Stags, the red deer of Europe, fight in autumn and winter for possession of the females or does. Most stags are polygamous and collect harems. A stag wishing to add to its harem at the expense of another’s will challenge it s rival to a duel. At other times stags are prone to solitary wandering. But when the breeding season …

Snakes shed their skins when they outgrow them. This happens continually, because snakes keep growing throughout their lives, although more slowly as they get older. The skins are discarded at regular intervals of one to three months, according to the variety of snake. During this process, which is known as sloughing, the old skin is turned back on itself, beginning …

On Tuesdays and in some cases, Saturdays, many people keep fast in honour of Hanuman and give special offerings to him. In times of trouble, it is a common faith among Hindus to chant the name of Hanuman or sing his hymn (“Hanuman Chalisa“) and proclaim “Bajrangbali Ki Jai” – “victory to thy thunderbolt strength”. Once every year – on …

Millions of birds of many different varieties migrate at the end of summer. With unfailing regularity they leave the regions where they were born to fly to warmer climates for the winter. The following spring they return to their breeding grounds. Each year these migratory birds travel as much as 20,000 miles, finding their way back on time with extraordinary …

Bees swarm in late spring in search of a new home. During the winter the queen been being to lay her eggs and the colony sets about rearing it a young. As the weather becomes warmer and the early flowers appear, the raising of young bees increases rapidly. By the end of spring the colony has becomes so overcrowded that …

Animals are said to be mutants when they show characteristics different from the rest of their species. Mutations are processes by which the hereditary properties of some of the reproductive cells in animals are altered. In nature these changes can take place spontaneously and unpredictably. But they are rare, and little is known about this cause, beyond the fact that …

Pterodactyls lived between 1550 million and 70 million yeas ago. These extraordinary reptiles were able to fly. Some had a wing-span of over 25 feet, making them by far the largest flying animals known to man. Their skulls were often longer than four feet. Unlike the birds, their descendants, pterodactyls must have been unable to perch upright. They probably hung …

The origin of the handshake goes back to primitive eras: the physical contact of the hand symbolized peace and friendship. Later symbolism of the gesture, apart from a greeting, was the ratification of a contract or pledge. Even today, we clinch a contract or business deal by ‘shaking hands on it’. Archaeological ruins and texts show the handshake was in …

Because early rural communities were so small and all communications were delivered by word of mouth, there was no need for any-mailing addresses. People knew the whereabouts of their relatives and neighbors, and messages were easily directed to them. Then, as more of the common folk learned to read and write, and as people began to inhabit and name more …

Figure skating began in the later part of the 19th century in Europe. An American ballet master Jackson Haines, who lived in Vienna in 1860s, added the elements of ballet and dance to figure skating. The first world championship for men was held in St Petersburg in 1896, followed by the women’s championship in 1906.