dogs live about fifteen years, and their weight averages twenty pounds. The illustration is that of the more popular smooth-coated terrier; some have hair that is hard and wiry. 

More About Fox Terriers From The Web:

• Facts About The Smooth Fox Terrier
• Smooth fox terrier - Top 10 Facts
• Wire fox terrier puppies roughhousing

Fox

       The fox is an animal belonging to the same family as the dog and the wolf. It is one of the smaller members of the family, and is famed for its cunning. From this trait has come the term, applied to a person, whether complimentary or otherwise, that he is "as sly as a fox." The stories told of the animal's intelligence in eluding its enemies, in protecting its young and in securing its food are sometimes so strange as to be almost beyond belief. The fox is a native of almost every part of the globe and is everywhere known as the most wily of beasts of prey.

       It has a straight, bushy tail, erect ears and is extremely alert and avaricious, devouring birds and small quadrupeds, fruits, honey and eggs. The fox's home is a dry burrow or hole in the rock, and usually consists of an outer hole, or room, where the fox lies, a store room, where he keeps his food, and behind all, his sleeping room and the place where his family lives. When the fox is captured he will sometimes feign death and will endure the roughest treatment without flinching.

More About Foxes From The Web:

• Fox Den in A Park filmed by Green Blue Earth
• Mother Fox and Her Pups by Justin Hoffman
• 10 Most Beautiful Foxes in The World

Paper Silhouette Camel Cuts

       Paper Camel Cuts for teachers and students to use in the classroom or in art projects. The center one has a rider.

Dolphin: 12 Facts

Fisherman saves stranded dolphin by Franna Fishing

       A dolphin is an animal which forms the type of a family that includes, also, the porpoise and the narwhal. 

12 Facts About Dolphins:

1. It inhabits every sea from the equator to the poles. 
2. The common dolphin measures from six to ten feet in length and has a distinctive snout about a half foot long. 
3. It is usually, black above, gray on the sides and white beneath.
4. Its flesh is coarse, rank and disagreeable, but it is used by the Laplanders as food. 
5. The dolphins live on fish and mollusca, and often they may be seen in great numbers around shoals of herring. 
6. They have to come to the surface at short intervals to breathe. 
7. The structure of the ear renders the sense of hearing very acute, and the animals are observed to be attracted by regular or harmonious sounds. 
8. Compactness and strength are the characteristics of these animals, and they swim with extraordinary velocity.
9. The dolphin is most common in the Mediterranean, but one species, the bottle-nosed, is caught on the coast of New Jersey. 
10. Other species which are see off the coast of the United States are the black dolphin and the spotted dolphin. 
11. The name is also commonly but improperly given to a fish of the mackerel family, which changes its colors when dying, and shows many beautiful shades. 
12. In Greek mythology the dolphin was sacred to Apollo. Its image appeared on Greek coins and is said to have been represented on the shield of Ulysses.

More About Dolphins From The Web:

• Dolphin and Dog Special Friendship
• Amazing dolphin compilation
• Wild dolphins try to communicate with diver

Diver: 7 Facts About

       A diver is a water bird related to the grebe. The name is commonly applied to any bird that is a skillful diver.

7 Facts About The Diver:

1. The true divers live chiefly in the Arctic regions, that come south in winter. 
2. The great northern diver and the red-throated diver are the most common species. 
3. The former has a white breast and a black back and wings, marked by white spots that present a checkerboard appearance, while the head and neck are glossy black and green, the latter with a collar of white streaks. 
4. The red-throated diver is duller in its coloring. 
5. In Scotland this bird is called the rain goose, while in the United States and Canada the great northern diver is generally called the loon. 
6. The loon migrates as far south as the Great Lakes, and most of the small lonely interior lakes of that latitude have one or two pairs of loons a season. Their cries are peculiarly noisy ones, some of their notes resembling rough, jeering laughter. 
7. If suddenly startled, especially when they have young in charge, they go through the most astonishing antics on the surface and below the water, trying evidently to distract the attention of an enemy.

More About Diver Birds From The Web:

• Bird Protection of Quebec
• Grebe diving for food under water by Pang Quong

Eider Duck

       The eider duck is a species of duck found both in America and Europe. The birds abound in Norway and Iceland, where their favorite haunts are solitary rocky shores and small islands. The eider duck is about twice the size of the common duck. The male is for the most part black, but has a white back and head, with a black crown. The female is reddish, and spotted with black, and has two white bands on the wings. The nests are usually formed of drift grass and dry seaweed and are lined with down, which the female plucks from her breast. Eider down because of its warmth and lightness was in great demand many years ago for beds and coverlets. One female produces about half a pound of down.

More About Eider Ducks from The Web:

• Nesting Eider Ducks on The Coast of Iceland
• The Unusual Markings of Male Edier Ducks 
• Royal bird visit "King Eider Somateria Spectabilis Praktejder

Frog: 14 Fun Facts

A variety of frogs from a 1892 print.

       A frog a small, tailless animal, belonging to the same class as toads, newts and salamanders. 

14 Fun Facts About Frogs:

1. These creatures, the amphibians (which see), start life as water animals, and in a mature state can live both on land and in water. 
2. Frogs differ from toads in having teeth and in possessing a less bulky body than their near kin (see Toad).
3. Frogs are common in all parts of the world except Australia and South America.  
4. There are many species, and they inhabit widely different regions, but usually prefer swampy places and the shores of lakes and streams. 
5. The young frog, which is known as the tadpole, bears no resemblance to the parent. 
6. It has neither mouth nor limbs, but has branching gills and a long tail, with which it swims about. 
7. Its body looks like a roundish lump of dark jelly. 
8. But soon the mouth develops, the gills disappear and. as the days go on, the hind legs appear. 
9. The fore legs follow, the tail is gradually absorbed and thus the animal changes into the frog. 
10. It is an interesting transformation which any person may observe, if he will keep a few of the tadpoles where he can see them daily.
11. The mature frogs breathe by lungs and cannot live in water without coming to the surface for air.
12. They swim with great rapidity and move by long leaps, being able to jump many times their own length. 
13. In the tadpole stage, frogs live chiefly on vegetable matter, but the mature frog lives on insects, slugs, snails and the like. 
14. The flesh, especially that of the hind legs of certain species, is considered very choice food, and in France, particularly, frogs are bred for the market in large numbers.

More About Frogs From The Web:

• Frog Eggs and Tadpoles
• 3 Reasons Why Frogs Are So Important to the Ecosystem

sub-phyla of the Chordata: animals with a notechord.

Cardinal

A nesting pair of cardinals by Jo Alwood

       The cardinal or redbird, a showy North American finch, with fine red plumage and a crested head. A black patch is conspicuous on each side of the bill. The cardinal whistles beautifully, and his clear, ringing note is a great favorite, especially in the Southern states, where the bird is often kept in captivity.

       The birds are found in Southeastern Canada and in Eastern United States from New York to Florida. They are permanent residents of certain districts south of the Ohio River, and have been charmingly written about by James Lane Allen in his Kentucky Cardinal. They are easily tamed, and in city parks often learn to come to the call of people, who feed them with nuts.

More About Cardinals From The Web:

• Cardinal Rule - Keep Feeding FYV
• Bird of the Month - Northern Cardinal
• Mr. Cardinal Wants His Peanut!

Ferret

       The ferret is a flesh-eating animal, closely allied to the polecat, about fourteen inches in length, of a pale yellow color, with red eyes. It is a native of Africa, but has been introduced into America and Europe. It cannot, however, live long in a cold climate. Ferrets are used for hunting rabbits and for killing rats and mice. They rarely devour the animals which they attack, but kill them and suck their blood. Their slender bodies enable them to enter burrows, but unless muzzled the ferrets are apt to leave their victims behind after sucking their blood.

More About Ferrets From The Web:

• Ferrets are Funny Than Cats and Dogs
• Black-footed Ferret vs. Prairie Dog
• Adorable Ferrets! A Big Mosstake

Eland

       Eland, the Dutch name for a large African antelope. It is the size of a full-grown horse. The animal is hunted for its hide, which is used for harness, and for its flesh, which is suitable for the table. It is gentle and easily captured, and consequently is threatened with extinction.

Africa's largest antelope, the eland by PHALANX47

Dormouse

Dormice are becoming rare.

       A dormouse is a small rodent, common in Europe, its name means "sleepy one." These little animals inhabit temperate and warm countries and subsist entirely on vegetable food. Their pace is a kind of leap, but they have not the activity of squirrels. While feeding, they sit upright and carry the food to the mouth with their paws. The dormice pass the winter in a torpid state, reviving only for a short time on a warm, sunny day, when they take a little of their hoarded stores and then relapse into sleep. Among the different species are the fat dormouse and the garden dormouse.

More About Dormice From The Web:

• 10 Things You Didn't Know About Dormice
• Dormice are thriving in Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves
• Dormice In Danger!

Dipper

       The dipper, a remarkable little singing bird, closely related to the thrushes, but resembling the wrens in appearance, especially in its up-tilted tail. It is covered with very close, water-proof plumage and lives about streams, often in the vicinity of waterfalls, into which it dashes in a perfectly fearless manner. At times it goes entirely through a cascade and finds in the crevices of the rocks back of the water, dry places where it can build its dome-shaped nests and rear its young. The dipper is a rather dark bird with a white breast, and as it moves about it jerks its tail upward and bobs its head downward. There are several species of dippers found in Asia, northern Europe and the high regions in the western parts of the United States and Canada.

Flounder

       The flounder is one of the most common of the flat sea fishes, found along the shores  of almost all countries. The body, which is extremely flattened at the sides, has the upper side dark and spotted and the under side white. Both eyes are on the upper side; and one is set lower than the other, giving the face a twisted appearance. The flounder is esteemed for its flesh.

Facts About Flounders by Deep Marine Scenes.

Duck-Billed Platypus

Platypus by the river's edge.

Platypus rolled up.

       The duck-billed platypus also called ornithorynchus, the lowest of the mammals, a peculiar creature, living in the quiet streams of Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. It is about twenty inches long, rather slender and covered with brown hair. Its head is small  and instead of a nose it has a horny bill, resembling a duck's with nostrils, however, at the extreme end, enabling the animal to breathe with only the tip of his bill out of the water. The male  has on each heel a sharp, horny spur, which he uses for defense. Duckbills usually live in large colonies in the banks of streams, each pair inhabiting its separate burrow. The food consists chiefly of insects and worms, which the animal comes out to get at night. On land, duckbills walk about very clumsily on their short legs and webbed feet, but in water they move very rapidly.

More About Platypus From The Web:

• The Strange Platypus
• 7 places to see platypus in the wild
• Rare platypus at San Diego Zoo

Paper Church Silhouettes

       These paper cuts or silhouettes of the front and back of a church, plus stained glass windows would look lovely in any Sunday School. I've restored them for students and teachers, enjoy.

• Find more stained glass windows to color at Color The Bible
• Craft stained glass windows from melted crayons

Egret

       Egret, the name of a species of wood herons. The feathers on the rear part of the bird's back are long, reaching to the end of the tail, and even beyond at certain seasons. They are more beautiful than the feathers of the common heron. The American egret is about thirty-seven inches long, has soft plumage, a smooth head and twelve trailing feathers. It is one of the most beautiful of the native birds. In the past, the egrets have been so much hunted for their white flowing plumes, which women wear for ornament, that they were endangered. Laws now prohibit the wearing of egret feathers.

More About Egrets from The Web:

• The Great Egrets of Missouri
• 10 Egrets and Herons Found in North America

The Great Egret During Nesting Season 

by Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Fish

       Fish. Among the vertebrates (back-boned animals), the fish are lowest in order of intelligence, but among the most important from an economic standpoint. From earliest historic times men have used the flesh of fish as food, and today there is hardly a country in the world whose people do not include it in their diet.

How to fish swim in harmony? by TED-Ed

19 Characteristics of Fish:

1. Fish constitute the class Pisces, which is divided into about 13,000 species. 
2. All are back-boned animals, living in water. 
3. Notwithstanding the numerous species, fishes show a remarkable uniformity in appearance, for the greater number have elongated, compressed bodies, tapering toward both ends, with paired fins to take the place of limbs. 
4. This form of body is well adapted to meet the pressure of water. 
5. The body is generally covered with scales or bony plates, though a few species lack such covering.
6. With the exception of a small family of fresh-water fish, which possess both lungs and gills, fish breathe wholly by means of gills, which are designed to extract oxygen from the water.
7. They have cold, red blood, which is pumped through the system after being purified by passage through the gills. 
8. The backbone is composed of vertebrae, and is so loosely jointed that the body can be turned and bent freely in all directions. 
9. Fish possess in their air bladder, or swim bladder, an organ peculiar to themselves, which they are able to fill or empty at will. This bladder enables the fish the ability to control their buoyancy.
10. The skeletons of some families of fishes are not of bone, but of a strong, thick cartilage.
11. Geological investigations show that there have been many thousands of species of fish now wholly extinct, but those that survive are distributed throughout almost all the waters of the earth. 
12. Those in temperate or tropical waters are more brilliantly colored and strikingly marked than the inhabitants of colder waters. 
13. In most species the colors increase in intensity and beauty during the breeding season, much as the plumage of a bird grows bright. 
14. Some fish feed on both animal and vegetable matter, others are flesh-eaters, and some eat only vegetable food. 
15. They reproduce by eggs, these being laid in shallow water. 
16. The eggs are usually left uncared for, though some species, like the stickleback, gather the eggs in nests and protect and care for their young. 
17. Millions of eggs are laid by a single fish, but the young are preyed upon by so many enemies that relatively few survive. 
18. In size fish vary from tiny minnows, an inch or so in adult length, to man-eating sharks thirty-five feet long. 
19. Whales (which see) are mammals, though they bear certain resemblances to fish. 

More About Fish from The Web:

• Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium
• Tennessee Aquarium
• St. Louis Aquarium
• Chicago Aquarium
• National Aquarium

More About Fish from Our Blogs:

• "F" is for fish" alphabet coloring page
• Color these fish in a bowl

Falcon: 8 Fun Facts

A falcon is a hawk famous for its strength, symmetry and remarkable power of flight.

8 Fun Facts About Falcons:

1. Its claws are sharp and hooked, its short, stout legs are heavily feathered and its curved beak is armed with a sharp point. 
2. The peregrine falcon was the one most used in hunting game (see below), but there are several other species that are almost equally powerful and graceful. 
3. The Greenland falcon is one of the best-known.
4. Falconry, or Hawking, is the pursuit of game by means of trained falcons or hawks. 
5. The birds are trained to seize tlieir prey and return with it to their masters. 
6. In the Middle Ages falconry was the favorite sport of princes and nobles; and, as ladies could engage in it, it became very prevalent.
7. In France it reached its height under Francis I, whose grand falconer had under him an establishment of fifteen nobles and fifteen falconers, costing annually about 40,000 livres. 
8. In Britain it was practiced among the Anglo-Saxons, but grew still more in favor after the Norman Conquest, only to decline in the seventeenth century, when firearms came into general use. However, it has never wholly died out in Europe.

Paul Manning talks about the art of falconry.

Elk: 9 Important Facts

       Elk, a name applied to two members of the deer family, found respectively in the European and North American continents. Both species have been hunted until their numbers have been greatly reduced.

9 Important Facts About Elk:

1. American Elk, or Wapiti (native name). This noble game animal once ranged over the continent from the Carolinas to Alaska, but it is now seen only in the Rocky Mountains from the Northern United States into Alberta.
2. It has been hunted for its flesh, hide, teeth and antlers, especially by Native Americans.
3. Natives covered their tepees and lodges with the wapiti's skin, and used the flesh for food. 
4. Later, large numbers of the animals were slaughtered for their teeth by white men which were used by the Elks' fraternal order as membership badges. 
5. Game laws now protect surviving wapiti, and the membership badges of that order are an imitation elk's head.
6. The American elk is a close relative of the European red deer, but is much larger, standing five feet high at the shoulder, and weighing as much as 1,000 pounds. 
7. Its upper parts are yellowish-brown, and its sides are gray; there is a whitish patch on each buttock, and the red and black neck has a thick growth of coarse black hair. 
8. The animal has a magnificent pair of branching antlers, which curve outward and backward, but have the tines pointing forward. 
9. Grasses, weed and leaves form the wapiti's food.

More Types of Elk:

• European Elk. This, the largest deer of Europe, is very similar to the moose of the United States. It stands about six feet in height at the shoulders, has a thick, large, clumsy head and broad, flat horns. It is grayish-brown in color, some parts being lighter than others. It is still found in many of the wilder parts of Europe, as it is rigidly protected by law. It is easily tamed and has been used as a beast of burden in Sweden.
• The Irish elk was a large animal which is now extinct. It was distinguished by its enormous antlers, the tips of which were sometimes as much as eleven feet apart. Its remains are found not only in Ireland but in Scotland and England and on the Continent.

More From The Web About Elk:

• The American Elk or Wapiti
• Elk: Cervus canadensis by Missouri Dept. of Conservation

Emu

       The emu is a three-toed Australian bird, related to the ostrich, cassowary and rhea. It is large, sometimes weighing 130 pounds, and is distinguished by the absence of a casque, or helmet. Its feathers, which are double, are of a dull, sooty brown; those about the neck and head are hairlike in texture. There are two plumes to each quill and the bird has small, useless wings, but it can run with great speed and uses this method of escape from enemies on the plains. If brought to bay it lights viciously, kicking backward with much force. It is very easily tamed and may be kept out of doors in temperate climates. 

More About Emus From The Web:

• Baby Emu is 100% Perfect
• The hardest part about having emus in your yard
• How dangerous are emus, really?

Dragonfly:

Superstitions: In the United States, the dragon
 fly was once known as the devil's darning needle,
 but the dragon flies are harmless insects, and
 not even the butterflies are more beautiful and
 graceful.

The dragonfly are a family of beautiful insects, with large, gauzelike wings, that give it powerful and rapid flight. The dragon fly lays its eggs in the water, where the larvae and pupae live on aquatic insects. The larval stage lasts for a year. The pupae are always hungry. They propel themselves through water by drawing it into their bodies and throwing it out again. 

More About Dragon Flies From The Web:

• Beneficials In The Garden: Dragonflies
• Dragonflies: Dainty But Deadly
• Introduction to the Odonata: Dragonflies and Damselflies

More About Dragon Flies From Our Blogs:

• "Bless The Lord" coloring page with a dragonfly...
• "The Butterfly's Ball" sheet music and lyrics
• How to paint a laser cut dragon fly...