William Kirby (September 19, 1759 – July 4, 1850) was an English entomologist, an original member of the Linnean Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is considered the “founder of entomology”. Family origins and early studies Kirby was a grandson of the Suffolk topographer John Kirby (author of “The Suffolk Traveller”) and …
The hornbill is a unique tropical bird belonging to the family Bucerotidae. But do not mistake it for a parrot. Larger than most other forest birds, a hornbill has a flashy appearance with an oversized and brightly-colored beak, long eyelashes (which are actually feathers), and a patch of bright coloration around the eyes and throat. …
Topaz Mountain is located on the southern end of the Thomas Range. This range is very popular to rock collecting enthusiasts. Topaz, Utah’s state gem; is a semiprecious gemstone that occurs as very hard transparent crystals in a variety of colors. The Topaz crystals at Topaz Mountain are naturally amber colored, but become colorless after …
Read more Topaz Mountain in Thomas Range, Utah… a heaven for finding great topaz crystals
What is a Lantern Bug? Lantern bugs are members of the order Hemiptera, the order of insects containing what are commonly called “true bugs”. Most hemipterans feed on plants, as is the case with lantern bugs. The incredible structure that many lantern bugs exhibit on the top of their head, as seen in the image …
