The bird on the cover of Cassandra: The Definitive Guide is a Paradise flycatcher. Part of the family of monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae), Paradise flycatchers are passerine (perching) insectivores. They’re the most widely distributed of the monarch flycatchers and can be found from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia and on many Pacific islands. While most species are resident, others, including the Japanese Paradise flycatcher and the Satin flycatcher, are migratory. Most species of Paradise flycatcher are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females look different. Females of most species tend to be less brilliantly colored than their male counterparts, which are also characterized by long tail feathers that vary in length according to species. For example, the male Asian Paradise flycatcher’s tail streamers can be approximately 15 inches long. Female flycatchers are believed to select their mate based on tail length. Paradise flycatchers are monogamous, which makes their distinctive coloring and plumage unusual, as this form of sexual display is usually reserved for nonmonogamous species. Because they’re so widely distributed, Paradise flycatchers can be found in a variety of habitats, including savannas, bamboo groves, rain forests, deciduous forests, and even cultivated gardens. Most species catch their food on the wing, thanks in part to their quick reflexes and sharp eyesight. The cover image is from Cassell’s Natural History, Vol. IV. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSansMonoCondensed.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
#Ebook Deal/Day: JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 6th Ed - $19.99 (Save 50%) w/code DDJS6
The animal on the cover of JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, sixth edition, is a Javan rhinoceros. All five species of rhinoceros are distinguished by their large size, thick armor-like skin, three-toed feet, and single or double snout horn. The Javan rhinoceros, along with the Sumatran rhinoceros, is one of two forest-dwelling species. The Javan rhinoceros is similar in appearance to the Indian rhinoceros, but smaller and with certain distinguishing characteristics (primarily skin texture).
Rhinoceroses are often depicted standing up to their snouts in water or mud. In fact, they can frequently be found just like that. When not resting in a river, rhinos will dig deep pits in which to wallow. Both of these resting places provide a couple of advantages. First, they give the animal relief from the tropical heat and protection from blood-sucking flies. (The mud that the wallow leaves on the skin of the rhinoceros also provides some protection from flies.) Second, mud wallows and river water help support the considerable weight of these huge animals, thereby relieving the strain on their legs and backs.
Folklore has long held that the horn of the rhinoceros possesses magical and aphrodisiac powers, and that humans who gain possession of the horns will also gain those powers. This is one of the reasons why rhinos are a prime target of poachers. All species of rhinoceros are in danger, and the Javan rhino population is the most precarious. Fewer than 100 of these animals are still living. At one time, Javan rhinos could be found throughout southeastern Asia, but they are now believed to exist only in Indonesia and Vietnam.
The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSans Mono Condensed.