The archerfish from South-east Asia has the remarkable ability of shooting down insects from overhanging vegetation with water pellets. Its aim is quite accurate and it can usually dislodge a beetle or a fly about four feet away, so that it falls in the water. The archer fish then pounces on the insect and eats it. It is interesting to …

Most fish breathe by extracting oxygen from water, by means of their gills. Gills are delicate filaments of tissue through which blood passes. As water flows over the gills, oxygen diffuses into the blood. However, some fish have an additional method of obtaining oxygen; they use a lung, just as we do. Fish which breathe in this way are, not …

The dingo is one of the very few dogs in the world that is unable to bark. It is not a silent dog, however, as it makes up for not barking by howling and whining very loudly indeed. Dingoes are a very ancient breed of wild dog from Australia. They are probably quite closely related to the primitive dogs from …

The hermit crab. Instead of scuttling about protected by its own tough shell like other crabs, it has a soft body which it protects inside the empty shells of whelks and other mollusks. The hermit crab finds a suitable shell and eases its body inside. Then, with just its head and legs sticking out, it trundles about the seabed looking …

Cattle are important farm animals, because they supply meat, dairy products, leather and other materials. They are reared in many parts of the world, with India being top of the cattle league. Although they are used as beast of burden, most Indian cows are thin and produce little milk. To Hindus, cows are sacred symbols of Mother Earth. In India, …

The male-female ratio is the proportion of males to females in a given population at a specified stage in life e.g. at conception, at birth and at any chosen stage between birth and death. This is usually expressed as the number of males per 100 females. Qatar has the highest ratio with 187 males to 100 females. However, the ratio …

Of the 95 wettest countries in the world, Guinea, Solomon Islands and Sierra Leone are ranked the top three in order of maximum rainfall received on an average in a year, according to the World Statistics Pocket Book and the Statistical Yearbook of the United Nations. The records are for the period 1931-1960. Guinea, also known as the Republic of …

Brasilia was made the seat of government and the capital of Brazil in 1960. The city was designed in the shape of an aircraft, and its futuristic architecture contrasts with its rural surroundings.

The little-known hoatzin which lives in the mangrove swamps of Venezuela. Young hoatzins have two small claws on their wings, and they use these to help grip the branches as they clamber about the trees. They are poor fliers even when adult. When the chicks grow up the claws drop from their wings. Watching a hoatzin chick clambering through the …

The small bear from tropical South America has rather odd face markings. The bear has a creamy yellow snout, and fur of the same colors runs from its nose in various patterns. Sometimes the lines of lighter fur encircle the eyes and cross the nose, giving the bear the comical appearance of wearing a pair of glasses. Not surprisingly the …