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Article of the day for October 28, 2019 is Rodrigues solitaire . The Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) was a flightless bird that was endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Rodrigues. With the extinct dodo of Mauritius, it formed a subfamily of the pigeons and doves. The male solitaire was much larger than the female and his plumage was a darker grey-brown. Both sexes had a black band at the base of the hooked beak and a long neck. They were territorial, using bony knobs on their wings in combat. The female laid a single egg that was incubated by both sexes. Their diet included fruits and seeds. The solitaire was first described in detail by François Leguat, the leader of French Huguenot refugees who were marooned on Rodrigues in 1691–1693, but little else was known about the bird until the first of thousands of subfossil bones were found in 1786. Hunted by humans and introduced animals, the solitaire was extinct by the late 18th century. A former constellation was named after...

With a high of 75F and a low of 53F.

By BY JASON HOROWITZ from NYT Books https://ift.tt/2MTzlop

By Unknown Author from NYT Books https://ift.tt/2q1f0nR

Article of the day for October 27, 2019 is Sandringham House . Sandringham House in Norfolk, England, is the private home of Elizabeth II. Although architecturally undistinguished (Pevsner Architectural Guides describing it as "frenetic Jacobean"), the house has been a favoured residence of the Royal family for over 150 years. The estate was bought in 1862 for Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. Between 1870 and 1900 the house was rebuilt and Edward developed the wider property into one of the best sporting estates in England. George V inherited it in 1910 and in 1932 made the first ever Christmas broadcast from the house. George died at Sandringham on 20 January 1936. The property passed to his son Edward VIII, and at the abdication, it was purchased by Edward's brother, George VI. As devoted to the house as his father, he died there on 6 February 1952. On the King's death, Sandringham was inherited by Elizabeth II. The Queen spends much of the winter at the hous...

With a high of 76F and a low of 54F.

Article of the day for October 26, 2019 is Jaekelopterus . Jaekelopterus was a predatory aquatic arthropod of the order of eurypterids, often called sea scorpions. Its claws and compound eyes indicate it was active and powerful with high visual acuity, most likely an apex predator in the ecosystems of Euramerica. Fossils have been discovered from roughly 400 million years ago, during the Early Devonian. There are two known species: the type species J. rhenaniae from brackish to fresh water strata in the Rhineland, and J. howelli from estuarine strata in Wyoming. Based on isolated fossil remains from the Klerf Formation of Germany, J. rhenaniae has been estimated to have reached a size of around 2.3–2.6 metres (7.5–8.5 ft), making it the largest arthropod ever discovered. J. howelli was much smaller, reaching 80 centimetres (2.6 ft) in length. In overall appearance, Jaekelopterus was similar to other pterygotid eurypterids, with enlarged pincers and forelimbs. The genus ...