Polyphemus Moth – Native to Canada and the US. The Polyphemus moth is a member of the giant silk moth family, named after Polyphemus, the giant cyclops from Greek mythology. The moth has large eyespots on its hindwings that resemble the cyclops’ single large, round eye. Those eyespots are used as a distraction to startle… Continue reading
Graphic Novel – 2012 In Justice League Volume 1: Origin, we are given an all-new origin story for the Justice League, the World’s Greatest Heroes. This re-imagining of these classic superheroes is the opening work of The New 52 series, DC Comics’ relaunch of its entire line of 52 ongoing monthly superhero comic books. This… Continue reading
Lion Skull – Collected from Africa. Did you know that this animal’s roar can be heard from five miles away? Admired throughout history as a symbol of courage and strength, the African lion is a powerful member of the cat family, second in size only to tigers. Sadly, the lion population has shrunk in half… Continue reading
Ship Model – ca. 1950s. The majestic Fragata Espanola was a ship of the Spanish Navy, launched in 1780. She fought in the battle of Cape St. Vincent, off the southern coast of Portugal in January 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. Since Spain supported the American colonists’ war of independence, Spanish frigates were used… Continue reading
Fossil Skull Collected from South Dakota This skull belonged to an oreodont, an extinct North American herbivore that lived during the MiddleEocene through the end of the Miocene epoch-between roughly 40 million and 5.3 million years ago. They looked like a mix between a sheep, a camel, and a pig. They had short faces, fang-like… Continue reading
Japanese Maskca.19th century Fearsome, right? This mask is of the character Konron, a savage demon portrayed in the religious dance-drama called gigaku. Gigaku were plays performed for the imperial Japanese court from the 7th to the 10th centuries. Even though Konron looks pretty scary, his role was interpreted in a comical way meant to make… Continue reading
Knobby Argonaut Shell, Native to the Indo-Pacific region and eastern coast of South America Believe it or not, this shell belongs to an octopus! The female knobby argonaut creates a paper-thin egg case that coils around it to form this very distinctive shell. She lives in the shell, lays her eggs inside, and then carries… Continue reading
Rover Painting, Russian artist, ca. 1996 No, this isn’t a trash can on wheels. This is the Soviet rover Lunokhod 1, the first rover to land on any celestial body. Lunokhod landed on the Moon in November of 1970, and lasted 11 months, traveling more than 6 miles and sending back over 20,000 images. This… Continue reading
Malachite – Collected from Zaire, Africa. During the latter part of the 19th and into the early 20th century, Victorian Christmas Lights (also called Christmas Fairy Lamps) like this purple hobnail example, were popular decorations throughout the US. Candles were placed inside these ornamental glass lamps, and they were typically hung with wire outside the… Continue reading
Christmas Fairy Lamp – ca. late 19th century. During the latter part of the 19th and into the early 20th century, Victorian Christmas Lights (also called Christmas Fairy Lamps) like this purple hobnail example, were popular decorations throughout the US. Candles were placed inside these ornamental glass lamps, and they were typically hung with wire… Continue reading
