(Encyclopedia) leafhopper, common name for small, wedge-shaped leaping insects, cosmopolitan in distribution, belonging to the family Cicadellidae, which comprises some 5,500 species of insects. Some…
(Encyclopedia) manakinmanakinmănˈəkən [key], common name for stocky, tiny birds, most measuring less than 5 in. (12.5 cm) long, comprising 59 species in the family Pipridae. Manakins are found…
(Encyclopedia) oxpecker, common name for an African starling of the genus Buphagus. Also known as tickbirds, oxpeckers have very short legs and sharp claws, which aid them in perching on the backs of…
(Encyclopedia) grouse, common name for a game bird of the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 18 species. Grouse are henlike terrestrial birds, protectively plumaged in shades of…
(Encyclopedia) smogsmogsmŏg [key] [smoke+fog], dense, visible air pollution. Smog is commonly of two types. The gray smog of older industrial cities like London and New York derives from the massive…
(Encyclopedia) Blair, Tony (Anthony Charles Lynton Blair), 1953–, British politician, b. Edinburgh. An Oxford-educated lawyer, he was first elected to Parliament in 1983 as the Labour party candidate…
—Holly Hartman A six-year-old who crashes parties at New York's posh Plaza Hotel. A talking dog and her astonished family. Verse about evil weevils and gymnastically gifted spiders. Is this the…
World Cup Update by Gerry Brown Stupid hooligans. They're stealing the spotlight from what so far has been a very exciting World Cup. True, the U.S. flamed out early but that wasn't entirely…
(Encyclopedia) Newsom, Gavin Christopher, 1967– American businessman and politician, b. San Francisco. He was a cofounder (1991) of the PlumpJack Group, whose businesses grew from a wine store to…
