Flesh-eating Mice, the Tristan Albatross and looming extinction
"We had no idea that mice could do this sort of thing." Swarms of 10 mice at a time can be seen gnawing at the chicks' bodies.
“Ju-Ju” markets and birds in African magico-medicinal use
These market stalls contain "an assembly of skulls and skins arranged in a powerful, if often rather disturbing, display that can include horse and hyena heads, crocodiles, dried snakes and monkey skulls. The presence of so much decomposing flesh, crudely preserved with only ash or salt, makes for a very unhealthy background odour and a super-abundance of flies.
Web censorship vigilantes rule in the UK…and Australia
Will the the rise and relentless rise of the web vigilante kill the web and eat its children? Recent developments in the UK indicate that over-reactions by self-appointed cyber-nannys and ISPs can seriously disrupt innocent web use.
First Dog – you call that a spider? – THIS is a Spider!!
Over at First Dog he is talking about a bunch of Spiders – most particularly the Black House Spider (Badumna insignis) that he found around his Dad’s house outside of Canberra somewhere…let round one of the [...]
Snake of the Week – Desert Death Adder Acanthophis pyrrhus
We saw this beautiful snake earlier this year in a creekbed in the borefield 15 or so kilometres west of town. Last Sunday afternoon one of its relatives killed one of our favourite little dogs, Boot-boots.
Marion Scrymgour – picks ‘big stoush’- gets bloody nose
Marion Scrymgour is Australia's most powerful Aboriginal politician who is fighting for her political life as questions are asked about her fitness and capacity to continue as Education Minister.
Garrett’s resale royalty Part 2 – Arts Industry says “Take a Cold Shower, Pete!”
Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett’s proposed resale royalty for visual artworks has been labelled a “disaster for Australian artists” by the body that administers visual arts copyright and licenses. As The Northern Myth reported two [...]
The Northern Myth – Chapter 1
"...a poor dried up land afflicted by fever and flies and fit only for a college of monks whose religious zeal might cope with the suffocating heat and musketos which admitted no moment of repose." Matthew Flinders describing northern Australia
Towards an (Australian) Indigenous Ornithology – Is Australia an ornithological terra nullius?
Australia is an ornithological terra nullius - an ‘empty land' - It is unforgivable that the most complete references to Australian Aboriginal ornithology are found in John Gould's Handbook to the Birds of Australia, 1865 - published 138 years ago.
Dogs of the Week – Camp Dogs on the Radio!!
I missed this excellent set of radio stories the first time around but Camp Dog Chronicles by Local ABC Alice Springs reporter Penelope Bergen is a wonderful expose on the secret life of [...]