Snake-like calls in breeding tits

Hole-nesting tits belonging to the family Paridae produce a hissing display that resembles the exhalatory hiss of a snake. When a predatory animal enters the nest hole of a tit, tits often hiss vigorously, while lunging their head forward and shaking their wings and tail, until the intruder retreats. We assessed the acoustic similarity between such hiss calls from 6 species of tits, snake hisses, and tit syllables used in alarm vocalizations, as well as white noise as a control. Tit hiss calls showed a high degree of similarity with snake hisses from 3 different snake families. Tit hisses had lower similarity to syllable alarm calls, suggesting convergence of tit hisses in their spectral structure. Hiss calls would only be effective in protecting nest boxes if nest predators responded to these calls. In order to test this hypothesis, we trained individual Swinhoe’s striped squirrels, Tamiops swinhoei hainanus, a common predator of egg and nestling tits, to feed at feeders in proximity to nest boxes. We compared the aversive response of squirrels to tit’s hiss calls and white noise, presented in random order. Squirrels showed a higher degree of avoidance of feeders when hiss calls were played back than when white noise was presented. In conclusion, our study suggests that hole-nesting birds have evolved convergent snake-like hiss calls, and that predators avoid to prey on the contents of nest boxes from which snake-like hisses emerge.

Cheek-Pieces with Zoomorphic Images of the Samara-Ural Region Nomads in the VI–IV Centuries BC

The article illustrates a study of cheek-pieces with zoomorphic images used by the nomads of the Samara-Ural region at the end of the VI–IV centuries BC. A review of 79 cheek-pieces is presented, as well as their characteristics. As a result of the excavations, two chronological groups of such horse gear are identified. The date of the early group refers to the second half of the VI–V centuries BC. It is characterized by rod-like straight and arcuate curved bronze, iron, bimetallic double-hole bit shank with zoomorphic ends. The most common endings are decorated with realistic sculptural images of the heads of birds of prey / griffins, wolves and horses. Combinations of the heads of a predatory animal and a bird of prey, a predatory animal and a horse, a camel and a horse, as well as the head of a bird of prey and a hoof are rare images. The late group refers to the period of the end of the V–IV centuries BC. This group is characterized by the following cheek-pieces: S-shaped with endings shaped as horse hooves; L-shaped with curved endings shaped as a horse’s hoof or an open-work plate, which is a stylized image of a bird’s paw, the claws of which are transformed into the heads of birds or animals. A significant difference between these two groups is stated and based on their composition, motives (plots) of images and their stylistics. The mapping of the findings allowed to record the concentration of the most numerous groups of cheek-pieces (straight lines with endings in the form of the heads of birds of prey / griffins, wolves, horses, and S-shaped bit shanks with endings in the form of horse hooves) on the territory of the steppes, adjoining the western slopes of the Ural Mountains. These are mainly steppes in the basin of the middle and lower reaches of the river Ilek.

Examining Echinococcus multilocularis infection in some Midland Russia predatory animal species

Commercially exploited predator animal species are considered as a final host for multiple biohelminths posing a threat both to human and other animals. Fight against pathogens of dangerous helminthozoonoses should be based on combining efforts of scientific and practical centers, various state departments, executive authorities, law enforcement authorities as well as country residents. Examining parasitic fauna in commercially exploited predator animals is of special priority in the Midland Russia with high population density, wherein people have been engaged in hunting closely contacting both with fur animals as well as domestic pets (dogs, cats). Alveococcosis is a natural focal disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. The study was aimed at examining dynamics of E. multilocularis recording in the Midland Russia commercially exploited predator animals. 2007—2018 Cestode spread was examined. A research material for (corpses, carcasses, body and tissue fragments) was obtained hunting reserves located in the Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Tver, Oryol and Bryansk regions of the Midland Russia as well as the Republic of Karelia. Complete or partial helminthological autopsy carried out in accordance with K.I. Scriabin technique (1928) was performed in 262 animals, including 193 common red foxes, 28 domestic and 16 raccoon dogs, 16 domestic cats, 6 wolves, 2 brown bears and one lynx. It was shown that cestodes E. multilocularis was found in 46 foxes (23.8%), 3 raccoon dogs (18.7%), 3 wolves (50%) and one domestic dog (3.6%). Moreover, the peak tapeworm prevalence in carnivorous animals was noted for foxes and raccoon dogs in 2010—2011 (42.4%), 2011— 2012 (37.1%) and 2012—2013 (42.1%). On the other hand, no tapeworm invasion in carnivores was noted during 2009—2010 and 2013—2014 sports hunting seasons. However, a causative agent of alveococcosis is routinely detected in the Ryazan and Vladimir regions. The prevalence of invasion in animals differs in foxes, raccoon dogs, wolves ranging from 12 to 40,000, in raccoon dogs — from 37 to 112, in wolves — from 12 to 318 tapeworms per animal, and in domestic dog reaching 19 worms per animal. The data of 2007—2018 personal studies point at spread of alveococcosis foci in the Midland Russia.

Творчество Ю.П.Мерденова в контексте российско-азербайджанских культурных связей

В статье исследуются отдельные аспекты российско-азербайджанских культурных связей, касающиеся в первую очередь циркового искусства и творчества одного из наиболее ярких его представителей народного артиста России Юрия Петровича Мерденова. Воспитанник патриарха российской и советской джигитовки Алибека Кантемирова Ю.П.Мерденов внес свой неоценимый вклад не только в становление и развитие конного жанра в азербайджанском цирке, но и в популяризацию славных конных традиций кубанского казачества, создав аттракцион Кубанские казаки , на протяжении многих лет покоряющий мировые арены. Международное признание достижений Юрия Мерденова подтверждает тезис об интернациональной природе циркового искусства, которое и в наши дни в значительной степени составляет основу российско-азербайджанских культурных связей.The article is devoted to the work of Yuri Merdenov, an outstanding master of jigitovka (trick riding), the creator of the world famous equestrian acrobatic groups Jigits of Azerbaijan and Kuban Cossacks, a National Artist of Russia. His activities are considered as a vivid example of RussianAzerbaijani cultural relations in the field of circus art. The author notes that the formation of professional circus art in Azerbaijan was influenced by representatives of the Russian circus. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, performances of circus artists from Russia had unprecedented success with the local audience. Famous Azerbaijani circus artists athletes Sali Suleiman and Rashid Yusifov, predatory animal trainer Alekper Farrukh and many others performed as part of Russian circuses. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan has centuriesold traditions of folk equestrian games, professional jigitovka in the national circus art appeared only in the Soviet period thanks to the efforts of Yuri Merdenov, a pupil of the patriarch of the Russian and Soviet jigitovka Alibek Kantemirov. Wellknown as a fearless jigit and a talented actor, Merdenov, when creating the act of Jigits of Azerbaijan in the Baku circus, also proved to be an outstanding trainer and organizer. In 1964 he assembled young people without professional training into a team and created a truly artistic troupe, having achieved a delicate performance of complex stunts. The creative activities of Jigits of Azerbaijan is one of the bright pages of the national circus. The troupe successfully performed abroad, in Argentina, France, Belgium, took part in pantomime performances Carnival in Cuba, The Pipe of Peace, A Sign on a Rock, Korchagintsy, which were milestones in circus art. The Kuban Cossacks circus act, which Merdenov created in 1974, drew an artistic parallel between the Azerbaijan national equestrian plays and the traditional equestrian culture of the Kuban Cossacks. Despite the fact that the act had a completely different artistic and staging form, it retained the enthusiasm and the heroic image of a fearless horseman. Merdenovs creative activities contributed to the further development of the genre of jigitovka in Azerbaijan. His pupils created excellent equestrian groups, such as Alov headed by Sabir Samedov (1987), Suvari (2012) by Azer Gamzayev. The international recognition of Merdenovs achievements confirms the thesis about the international nature of circus art, which largely forms the basis of RussianAzerbaijani cultural ties at present.

Racial and Gender Biases in Magazine Advertising

Recent evidence suggests that racial and gender biases in magazine advertisements may be increasing. To explore this possibility, a content analysis was performed on 10 years of fashion advertisements drawn from magazines geared toward White women, Black women, or White men ( N = 1,800 advertisements from 1985–1994). The results indicated that (a) except for Black females in White women's magazines, African Americans were underrepresented in White magazines; (b) female body exposure was greater than male body exposure, and White female body exposure rose significantly during the 10 years; (c) White women were shown in low-status positions nearly twice as often as were other models; and (d) Black women wore the majority of animal prints, most of which were patterned after a predatory animal. These findings suggest that racial and gender biases in magazine advertising persisted, and in some cases increased, between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s.

Whither Anomalocaris? The search in the Burgess Shale continues

A hundred years ago, Anomalocaris canadensis Whiteaves, 1892, was described as the body of a Phyllopod Crustacean. At NAPC III in Montreal in 1982, Whittington and Briggs showed that Anomalocaris canadensis was a claw, one of a pair at the front of an extraordinary predatory animal, whose jaws had previously been described as a jellyfish (Peytoia). The search to understand Anomalocaris and its relatives continues. So does the mistaken allocation of separated parts.In 1991, the first complete Anomalocaris canadensis was collected. It has a fan tail, much like the tail of another Burgess Shale conundrum, Opabinia. Another new specimen shows that its head and claws were more flexible than previously realized, and its eyes were on stalks.The large feeding claw, Appendage F, was allocated first to the arthropod, Sidneyia, by Walcott, then to the other Anomalocaris species, A. nathorsti, by Whittington and Briggs. The small size and lack of strong cross spines on the claws of A. nathorsti suggest that Appendage F probably came from another anomalocarid. Another puzzling feature on A. nathorsti is the thin, segmented structure running across the abdomen, one per body segment, ending in a club-shaped extremity on each side.A third anomalocarid is now recognized in the Burgess Shale. Its front half is composed of 3 or 4 carapace like parts previously named Hurdia and Proboscicaris. Two small sheathed claws on stalks are attached at the rear of the “carapaces”. Hanging below the rear of the “carapaces” is a grasping, feeding organ composed of a pair of claws and Peytoia jaws with an inner set of teeth. It is connected to the body which has 11 segments and a tail. The two “oblique compressions” and the Peytoia jaws with the extra group of “spines” within the mouth allocated by Whittington and Briggs (1985) to Anomalocaris nathorsti almost certainly belong to the Hurdia anomalocarid.It is evident that attempting to allocate anomalocarid parts to a particular anomalocarid is much like a Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey game. In both cases the players are operating in the dark. The differences are that there is an unknown number of anomalocarids in the Burgess Shale and not only do they disarticulate easily, but they often have similar parts. As a consequence, our understanding of the anomalocarids is almost completely dependent on finding articulated specimens with the parts in place. This in turn depends on the success of field excavation. It took 100 years and 12 seasons of excavation to get the first complete Anomalocaris canadensis.

County and Township Government in 1943

The future of local government in the United States is likely to depend in no inconsiderable degree upon the extent to which the local units make a vital contribution toward winning the present war and solving the problems arising therefrom. It is therefore of special significance that many of the developments occurring in county and township government during 1943 were related directly or indirectly to the war and postwar problems. At the same time, progress continued along various lines which had become well established prior to the war. Public interest in rural local government was evidenced both by the large amount of state legislation enacted with reference thereto and by local action taken under legislative authority. Developments during the year will be summarized under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) optional forms of government; (6) intergovernmental relations; and (7) research and experimentation.New Areas. State legislatures continued to enact statutes establishing or authorizing the establishment of local ad hoc authorities for various purposes. Wyoming established each organized county of the state as a predatory animal district, under the control of a district board, for the purpose of paying bounties for the killing of animals that prey upon domestic livestock, poultry, and wild game. General laws authorized the organization of weed-control districts in South Dakota, public library districts in Illinois, cemetery districts in Montana, and county water authorities in California. Georgia's constitution was amended to empower the governing authorities of Bibb county to establish and administer, within the county and outside the city of Macon, special districts for sanitation purposes, garbage removal and disposal, fire prevention, police protection, drainage, road building and improvement, and any other public services and facilities customarily afforded by municipalities of the state.