silversides, any of several species of small slim schooling fish of the family Atherinidae (order Atheriniformes), found in freshwater and along coasts around the world in warm and temperate regions. Silversides are named for the wide silvery stripe usually present on each side. They have two

Judaism: Major medieval Hebrew collections: Typical is the tale of The Silversmith and His Wife, which relates how a craftsman, persuaded by his greedy wife to make a statue of a princess, gets his hands cut off by the king for violating the Islamic law against making images, while his wife reaps rich rewards from…

fritillary: …silverspots, belong to the genus Speyeria and usually have silver markings on the underside of their wings. Many of the smaller fritillaries are members of the genus Boloria. Many fritillary larvae are nocturnal and feed on violet leaves.

Shel Silverstein was an American cartoonist, children’s author, poet, songwriter, and playwright best known for his light verse and quirky cartoons. In the 1950s Silverstein drew for the military magazine Stars and Stripes while serving in Japan and Korea, and he also contributed to Playboy. He

Shel Silverstein was an American cartoonist, children’s author, poet, songwriter, and playwright best known for his light verse and quirky cartoons. In the 1950s Silverstein drew for the military magazine Stars and Stripes while serving in Japan and Korea, and he also contributed to Playboy. He

Emma: Legacy: …released, a contemporary take starring Alicia Silverstone as Cher (Emma), Paul Rudd as Josh (Mr. Knightley), Brittany Murphy as Tai (Harriet), and Jeremy Sisto as Elton (Mr. Elton). Unlike the original novel, Clueless is set in Beverly Hills, California, in the mid-1990s. The film achieved cult status in the 21st…

grizzly bear, (subspecies Ursus arctos horribilis), common name for one of the brown bears (Ursus arctos) belonging to the subspecies U. arctos horribilis. The grizzly bear is a massive animal with humped shoulders and an elevated forehead that contributes to a somewhat concave profile. The fur is

Silverton, town, seat (1876) of San Juan county, southwestern Colorado, U.S. Located at an elevation of 9,318 feet (2,840 metres), Silverton grew from an assemblage of gold-rush mining shacks in the early 1870s to a handsome Victorian community, most of whose buildings still stand; the entire town

John le Carré: Silverview, reportedly his last novel, was published posthumously in 2021. It centres on a bookstore owner who gets caught up in the world of espionage when he is befriended by a retired MI6 agent who is under investigation.

flatware, spoons, forks, and serving implements used at the table. The term flatware was introduced toward the end of the 19th century. Strictly speaking, it excludes knives, which are classified as cutlery, although in common American usage knives are generally included. In the earliest spoons,

cutlery, cutting implements, such as knives, razors, and scissors, used for industrial, commercial, and domestic purposes. Prehistoric implements used for cutting, hunting, and defense were fashioned from stone, especially flint; from obsidian, a volcanic glass; and from bones and shells. Cutting

silverwork, vessels, utensils, jewelry, coinage, and ornamentation made from silver. A brief treatment of silverwork follows. For full treatment, see metalwork. The oldest silver artifacts date from ancient Sumer about 4000 bce. The scarcity of silver, combined with its softness and malleability,

gibbon: …sexes look alike in the silvery gibbon (H. moloch) of Java and in the white-bearded (H. albibarbis) and Müller’s (H. muelleri) gibbons, both from different parts of Borneo.

Melchite: …union elected their own patriarch, Silvester, and obtained the legal recognition from the Ottoman government that assured them autonomy. About 100 years later, after much persecution and religious difficulties with Jesuits and Lebanese Maronites, the Catholics also received autonomous status from the Ottoman Turks, which allowed for normal activity and…

Abd el-Krim: Adb el-Krim during the Rif War: Manuel Fernández Silvestre was routed by Abd el-Krim’s fighters into an epic retreat from their encampment at Annoual (Anwal) on July 22, 1921. Between 8,000 and 10,000 Spanish troops were killed, a great deal of Spanish weaponry was abandoned, more than 300 prisoners were captured,…

Filippo Silvestri was an Italian entomologist, best remembered for his pioneering work in polyembryony, the development of more than one individual from a single fertilized egg cell. During the late 1930s Silvestri discovered that this type of reproduction occurs in the species Litomatix

J. Paul Getty Museum: …Boston-based architects Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti. It became home to a research centre and Getty’s collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art. In 2018 the collection was reinstalled chronologically after decades of being displayed thematically.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona: …and abruptly becomes enamoured with Silvia, the Duke’s fair daughter, with whom Valentine plans secretly to elope. Proteus treacherously betrays Valentine’s plan to the Duke, who promptly banishes Valentine. The Duke is assisted in all this by Thurio, a wealthy and most unwelcome suitor to Silvia. Concurrently, Julia disguises herself…

Silvia is the queen consort of Sweden (1976– ), wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Silvia was born in Heidelberg, Ger., to a Brazilian mother and German father. When she was three years old, her family moved to São Paulo, where she spent much of her childhood. After they returned to West Germany in

forestry: Silviculture: Silviculture is the branch of forestry concerned with the theory and practice of controlling forest establishment, composition, and growth. Like forestry itself, silviculture is an applied science that rests ultimately upon the more fundamental natural and social sciences. The immediate foundation of silviculture in the…

forestry: Range and forage: …agroforestry, a practice known as silvopasture, or dehesa, specifically seeks to combine trees with forage (pasture) and livestock production. The components are structurally and functionally combined and actively managed to optimize the positive biophysical interactions between them. This form of agroforestry is a practical and low-cost means of implementing integrated…

Silvretta Group, mountain range of the Rhaetian Alps along the Austrian-Swiss border, extending eastward from near Klosters to north of Schuls, both in Switzerland. The glacier-covered range rises to Linard Peak (11,191 feet [3,411 metres]) in Switzerland and to Buin Peak (10,866 feet [3,312

Silvretta Group, mountain range of the Rhaetian Alps along the Austrian-Swiss border, extending eastward from near Klosters to north of Schuls, both in Switzerland. The glacier-covered range rises to Linard Peak (11,191 feet [3,411 metres]) in Switzerland and to Buin Peak (10,866 feet [3,312

ancient Iran: Conflicts with the Turks and Byzantium: …with a Turkish leader called Sinjibu (Silzibul), Khosrow was able to inflict a decisive defeat on the Hephthalites, after which event a common frontier between the Turkish and Sāsānian empires was established. Inevitably, this alliance became a source of possible friction, and the Turks sometimes acted as an ally of…

A Christmas Carol: …of Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Alastair Sim), a rich, self-obsessed miser. On Christmas Eve he is given one last chance for redemption when the ghost of his equally miserly business partner, Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern), comes back to warn him of the potentially devastating consequences of his cruel behaviour. After…

Sima Xiangru was a Chinese poet renowned for his fu, a form of descriptive poetry. Self-trained in literature and fencing, Sima Xiangru was appointed bodyguard to the Han emperor Jingdi, but soon he took a new position at the court of Prince Xiao of Liang. There he began to compose his famous fu

Sima Chengzhen was the sixth patriarch of the Shangqing school of Daoism, who had many associations with famous poets such as Li Bai and Wang Wei during the Tang dynasty. Called to court during the reign of the emperor Ruizong (reigned 710–712), Sima recommended a government that followed the

Atapuerca: …Atapuerca is a cave called Sima de los Huesos (“Pit of the Bones”), where more than 1,600 human fossils, including several nearly complete skulls, have been found. The age of this material is at least 300,000 years and may be as old as 600,000 years. Brain sizes are within the…

Atapuerca: The site called Sima del Elefante (“Pit of the Elephant”) contains the earliest evidence of humans in western Europe—fragments of a jawbone and teeth date to 1.1–1.2 million years ago. The nearby site of Gran Dolina contains human remains dating to about 800,000 years ago and some of…

Sima Guang was a scholar, statesman, and poet who compiled the monumental Zizhi tongjian (“Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government”), a general chronicle of Chinese history from 403 bce to 959 ce, considered one of the finest single historical works in Chinese. Known for his moral uprightness,

Sima Qian was an astronomer, calendar expert, and the first great Chinese historian. He is most noted for his authorship of the Shiji (“Historical Records”), which is considered to be the most important history of China down to the end of the 2nd century. Sima Qian was the son of Sima Tan, the

Sima Qian: Life: …Qian was the son of Sima Tan, the grand historian (sometimes translated as “astronomer royal”) at the Han court during the period 140–110 bce. The office of grand historian combined responsibility for astronomical observations and for the regulation of the calendar with the duties of keeping a daily record of…

Sima Xiangru was a Chinese poet renowned for his fu, a form of descriptive poetry. Self-trained in literature and fencing, Sima Xiangru was appointed bodyguard to the Han emperor Jingdi, but soon he took a new position at the court of Prince Xiao of Liang. There he began to compose his famous fu

Wudi was the founder and first emperor (265–290) of the Xi (Western) Jin dynasty (265–316/317), which briefly reunited China during the turbulent period following the dissolution of the Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220). Sima Yan was the scion of the great Sima clan to which the famous Han historian Sima

simakobu, (Simias concolor), leaf-eating monkey found only on the Mentawai Islands west of Sumatra. The body averages about half a metre (20 inches) in length, and it is unique among langurs in having a tail that is much shorter than the body (15 cm [6 inches]). Females weigh 7 kg (15.5 pounds) on

amethystine python, (Simalia amethistina), long, slender, nonvenomous snake belonging to the family Pythonidae. The amethystine python inhabits mainly coastal rainforests in Indonesia, New Guinea, and northern Australia. The snake is not currently at risk of extinction and is considered an invasive

Simancas, town, Valladolid provincia (province), in the Castile-León comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), north-central Spain. It lies on the right bank of the Pisuerga River, just southwest of Valladolid city. The town originated as the Roman Septimanca, and its most important landmark is a

stringed instrument: The bow: …a little later, by the Simandl bow, named after Franz Simandl, a double-bass professor at the Vienna Conservatory from 1869 to 1910. This bow is really an adaptation of the older type but with an incurved stick, wide frog, and narrow head.

Sri Aman, market town and port, East Malaysia (northwestern Borneo), on the Lupar River. Situated in one of the few major agricultural areas of Sarawak, it is a trade centre for timber, oil palms, rubber, and pepper. Sri Aman has an airstrip and a road link to Kuching, 80 miles (129 km)

Alexis I was the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1945–70) whose allegiance to the Soviet government helped him strengthen the structure of the church within an officially atheistic country. Born to an aristocratic family, Simansky received a law degree from the University of

electronic artificial life game: …again with a simpler simulation, SimAnt (1991), in which players take the role of a black ant (yellow in the game) as it helps its colony compete for resources with a computer-controlled colony of red ants. Maxis followed with the critically acclaimed SimLife (1992), an A-life simulation in which players…

Pu’er, city, southern Yunnan sheng (province), China. It is situated in a small basin among mountains some 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) in elevation, 19 miles (30 km) south of Ning’er (formerly Pu’er), the former centre of the Yunnanese tea trade, and about 355 miles (570 km) southwest of Kunming, the

Simaroubaceae, the quassia family of flowering plants, in the order Sapindales, comprising 25 genera of pantropical trees, including Ailanthus, or the tree of heaven (q.v.). Members of the family have leaves that alternate along the stem and are composed of a number of leaflets arranged along an

ancient Iran: The Old Elamite period: …ruling house soon appeared, the Simash dynasty (Simash may have been in the mountains of southern Lorestān). The outstanding event of this period was the virtual conquest of Elam by Shulgi of the 3rd dynasty of Ur (c. 2094–c. 2047 bc). Eventually the Elamites rose in rebellion and overthrew the…

Osa Johnson: …Trailing African Wild Animals (1923), Simba, the King of Beasts (1928), Across the World (1930), Wonders of the Congo (1931), Congorilla (1932), Baboona (1935), and Borneo (1937), along with numerous short features. They also collaborated on several books: Cannibal-Land (1922), Camera Trails in Africa

history of Mesopotamia: Babylonia under the 2nd dynasty of Isin: …had the Kassitic name of Simbar-Shihu (or Simbar-Shipak; (c. 1020–c. 1003).

history of Mesopotamia: Babylonia under the 2nd dynasty of Isin: …had the Kassitic name of Simbar-Shihu (or Simbar-Shipak; (c. 1020–c. 1003).

Amos Tutuola: Another quest is found in Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle (1955), a more compact tale focusing upon a beautiful and rich young girl who leaves her home and experiences poverty and starvation. In this and the books that followed—The Brave African Huntress (1958), The Feather Woman of…

Ulyanovsk, oblast (region), western Russia. The oblast lies athwart the middle Volga River, which is there transformed into a broad lake by the downstream Samara dam. The larger western part lies on the Volga Upland, which is dissected by river valleys and erosion gullies; the smaller Trans-Volga

Ulyanovsk, city and administrative centre of Ulyanovsk oblast (region), western Russia. It lies along the Volga River at its confluence with the Sviyaga. Founded in 1648, it was a key fortress on the Sinbirsk defensive line; in 1924 it was renamed after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin), who was born there and

stinkhorn: Mutinus, Dictyophora, Simblum, and Clathrus.

José María Eguren: His first book of poetry, Simbólicas (1911; “Symbolisms”), signaled a break with the Modernismo tradition, while still maintaining contacts with the Romantic and early French Symbolist poets who had influenced the Modernist movement. Eguren’s often fantastic creations reflect his desire to escape to an imagined medieval world of adventure peopled…

automotive industry: Growth in Europe: A new French firm, Simca, rose to prominence in the 1930s. The German automobile industry suffered from the dislocation of World War I and Germany’s subsequent economic difficulties. The major developments of the 1920s were the merger of Daimler and Benz in 1926, after the founders of those firms…

Simchat Torah, (“Rejoicing of the Torah”), Jewish religious observance held on the last day of Sukkot (“Festival of Booths”), when the yearly cycle of Torah reading is completed and the next cycle is begun. Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried through the synagogue seven times in a

Simchat Torah, (“Rejoicing of the Torah”), Jewish religious observance held on the last day of Sukkot (“Festival of Booths”), when the yearly cycle of Torah reading is completed and the next cycle is begun. Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried through the synagogue seven times in a

Simchat Torah, (“Rejoicing of the Torah”), Jewish religious observance held on the last day of Sukkot (“Festival of Booths”), when the yearly cycle of Torah reading is completed and the next cycle is begun. Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried through the synagogue seven times in a

SimCity, city creation and management simulation game designed and produced in 1989 by American game designer Will Wright and electronic game developer Maxis (now a division of Electronic Arts [EA]). SimCity is viewed as a quite original game, and it inspired an array of sequels, including the very

Simcoe, former town, now incorporated into (and administrative centre of) the regional municipality of Norfolk county, southeastern Ontario, Canada. It lies along the Lynn River, 5 miles (8 km) north of Lake Erie. Settled before 1780 and named after John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor

John Graves Simcoe was a British soldier and statesman who became the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario). Simcoe—educated at Exeter Grammar School, Eton College, and Oxford University—entered the British army as an ensign in 1770. He served during the American

Lake Simcoe, lake, southeastern Ontario, Canada. It lies between Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario, 40 miles (65 km) north of Toronto. Fed by numerous small streams and joined by the Trent Canal, the lake, 287 square miles (743 square km) in area, drains northward through Couchiching Lake

electronic artificial life game: …first commercial A-life release was SimEarth (1990), a world-builder simulation for personal computers (PCs) in which players select from various landforms and climates for their planet, seed the planet with very primitive life forms, and wait to see if advanced life will develop. Compared with his hit electronic management game…

wolf: Other wolves: The Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis) looks similar to the coyote. It lives in a few isolated areas of grassland and heath scrub at high elevations in Ethiopia. Although it lives in packs, the wolves hunt alone for rodents and other small mammals. Studies estimate that fewer…

Simien Mountains, mountains in northern Ethiopia, northeast of Gonder. In the range is Ras Dejen (or Dashen), the highest peak in Ethiopia at 14,872 feet (4,533 metres). The region is the site of Simien Mountains National Park, which is home to a number of very rare species that include the walia

Georges Simenon was a Belgian-French novelist whose prolific output surpassed that of any of his contemporaries and who was perhaps the most widely published author of the 20th century. Simenon began working on a local newspaper at age 16, and at 19 he went to Paris determined to be a successful

Georges Simenon was a Belgian-French novelist whose prolific output surpassed that of any of his contemporaries and who was perhaps the most widely published author of the 20th century. Simenon began working on a local newspaper at age 16, and at 19 he went to Paris determined to be a successful

Dinah: Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi pretended to agree to the marriage and the covenant if Shechem and all the other males of the city of Shechem were circumcised. After the operations, while the men were still weakened, Simeon and Levi attacked the city, killed all the males,…

Simeon, one of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times comprised the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the second son born to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. Following the Exodus out of Egypt and the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into

St. Peter the Apostle was a disciple of Jesus Christ, recognized in the early Christian church as the leader of the 12 disciples and by the Roman Catholic Church as the first of its unbroken succession of popes. Peter, a Jewish fisherman, was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of

yeshiva: …who dominated religious scholarship were Simeon ben Gamaliel (died 175) and his son, Judah ha-Nasi (c. 135–c. 220), under whose tutelage the compilation of the Mishna was completed.

Shimon bar Yochai was a Galilean tanna (i.e., one of a select group of Palestinian rabbinic teachers), one of the most eminent disciples of the martyred rabbi Akiva ben Yosef and, traditionally, author of the Zohar (see Sefer ha-zohar), the most important work of Jewish mysticism. Little is known

Simeon I was the tsar of the first Bulgarian empire (925–927), a warlike sovereign who nevertheless made his court a cultural centre. Educated in Constantinople (now Istanbul), Simeon succeeded his father, Boris I, in 893 after the short intervening reign (889–893) of his dissolute elder brother,

Simeon Saxecoburggotski is the last king of Bulgaria, reigning as a child from 1943 to 1946 as Simeon II. He later served as the country’s prime minister (2001–05). On Aug. 28, 1943, his father, Boris III, died under mysterious circumstances—the cause of death being reported variously as heart

Simeon Metaphrastes was a Byzantine hagiographer whose Mēnologion, a 10-volume collection of the lives of early Eastern saints, achieved wide popularity. Of Simeon’s life it is known only that he held an administrative post in the Byzantine civil service and that toward the end of his life he

Simeon Of Durham was a chronicler of medieval England. Simeon entered the Benedictine abbey at Jarrow, in the county of Durham, in about 1071. This abbey was moved (1083) to the town of Durham, and there he made his religious vows in 1085/86 and later became choirmaster. Between 1104 and 1108

Fyodor III: …in Polish and Latin by Simeon Polotsky, a noted theologian who had studied in Kiev and Poland. When Alexis died, Fyodor ascended the throne (Jan. 19 [Jan. 29], 1676), but his youth and poor health prevented him from actively participating in the conduct of government affairs. His uncle Ivan B.…

St. Simeon Stylites ; Western feast day January 5; Eastern feast day September 1) was a Syrian Christian hermit who was the first known stylite, or pillar hermit (from Greek stylos, “pillar”). He was called Simeon the Elder to distinguish him from several other stylites also named Simeon. The son

St. Simeon Stylites ; Western feast day January 5; Eastern feast day September 1) was a Syrian Christian hermit who was the first known stylite, or pillar hermit (from Greek stylos, “pillar”). He was called Simeon the Elder to distinguish him from several other stylites also named Simeon. The son

Simeon I was the tsar of the first Bulgarian empire (925–927), a warlike sovereign who nevertheless made his court a cultural centre. Educated in Constantinople (now Istanbul), Simeon succeeded his father, Boris I, in 893 after the short intervening reign (889–893) of his dissolute elder brother,

Saint Symeon the New Theologian was a Byzantine monk and mystic, termed the New Theologian to mark his difference from two key figures in Greek Christian esteem, St. John the Evangelist and the 4th-century theologian St. Gregory of Nazianzus. Through his spiritual experiences and writings, Symeon

Charles Simeon was an Anglican clergyman and biblical commentator who led the Evangelical (or Low Church) movement, in reaction to the liturgically and episcopally oriented High Church party. Simeon was educated at King’s College, Cambridge, where he became vice provost (1790–92). In 1782 he was

Nunc Dimittis, in the New Testament, a brief hymn of praise sung by the aged Simeon, who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Simeon was at the Temple in Jerusalem when Mary and Joseph came to present the infant Jesus for the rite of purification

Sara Simeoni is an Italian high jumper who won an Olympic gold medal and two silver medals in the 1970s and ’80s. At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Simeoni advanced to the final round, where she finished in sixth place with a jump of 1.85 m (6 feet 34 inch) behind 16-year-old gold medalist Ulrike

Simeulue Island, island in the Indian Ocean, Aceh daerah istimewa (special district), Indonesia. Simeulue lies off the northwestern coast of Sumatra, about 170 mi (274 km) southwest of Medan city. The island, 65 mi long and 20 mi wide, covers an area of 712 sq mi (1,844 sq km). Its hills rise to

Simeulue Island, island in the Indian Ocean, Aceh daerah istimewa (special district), Indonesia. Simeulue lies off the northwestern coast of Sumatra, about 170 mi (274 km) southwest of Medan city. The island, 65 mi long and 20 mi wide, covers an area of 712 sq mi (1,844 sq km). Its hills rise to

Simferopol, city and administrative centre of Crimea, in southern Ukraine. The city lies along the Salhyr (Salgir) River where it emerges from the Crimean Mountains. On the present outskirts of the city is the site of Neapolis, occupied by the Scythians from the 3rd century bce to the 4th century

Sinhalese language, Indo-Aryan language, one of the two official languages of Sri Lanka. It was taken there by colonists from northern India about the 5th century bc. Because of its isolation from the other Indo-Aryan tongues of mainland India, Sinhalese developed along independent lines. It was

India: The Deccan and the south: …expanded during the reign of Simhana (reigned c. 1210–47), who campaigned against the Hoysala in northern Karnataka, against the lesser chiefs of the western coast, and against the Kakatiya kingdom in the eastern Deccan. Turning northward, Simhana attacked the Paramaras and the Caulukyas. The Yadavas, however, facing the Turks to…

Simchat Torah, (“Rejoicing of the Torah”), Jewish religious observance held on the last day of Sukkot (“Festival of Booths”), when the yearly cycle of Torah reading is completed and the next cycle is begun. Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried through the synagogue seven times in a

Simchat Torah, (“Rejoicing of the Torah”), Jewish religious observance held on the last day of Sukkot (“Festival of Booths”), when the yearly cycle of Torah reading is completed and the next cycle is begun. Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried through the synagogue seven times in a

Pallava dynasty: A later Pallava king, Simhavarman, is mentioned in the Sanskrit Lokavibhaga as reigning from 436 ce.

Simi Valley, city, Ventura county, southern California, U.S. It is adjacent to the northwestern boundary of the San Fernando Valley, 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Los Angeles. The area was founded on the site of a Chumash Indian village and designated a Spanish rancho in 1795. The settlement

SIV, infectious agent of the genus Lentivirus in the family Retroviridae. The virus infects primates of the infraorder Simiiformes, which includes the so-called anthropoids—apes, monkeys, and humans. SIV is transmitted through contact with infected body fluids such as blood. It is widespread among

virus: Malignant transformation: …of the family Polyomaviridae is simian virus 40 (SV40), originally isolated from cells of the African green monkey (Cercopithecus sabaeus), where it grows rapidly and kills the cells. Infection of rodent or human cells, however, results in an abortive infection (an incompatibility between the virus and the host cell) but…

virus: Malignant transformation: …of the family Polyomaviridae is simian virus 40 (SV40), originally isolated from cells of the African green monkey (Cercopithecus sabaeus), where it grows rapidly and kills the cells. Infection of rodent or human cells, however, results in an abortive infection (an incompatibility between the virus and the host cell) but…

simakobu, (Simias concolor), leaf-eating monkey found only on the Mentawai Islands west of Sumatra. The body averages about half a metre (20 inches) in length, and it is unique among langurs in having a tail that is much shorter than the body (15 cm [6 inches]). Females weigh 7 kg (15.5 pounds) on

Charles Simic was a Yugoslavian-born American poet who evoked his eastern European heritage and his childhood experiences during World War II to comment on the dearth of spirituality in contemporary life. At age 15 Simic moved with his mother to Paris, where he attended French schools and studied

wolf: Other wolves: The Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis) looks similar to the coyote. It lives in a few isolated areas of grassland and heath scrub at high elevations in Ethiopia. Although it lives in packs, the wolves hunt alone for rodents and other small mammals. Studies estimate that fewer…

Simien Mountains, mountains in northern Ethiopia, northeast of Gonder. In the range is Ras Dejen (or Dashen), the highest peak in Ethiopia at 14,872 feet (4,533 metres). The region is the site of Simien Mountains National Park, which is home to a number of very rare species that include the walia

Ethiopia: Plant and animal life: Simien Mountains National Park, home to several endangered species, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978.

Ethiopia: Plant and animal life: Simien Mountains National Park, home to several endangered species, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978.