Tuesday 2 December 2014

Puppetry

Puppetry is an old manifestation of execution. A few history specialists assert that they originate before performing artists in theatre.[citation needed] There is proof that they were utilized as a part of Egypt as ahead of schedule as 2000 BC when string-worked figures of wood were controlled to perform the activity of working bread, and other string controlled items. Wire controlled, articulated[specify] manikins made of earth and ivory have been found in Egyptian tombs. Doll puppetry was utilized to show customs and functions utilizing these string-worked puppets back in antiquated times and is utilized today.

Puppetry was drilled in Ancient Greece and the most established composed records of puppetry can be found in the works of Herodotus and Xenophon, dating from the fifth century Bc.the Greek word interpreted as "manikin" seems to be "νευρόσπαστος" (nevrospastos), which really signifies "drawn by strings, string-pulling",from "νεῦρον" (nevron), significance either "ligament, tendon, muscle, string", or "wire",and "σπάω" (spaō), signifying "draw, pull".

Aristotle (384–322 BC) examines manikins in his work On the Motion of Animals.

The developments of creatures may be contrasted and those of programmed manikins, which are situated going on the event of a modest development; the levers are discharged, and strike the curved strings against each other.

Archimedes is known to have worked with marionettes.[citation needed] Plato's work likewise contains references to puppetry. The Iliad and the Odyssey were exhibited utilizing puppetry. The bases of European puppetry likely reach out once more to the Greek plays with manikins played to the "regular individuals" in the fifth century BC. By the third century BC these plays would show up in the Theater of Dionysus at the Acropolis.

In antiquated Greece and Rome earth and ivory dolls, affiliate from around 500 BC, were found in youngsters' tombs. These dolls had verbalized arms and legs, some of which had an iron bar reaching out up from the highest points of their heads. This bar was utilized to control the doll from above, precisely as is carried out today in Sicilian puppetry. A couple of these dolls had strings set up of the poles. A few specialists accept these old figures were unimportant toys and not manikins because of their little size.

The Indian word "sutradhara" alludes to the show-director of showy exhibitions (or a manikin player), furthermore implies actually "string-puller" or "string-holder".

Thursday 14 March 2013

Marionette



A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms of theatres or entertainment venues. They have also been used in films and on television. The attachment of the strings varies according to its character or purpose.

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Lawrence's Goldfinch


At about 4.75 inches (12 cm) long and weighing about 0.4 oz (11.5 g), it is slightly bigger than the Lesser Goldfinch and slightly smaller than the American Goldfinch, with less yellow in the plumage than either. Adults of both sexes are gray with pink to grayish flesh-color bills, stubbier than other goldfinches'. They have yellow rumps and paired yellowish wing-bars, as well as yellow edges on the flight feathers and yellow on the breast. The tail is black, crossed by a white band (Sibley 2000, Oiseaux.net 1996–2007). Plumage is duller in winter, brightening after a spring molt (Davis 2001, Oiseaux.net 1996–2007). Males are paler, with black caps and faces and larger areas of brighter yellow. Females are browner, have less and duller yellow, and lack the black (Sibley 2000, Oiseaux.net 1996–2007). Juveniles resemble females but are even duller and have faint streaks on the upperparts and especially the underparts. (Davis 2001, Oiseaux.net 1996–2007).

Calls include "a nasal too-err, also a sharp, high PIti and Itititi" (Sibley 2000). The flight call, which is diagnostic, is given as "a high, clear ti-too" (Sibley 2000) or tink-ul "reminiscent of glass wind-chimes" (Davis 2001). The song is high-pitched, continuous, and limited in frequency range, including wind-chime notes and especially imitations of other species' calls and other simple and distinctive sounds (Sibley 2000, Davis 2001). Males sing in winter but mostly in the breeding season. Females sing occasionally and briefly (Davis 2001).

Thursday 8 December 2011

Boat-billed Heron


The Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) - colloquially known as the Boatbill - is an atypical member of the heron family, and was formerly thought to be in a monotypic family, Cochlearidae.

It lives in mangrove swamps from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil. It is a nocturnal bird, and breeds semi-colonially in mangrove trees, laying 2-4 bluish white eggs in a twig nest.

The Boatbilled Heron is about 54 cm long. The adult has a black crown, long crest and upper back. The face, throat and breast are white, and the lower underparts are rufous with black flanks. The wings and lower back are pale grey. The massive broad scoop-like bill, which gives rise to this species' name, is mainly black. Immature birds have mainly brown upperparts and brown-tinged whitish underparts, and lack the crest.
This species feeds on fish,mice,water snakes,eggs, crustaceans, insects and small amphibians. Its calls include a deep croak and a high-pitched pee-pee-pee.