swamp eel, any of about 15 species of slim, eel-like fish comprising the order Synbranchiformes. Swamp eels, unrelated to true eels (Anguilliformes), are found in fresh and brackish waters of the tropics. They appear to be related to the order Perciformes. They range from about 20 to 70 centimetres

equine infectious anemia (EIA), disease of horses that is caused by a non-oncogenic (non-cancer-causing) retrovirus. Bloodsucking insects, especially horseflies, transmit the disease. Signs, which appear about two weeks after exposure, include fever, progressive weakness, weight loss, edema, and

Francis Marion was a colonial American soldier in the American Revolution (1775–83), nicknamed the “Swamp Fox” by the British for his elusive tactics. Marion gained his first military experience fighting against the Cherokee Indians in 1759. Then, serving as a member of the South Carolina

methane, colourless, odourless gas that occurs abundantly in nature and as a product of certain human activities. Methane is the simplest member of the paraffin series of hydrocarbons and is among the most potent of the greenhouse gases. Its chemical formula is CH4. Methane is lighter than air,

eucalyptus: Physical description: The giant gum tree, or mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), of Victoria and Tasmania, is one of the largest species and attains a height of about 90 metres (300 feet) and a circumference of 7.5 metres (24.5 feet). Many species continually shed the dead outermost layer of…

tupelo: Major species: The water tupelo (N. aquatica), also called cotton gum or swamp gum, grows in swamps of the southeastern and Gulf of Mexico coasts and in the Mississippi River valley northward to southern Illinois. It grows in pure stands or in association with bald cypress and other…

loosestrife: Swamp loosestrife, water willow, or wild oleander (Decodon verticillatus) is a perennial herb native to swamps and ponds of eastern North America.

red maple, (Acer rubrum), large, irregularly narrow tree of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), cultivated for its shade and spectacular autumn colour. It is one of the most common trees in its native eastern North America. The red maple grows to a height of 27 m (90 feet) or more on a straight

swamp monkey, (Allenopithecus nigroviridis), small heavily built primate of the Congo River basin. It is dark olive in colour, with orange or whitish underside. The head and body length is about 450 mm (18 inches), and there is a somewhat longer tail; females weigh 3.7 kg (8 pounds) on average,

Casuarinaceae: Some, especially the beefwood (C. equisetifolia, also called she-oak, ironwood, Australian pine, whistling pine, or swamp oak), also are used ornamentally in warm-climate countries, where they have often escaped cultivation and become established in the wild.

swamp pheasant, bird species of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae). See

rabbit: Diversity and conservation status: …and others are semiaquatic (the swamp rabbit, S. aquaticus, and the marsh rabbit, S. palustris). Two other genera of rabbit also live in North America. The volcano rabbit, or zacatuche, inhabits dense undergrowth of bunchgrass in pine forests in the high mountains surrounding Mexico City. A population of only about…

red oak: Cherry-bark oak, or swamp red oak, a valuable timber tree also used as an ornamental, is a variety of the southern red oak. It is a larger tree, up to 36 m, with more uniform, 5- to 11-lobed leaves, often 23 cm long. The gray-brown…

Alan Moore: …Comics hired Moore to write Swamp Thing, a straightforward monster comic that Moore transformed into a monthly meditation on life and death. It pushed the boundaries of what could be done in a mainstream book, and his success with it led to Watchmen. Published serially from 1986 to 1987, Watchmen…

Wes Craven: …made his first big-budget picture, Swamp Thing (1982), which was based on the DC Comics character. However, it fared poorly at the box office.

tickseed: …a popular garden plant, and swamp tickseed (C. rosea) is grown in wildflower gardens.

pond turtle: …turtle (Clemmys marmorata) and the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).

chorus frog, (Pseudacris), any of several species of tree frogs belonging to the family Hylidae. Chorus frogs are found in North America from Canada to the southern United States and the northern reaches of Mexico. They are predominantly terrestrial and live in thick herbaceous vegetation and low

pond turtle: …turtle (Clemmys marmorata) and the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).

Washington, D.C.: Northeast: …the area became known as NoMa (“North of Massachusetts Avenue”). Old row houses were demolished, a railroad trestle was removed, and two streets that were originally part of L’Enfant’s street plan were rebuilt. Union Station (1907), the city’s magnificent train depot located on the southern edge of NoMa, was renovated,…

cave fish: …with these fishes are the swampfish (Chologaster), which belong to the same family. They are also small but are pigmented and have functional eyes. They live aboveground in North American swamps and streams.

Cree: Traditionally, the Woodland Cree (Sakâwiyiniwak), also called Swampy Cree (Maskêkowiyiniwak), relied for subsistence on hunting, fowling, fishing, and collecting wild plant foods. They preferred hunting larger game such as caribou, moose, bear, and beaver but relied chiefly on hare for subsistence because of the scarcity of the…

swan, largest waterfowl species of the subfamily Anserinae, family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). Most swans are classified in the genus Cygnus. Swans are gracefully long-necked, heavy-bodied, big-footed birds that glide majestically when swimming and fly with slow wingbeats and with necks

goose: …of northern Eurasia, and the swan goose (A. cygnoides), a wild goose from eastern Asia. Unlike its monogamous wild cousins, domestic geese are polygamous and thus more productive for commercial uses. The largest and most-popular domestic meat goose is the Toulouse. A by-product of goose-meat production especially important in Europe…

Swan Hill, city, northern Victoria, Australia, on the Murray River, northwest of Melbourne. It is the chief market centre for the southern section of the irrigated Riverina district of New South Wales. The site was named in the 1830s by the explorer Thomas (later Sir Thomas) Mitchell, who was kept

Swan Islands, two islets (Greater and Lesser Swan) in the Caribbean Sea, 97 miles (156 km) north of Honduras. Discovered by Christopher Columbus on St. Anne’s feast day in 1502, they were named Islas Santa Ana. The islands, only 1.6 square miles (4 square km) in area, served as a pirate haunt from

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Years of fame of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: …had completed the composition of Swan Lake, which was the first in his famed trilogy of ballets. The ballet’s premiere took place on February 20, 1877, but it was not a success owing to poor staging and choreography, and it was soon dropped from the repertoire.

Sumter: The Swan Lake Iris Gardens in the city are known for their old cypress trees, azaleas, and camellias, as well as irises and swans. Shaw Air Force Base is nearby. Inc. town, 1845; city, 1887. Pop. (2000) 39,643; (2010) 40,524.

William Shakespeare was a poet, dramatist, and actor often called the English national poet. He is considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time. Shakespeare occupies a position unique in world literature. Other poets, such as Homer and Dante, and novelists, such as Leo Tolstoy and

Swan River, ephemeral river of southwestern Western Australia. It rises in the hills south of Corrigin as the Avon and flows 224 miles (360 km) northwest and southwest past Northam and Perth to the Indian Ocean at Fremantle. It is known as the Swan only along its lower 60-mile course. The rivers

Swan River, river, eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba, Can. The river flows northeast for about 110 miles (175 km) to empty into Swan Lake, which covers 118 square miles (306 square km). The town of Swan River is located on the river. In the early 1800s there was intense fur-trading rivalry

flag of Western Australia: …was referred to as the Swan River Colony. Its bank notes, issued in the early 1830s, showed a swan, as did the first newspaper, the Swan River Guardian, in 1836. In the same year, the first issue of the Western Australian Government Gazette used the swan emblem. When governors of…

Swan Service, set of porcelain tableware made at the Meissen factory in Germany between 1737 and 1741 by Johann Joachim Kändler and Johann Friedrich Eberlein. Made for Heinrich, Count von Brühl, the factory director, it was composed of 2,200 pieces modeled and painted in the Rococo style with such

Franz Schubert: Last years of Franz Schubert: …together as the Schwanengesang (Swan Song). In September and early October the succession was concluded by the last three piano sonatas, in C Minor, A Major, and B-flat Major, and the great String Quintet in C Major—the swan song of the Classical era in music.

Mahershala Ali: Ali later starred in Swan Song (2021), a sci-fi movie about a dying man who, in order to protect his loved ones, keeps his condition a secret and contemplates cloning himself.

Swan Theatre, Elizabethan theatre built about 1595 by Francis Langley in Bankside, London. A description and a sketch of the Swan made by Johannes de Witt of Utrecht (no longer extant; the sketch copied by Aernoudt [Arendt] van Buchell is the only copy) have proved most useful in attempts to

children’s literature: Finland: …father figure Zacharias Topelius and Anni Swan, wrote their fairy tales and folktales primarily for a Swedish-reading audience. Their works however were promptly translated into Finnish and became part of the native heritage. The same is true of the contemporary Tove Jansson, 1966 Andersen Medal winner, whose series of novels…

Stephenie Meyer: …suspense, and searing passion—of teenager Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Meyer described her vampires as “very light”—sensitive, thoughtful, even beautiful figures rather than blood-guzzling predators. Some, like Edward and his family, do not drink human blood. They also do not turn into bats or sleep in coffins,…

John Swan is a Bermudan politician and longtime premier (1982–95) of Bermuda who resigned his post after losing an important national vote on independence. Swan was educated in Bermuda and West Virginia in the United States. He entered Bermuda’s parliament in 1972. As minister for home affairs from

Joseph Swan was an English physicist and chemist who produced an early electric lightbulb and invented the dry photographic plate, an important improvement in photography and a step in the development of modern photographic film. After serving his apprenticeship with a druggist in his native town,

Robert Swan is a British explorer and global environmental activist who became the first person to successfully walk to both the South Pole and the North Pole. While studying history at the University of Durham in the mid-1970s, Swan became intrigued by British naval officer and explorer Robert

John Swan is a Bermudan politician and longtime premier (1982–95) of Bermuda who resigned his post after losing an important national vote on independence. Swan was educated in Bermuda and West Virginia in the United States. He entered Bermuda’s parliament in 1972. As minister for home affairs from

Joseph Swan was an English physicist and chemist who produced an early electric lightbulb and invented the dry photographic plate, an important improvement in photography and a step in the development of modern photographic film. After serving his apprenticeship with a druggist in his native town,

Charles Vidor: Later films: The Swan (1956), a pleasant romance among royalty, was Grace Kelly’s penultimate film. In 1957 Vidor made another biopic, The Joker Is Wild, which offered Frank Sinatra in good form as alcoholic nightclub comic Joe E. Lewis. Less successful was the 1957 adaptation of Ernest…

Greta Gerwig: …time introduced her to filmmaker Joe Swanberg, who cast her in LOL (2006), a micro-budget and nearly plotless movie about young men preoccupied with technology that was an exemplar of mumblecore. She was thus launched into an acting career.

George Gershwin: Early career and influences: … performed the Gershwin song “Swanee” in the musical Sinbad; it became an enormous success, selling more than two million recordings and a million copies of sheet music, and making Gershwin an overnight celebrity. That same year, La, La Lucille, the first show for which Gershwin composed the entire score,…

Sidney Lanfield: Films of the 1930s: …closed out the decade with Swanee River (1939), a biopic of songwriter Stephen Foster, though Al Jolson stole the show as minstrel singer Edwin P. Christy.

Suwannee River: …Stephen Foster’s famed song “Old Folks at Home.” The river was named Guasaca Esqui (“River of Reeds”) by early Native American inhabitants, and its present name is thought to be a corruption of San Juanee (“Little St. John”). In the 1780s the secluded bays and inlets of Suwannee Sound…

Suwannee River, river, rising in the Okefenokee Swamp, southeastern Georgia, U.S., and meandering generally south-southwestward across northern Florida to enter the Gulf of Mexico at Suwannee Sound after a course of 250 miles (400 km). All but 35 miles (56 km) of the river’s course are in Florida.

Rembrandt: Early years: …master was the Leiden painter Jacob van Swanenburgh (1571–1638), with whom, according to Orlers, he remained for about three years. Van Swanenburgh must have taught him the basic skills and imparted the knowledge necessary for the profession. He was a specialist in architectural pieces and in scenes of hell and…

African dance: Rhythm: The Swange is a form of urban recreational dance among the Tiv in which men and women dance together. This dance uses the circle formation familiar in village dances and adapts traditional musical themes to highlife rhythms played on a combination of Tiv and Hausa instruments.…

Hilary Swank is an American actress who won two best actress Academy Awards, both for roles that were considered uncommonly difficult and courageous—a young transgender man in Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and a female professional boxer in Million Dollar Baby (2004). Swank spent most of her early

Hilary Swank is an American actress who won two best actress Academy Awards, both for roles that were considered uncommonly difficult and courageous—a young transgender man in Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and a female professional boxer in Million Dollar Baby (2004). Swank spent most of her early

Volker Schlöndorff: …novels by Marcel Proust (Swann in Love, 1984) and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale, 1990).

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, case in which, on April 20, 1971, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously upheld busing programs that aimed to speed up the racial integration of public schools in the United States. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of

acting: Stanislavsky’s contribution: …in a long passage in Swann’s Way, brilliantly described the working of affective memory and illustrated precisely the way in which it can be recalled. Instances of its presence can be multiplied from all the arts—literary, visual, or musical. But, though in the other arts it can function unconsciously, the…

Charles Swann, fictional character, the leading figure in Marcel Proust’s multivolume novel Remembrance of Things Past (1913–27; also published as In Search of Lost

Odette, fictional character, the vulgar wife of Charles Swann in Remembrance of Things Past, or In Search of Lost Time (1913–27), by Marcel Proust. She appears most prominently in the first volume, Du Côté de chez Swann (1913; Swann’s Way). Odette is a striking beauty, but she is also insensitive,

Bronisław Malinowski: Mature career: …1940 Malinowski married again, to Anna Valetta Hayman-Joyce, an artist who painted under the name Valetta Swann and who assisted him in his Mexican studies and was primarily responsible for the publication of his Scientific Theory of Culture (1944) and other posthumous works.

Carol Shields: …Canada as a crime drama, Swann: A Mystery (1987) is both a sly comedy of manners and a psychological novel that presents the life of a dead female poet as conceived by four very different characters. The Republic of Love (1992) brings two somewhat unlikely individuals together. Written in a…

Swanscombe skull, human fossil remnants consisting of three large cranial bones (two parietals and an occipital) of a young female found in well-stratified gravels of the River Thames at Swanscombe in Kent, England. Discovered in 1935, 1936, and 1955, the remains were dated to about 300,000 years

Swansea, city, Swansea county, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), southwestern Wales. It lies along the Bristol Channel at the mouth of the River Tawe. Swansea is the second largest city in Wales (after Cardiff). In the early 12th century the Norman Henry de Newburgh built a castle there,

Swansea, county, southwestern Wales, comprising the city of Swansea as well as the entire peninsula of Gower in the south and west, the lower valley of the River Loughor in the northwest, and the foothills of Black Mountain in the north. Gower is a rolling plateau noted for its sandy beaches and

Olof von Dalin: …in Sweden, the extremely popular Then swänska Argus (1732–34), modeled on Joseph Addison’s Tatler and Spectator. This periodical helped introduce the ideas of the Enlightenment into Sweden, but its language and literary style were of even greater importance; it is regarded as ushering in the age of modern Swedish prose.…

Encyclopædia Britannica: Fifteenth edition: …stewardship of Adler, Benton, and Charles E. Swanson (president of the company from 1967 to 1985), a vast editorial effort was assembled, resulting in the first publication of Britannica 3, or the 15th edition, in 1974. The new set consisted of 28 volumes in three parts serving different functions: the…

Gloria Swanson was an American motion-picture, stage, and television actress who was known primarily as a glamorous Hollywood star during the 1920s and as the fading movie queen Norma Desmond in the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. Swanson was the only child of a civilian official of the U.S. Army

John Reed Swanton was an American anthropologist and a foremost student of North American Indian ethnology. His contributions to knowledge of the Indians of the southeastern United States significantly developed the discipline of ethnohistory. Swanton studied with anthropologist Franz Boas at

Namibia: From resistance to liberation struggle: In 1959 SWANU (South West Africa National Union) was formed, largely by Herero intellectuals. Within a decade, SWAPO had become the dominant party and had grown beyond its Ovambo roots. The presence of Ovambo throughout the nation due to contract labour was used to forge a national communication…

international payment and exchange: Swap agreements: The informal system of swap agreements provides a mutual arrangement between central banks for standby credits designed to see countries through difficulties on the occasions of large movements of funds. These are intended only to offset private international flows of capital on precautionary…

flea market, event where vendors sell used and antique goods. Flea markets often take place outside or in large contained spaces. Vendors are generally asked to pay a set fee to display their goods in a designated area or stall. In some states a seller’s permit or license is required to sell goods

railroad: Development: …internal COFC traffic used the swapbody, or demountable, which is similar in principle to, but more lightly constructed, cheaper, and easier to transship than the maritime container; the latter has to withstand stacking several deep on board ship and at ports, which is not a requisite for the swapbody. As…

shaduf, hand-operated device for lifting water, invented in ancient times and still used in India, Egypt, and some other countries to irrigate land. Typically it consists of a long, tapering, nearly horizontal pole mounted like a seesaw. A skin or bucket is hung on a rope from the long end, and a

SWAPO Party of Namibia, political party that began as a liberation movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa) that advocated immediate Namibian independence from South Africa and became the country’s leading party following independence in 1990. It was founded in 1960, and, after South Africa

SWAPO Party of Namibia, political party that began as a liberation movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa) that advocated immediate Namibian independence from South Africa and became the country’s leading party following independence in 1990. It was founded in 1960, and, after South Africa

Swaps, (foaled 1952), American racehorse (Thoroughbred) who established four world speed records and was voted Horse of the Year in 1956. A chestnut colt sired by Khaled out of Iron Reward, in his three years of racing he won 19 of 25 starts. His victory in the 1955 Kentucky Derby was also the

India: Origins of the nationalist movement: …by any means and restoring swaraj (self-rule, or independence) to India’s people. While Tilak brought many non-English-educated Hindus into the nationalist movement, the orthodox Hindu character of his revolutionary revival (which mellowed considerably in the latter part of his political career) alienated many within India’s Muslim minority and exacerbated communal…

Swaraj Party, Indian political party established in late 1922–early 1923 by members of the Indian National Congress (Congress Party), notably Motilal Nehru, one of the most prominent lawyers in northern India (and the father of political leader Jawaharlal Nehru), and Chitta Ranjan Das, a

Sushma Swaraj was an Indian politician and government official who served in a variety of legislative and administrative posts at the state (Haryana) and national (union) levels in India. She served as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian

Jorie Graham: In Swarm (2000) and Never (2002) she departed from her characteristic imagery-focused style. Overlord (2005) is a more-accessible collection that deals with political, social, and environmental matters, often through allusions to World War II. Sea Change (2008) furthers those themes with poems warning of the dangers…

Myxomycetes: …which may transform into so-called swarm cells with two flagella (whiplike structures used in swimming). The swarm cells often revert to the amoeboid stage. Formerly, it was believed that reproduction involved the nonsexual fusion of swarm cells, but the process is now thought to be sexual.

protozoan: Mechanisms of asexual reproduction: …produce single ciliated offspring, called swarmers, by a process called budding. Budding can occur endogenously, in which the bud forms within the parent and is ejected when mature, or exogenously, in which the swarmer is formed outside the parent. The swarmers swim away from the parent, settle on a substrate,…

beekeeping: Swarming: When the colony becomes crowded with adult bees and there are insufficient cells in which the queen can lay large numbers of eggs, the worker bees select a dozen or so tiny larvae that would otherwise develop into worker bees. These larvae are fed…

souari nut, any of the seeds borne in large, clustered fruits of trees of the genus Caryocar (family Caryocaraceae), which has about 15 species. C. nuciferum, from Panama and northern South America, is typical. Its coconut-sized fruit has four nuts, surrounded by edible flesh. The warty, red,

map: Maps of the discoveries: …at Rome in 1427 by Claudius Claussön Swart, a Danish geographer. Cardinal Nicholas Krebs drew the first modern map of Germany, engraved in 1491. Martin Waldseemüller of St. Dié prepared an edition with more than 20 modern maps in 1513. Maps showing new discoveries and information were at last transcending…

Swartberg, mountain range in Western Cape province, South Africa, extending east-west for 150 mi (240 km) from near the town of Willowmore to the edge of the Witteberge, roughly parallel with the Indian Ocean coast. The Swartberg is the barrier dividing the semiarid Great Karoo (north) and Little

Swartberg, mountain range in Western Cape province, South Africa, extending east-west for 150 mi (240 km) from near the town of Willowmore to the edge of the Witteberge, roughly parallel with the Indian Ocean coast. The Swartberg is the barrier dividing the semiarid Great Karoo (north) and Little

Society of Friends: The rise of Quakerism: …the movement was Swarthmore (Swarthmoor) Hall in northwestern Lancashire, which after 1652 became the centre of an evangelistic campaign by traveling ministers. Within a decade perhaps 20,000 to 60,000 had been converted from all social classes except the aristocracy and totally unskilled labourers. Heaviest concentrations were in the north,…

Swarthmore, borough (town), Delaware county, southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. It is a southwestern suburb of Philadelphia. The community developed around Swarthmore College, which was founded in 1864. The borough is mainly residential, its economy based on services associated with the college. Inc.

Swarthmore College, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, U.S. It is a liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degree programs in humanities, social sciences, biological sciences, physics, engineering, and other areas. The college offers cooperative

Swartkrans, one of three neighbouring South African paleoanthropological sites, located just west of Johannesburg, where important fossil remains of hominins (members of the human lineage) have been found. The remains date to between 1.8 and 1 million years ago and include early Homo species as

Moa Martinson was a Swedish novelist who was among the first to write about the agricultural labourer, the landless worker of the Swedish countryside known as statare. The first half of her life was filled with poverty and misery, yet she retained an ability to write about the life of the workers

beach: …the active beach is the swash line reached by highest sea level during big storms. The lower beach margin is beneath the water surface and can be determined only if there is a definite border present between the sediment layer and the naked surface of the rocky bench. If the…

swastika, equilateral cross with arms bent at right angles, all in the same rotary direction, usually clockwise. The swastika as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune is widely distributed throughout the ancient and modern world. The word is derived from the Sanskrit svastika, meaning “conducive

Indus River: Irrigation of the Indus River: …of the Indus are the Swat Canals, which flow from the Swat River, a tributary of the Kabul River. Those canals provide irrigation for the two chief crops of the area, sugarcane and wheat. The Warsak multipurpose project on the Kabul River, about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Peshawar,…

Hindu Kush: Physiography: …outlying mountains of the Swat Kohistan region of Pakistan to the south also form part of the complex.

Swāt River, river in northern Pakistan, formed by the junction of the Gabriāl and Ushu rivers at Kālām in the Kohistān region. Fed by melting snow and glaciers and receiving the drainage of the entire Swāt River valley, the river flows southward, then westward, until joined by the Panjkora River.

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari: …founder and leader of the Swatantra (Independent) Party in 1959.

undersea exploration: Platforms: …use include that of the Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) variety. This design type requires the use of twin submerged, streamlined hulls to support a structure that rides above the water surface. The deck shape is entirely unconstrained by the hull shape, as is the case for conventional surface…

Swazi: …language of the Swazi, called Swati or Swazi, belongs to the Benue-Congo group of the Niger-Congo languages; with the Zulu and the Xhosa, the Swazi form the southern Nguni ethnolinguistic group.

Swati Tirunal was the maharaja of Travancore and one of the best-known musicians in the South Indian Karnatak music tradition. Swati Tirunal was anointed the ruler of Travancore at age 16, and he became known for his extensive patronage of the arts. He spoke and wrote poetry in several languages,