Sarhul the Spring Festival

Sarhul, the spring festival, holds significant cultural importance for indigenous tribes such as the Mundas, Oraons, and Santhals. Particularly for the Oraon community, it stands out as the largest spring festival observed during the months of March and April. In their native language, it is referred to as “Khaddi,” symbolizing the symbolic union or marriage of the earth. The significance of the forest flower known as sakhua or Sal is paramount as it symbolizes the cultural importance deeply rooted within the forest ecosystem. Despite their inherent significance, forest flowers often go unnoticed, highlighting the need to acknowledge and appreciate their cultural and ecological value. During this festival, reverence is bestowed upon Dharti Mata, as, the wife of Lord Rama encompassing the celebration of all forms of nature.This festival exemplifies the indigenous tribes’ conviction in the autonomy of their nature-centric worship practices which shows their core value of religion different from brahamnical ideologies. It underscores their deep-rooted gratitude towards nature for the sustenance and resources it provides, showcasing a distinct cultural reverence for their environment and its bounty.

This festival provides a strong sense of identity, particularly for theOraon tribe who predominantly engaged in agriculture, adheres to Sarnaism as its religious belief system which is not Hinduism revering nature as integral to their spirituality, this community celebrates the festival by offering homage to trees and various natural elements.

Dry Eye and Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the oil glands in the eyelids. The condition is a common cause of dry eyes. This disorder is commonly associated with skin or bacterial conditions. While it can be irritating, the condition does not cause permanent vision impairment. Blepharitis is normally defined by its location on the eyelid. Anterior blepharitis occurs on the outer edge of the eyelids while posterior blepharitis occurs on the inner edges of the lids.

Species New to Science

Seven species of the family Corydalidae (Insecta: Megaloptera) are newly recorded from Myanmar, including a new species of the dobsonfly genus Protohermes van der Weele, 1907, Protohermes burmanus sp. nov. A total of 18 species of Megaloptera are now known from Myanmar.

Keywords: Megaloptera, Corydalinae, Chauliodinae, Protohermes, taxonomy, Burma

Tracking the history of Corydalus peruvianus Davis, 1903 (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) in Brazil

Barclay, A., Portman, R.W. & Hill, P.S.M. (2005) Tracheal gills of the dobsonfly larvae, or hellgrammite Corydalus cornutus L. (Megaloptera: Corydalidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 78, 181–185. https://doi.org/10.2317/0409.23.1
Contreras-Ramos, A. (1998) Systematics of the dobsonfly genus Corydalus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae). Thomas Say Publications in Entomology: Monographs. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, 360 pp. https://doi.org/10.4182/KKIO9247
Contreras-Ramos, A. (2011) Phylogenetic review of dobsonflies of the subfamily Corydalinae and the genus Corydalus Latreille (Megaloptera: Corydalidae). Zootaxa, 2862 (1), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2862.1.1
Cover, M.R. & Resh, V.H. (2008) Global diversity of dobsonflies, fishflies, and alderflies (Megaloptera; Insecta) and spongillaflies, nevrorthids, and osmylids (Neuroptera; Insecta) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia, 595, 409–417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9035-z
Gama-Neto, J.L. & Passos, M.A.B. (2018) Primeiro registro de Corydalus peruvianus Davis (Megaloptera: Coridalidae: Coridalinae) no Brasil. EntomoBrasilis, 11 (1), 45–48. https://doi.org/10.12741/ebrasilis.v11i1.704
Glorioso, M.J. (1981) Systematics of the dobsonfly subfamily Corydalinae (Megaloptera: Corydalidae). Systematic Entomology, 6, 253–290. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.1981.tb00440.x
Hall, D.W. (2013) Eastern dobsonfly (adult), hellgrammite (larva) Corydalus cornutus (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Corydalinae). EDIS, 6, EENY 414. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in987-2013
Hamada, N. & Azevêdo, C.A.S. (2024) Megaloptera Latreille, 1802. In: Rafael, J.A., Melo, G.A.R., de Carvalho, C.J.B., Casari, S.A. & Constantino, R. (Eds.), Insetos do Brasil: Diversidade e Taxonomia. 2nd Edition. Holos Editora, Ribeirão Preto, pp. 546–551. https://doi.org/10.61818/56330464c28
Hoover, J.J., Gage, K.L. & Paulissen, M.S. (1988) Hellgrammite respiration - temperature’s role in ectotherm physiology. The American Biology Teacher, 50, 39–42. https://doi.org/10.2307/4448631
Liu, X.-Y., Hayashi, F., Viraktamath, C.A. & Yang, D. (2012) Systematics and biogeography of the dobsonfly genus Nevromus Rambur (Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Corydalinae) from the Oriental realm. Systematic Entomology, 37, 657–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2012.00635.x
Liu, X.-Y., Hayashi, F. & Yang, D. (2015) Phylogeny of the family Sialidae (Insecta: Megaloptera) inferred from morphological data, with implications for generic classification and historical biogeography. Cladistics, 31, 18–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12071
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Family Corydalidae

Description:  Dobson flies are recognized by their hyaline wings and their large mandibles that often serve as pinchers. These mandibles are smaller in females but can become quite large in some males Adults live near aquatic areas but may be attracted to lights at night. Larvae are aquatic and are commonly used as bait by fishermen.

Acanthus mollis

Acanthus mollis, commonly known as bear's breeches, sea dock,[2] bear's foot plant, sea holly, gator plant or oyster plant,[3] is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae  and is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a leafy, clump-forming perennial herb, with a rosette of relatively large, lobed or toothed leaves, and purplish and white flowers on an erect spike.

Operating System Definition and Function

In the Computer System (comprises of Hardware and software), Hardware can only understand machine code (in the form of 0 and 1) which doesn't make any sense to a naive user.

We need a system which can act as an intermediary and manage all the processes and resources present in the system.


An Operating System can be defined as an interface between user and hardware. It is responsible for the execution of all the processes, Resource Allocation, CPU management, File Management and many other tasks.

The purpose of an operating system is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs in convenient and efficient manner.

Moa Nalo Maui Nui

English: Reconstruction of the Maui Nui Moa-nalo, Thambetochen chauliodous, and Ptaiochen pau from the Late Pleistocene. (C) Stanton F. Fink

Celebrate world nature conservation day and explore ways to reduce our ecological footprint

Celebrate world nature conservation day and explore ways to reduce our ecological footprint. Learn to make a positive impact on the environment.

AEONIUM ARBOREUM ‘SCHWARZKOPF’ (PURPLE AEONIUM)

Exotic succulents for conservatories or very mild gardens. Plants produce a tall yellow pyramid of flowers. These perennial succulents can only be grown outside in the very mildest of gardens where there is danger of only slight frost and the soil is free draining. Otherwise they make excellent house or conservatory plants. If deprived of light (in winter, particularly), they loose some of their purple-ness and turn green in parts. The purple-ness returns with the return of the sun.

In their native country they sometimes seem to prefer shadier spots. They will tolerate a fair bit of our weaker British sunshine so if you have one growing inside ensure it still gets plenty of light, although not a very sunny windowsill. If grown in a pot make sure you don't over water (easily done) especially in winter and early spring before growth starts, otherwise rot quickly sets in and reduces roots to a mushy mess. However, if this does occur all is not lost. Take the remaining bits of healthy rosette or rosettes, remove the lower rotten section and place them in a seed tray filled with perlite - they should root out quite quickly. Aphids and slugs seem to be the most common pests but apart from that Aeoniums are pretty easy plants to grow and keep.

Propagated by us from cuttings.

Acer japonicum ecnifolium 'Full Moon' (Full Moon Maple)

A slow growing small tree with green leaves and a distinctive spreading habit followed by a domed shade in maturity. Bright red autumn colour. Can reach up to 30ft after 50 years.

Position: Best grown in well drained, moist, neutral to acid soil in light shade. Protect from cold and drying winds in early spring. 'By cuttings'

Agapanthus 'Blue Storm' (Lily of the Nile)

Plant these en masse for maximum impact. The flowers are more much numerous but much less tall (to 4ft max) than in the huge and better known Agapanthus africanus. Drifts of them work wonders. The clue's in the name - it's an enormous amount of blue. It's also hardier than Agapanthus africanus but dies down in the winter. Flowers for several weeks during mid-summer.

Best in sun in any reasonably well drained soil.

A comparative comment on Agapanthuses : The big one (Agapanthus africanus) and the little ones (Agapanthus 'Blue Storm' and 'Snow Storm') cannot really be compared. It's tempting because they're both Agapanthuses and they both have green strappy leaves and either blue or white flowers but the big one stands alone and are so big that they can be used almost like topiary - a pair in pots either side of an entrance for example. There's no reason why you couldn't do the same with the smaller ones but the smaller ones really lend themselves to being planted in drifts - blue or white rivers wending their way through the garden. The point is, one's not comparing like with like.

ACER JAPONICUM ‘MEIGETSU’ (HARVEST MOON MAPLE)

It is an upright and strong grower reaching 2 or 3m over 10 years.

Best grown with their feet in the shade and head in the sun, in well drained, moist, neutral to acid soil, protected from cold and drying winds. Prune lightly for health but never when the sap is rising in the spring. Propagated by cuttings/grafted.

ACANTHUS MOLLIS (BIG SPINACH)

Bright green, leafy perennial, fully hardy and evergreen in mild areas. Will grow to about 3-4ft tall and across. Easy plant to cultivate. Acanthus will grow in sun or shade. It'll flower more in the sun but the leaves will look bigger and darker and shinier in the shade. The tall spikes (6ft ish) of purple-hooded white flowers appear in high summer. The carved leafy bits so characteristic of the capitals on Corinthian columns are they. Not surprising really as Acanthus grows everywhere around Corinth and evidently did 2500 years ago too.

Removal of old flowers and leaves (anything unsightly) is a great help - especially in winter. Severe frost (-4°c or below) will give the leaves a look that could be described as both glazed and floppy. It can look terminal but it's not. They recover wonderfully well as soon as the temperature rises.

PLEASE NOTE : this plant is occasionally susceptible to powdery mildew, an endemic  air-born fungus. It's easy to treat and we suggest the following action can be taken if you see the white powdery residue on the leaves. Remove as much of the affected parts as possible; clean up thoroughly and remove all rubbish from the area; spray with a general purpose ready to use systemic fungicide - one that contains myclobutanil - such as Fungus Fighter. Easy to cure. Alternatively, just remove ALL affected leaves and burn them.

ACER PALMATUM DISSECTUM (CUT LEAF MAPLE)

This is the green leafed form of Dissectum. The plant weeps more than some of the other Japanese Maples. The leaves are deeply cut and delicate and emerge in spring pale green and remain like that all summer but the autumn is one of the finest of all the Maples - bright scarlet.

It's one of the classic slow growing Japanese Maples - 10ft after 20-25 years. Any reasonably well drained soil (but not chalk) but they need light or partial shade out of strong winds.

Because they're so slow growing, they're surprisingly happy in a pot but don't allow them to dry out. This can lead to the tips browning and full recovery probably won't happen until the following year.

The most enjoyable bit about growing these (apart from looking at them) is practising your gentle Creative Maintenance skills upon them. Creating a beautifully domed and balanced head, raising the crown (removing lower branches) to display the branch structure at the base and just snipping off dead bits. Great fun.

These plants are grafted so if you see an alien sprig appearing at the base, cut it off.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.

ACACIA DEALBATA (MIMOSA)

Fast growing little evergreen tree - the classic Mimosa with the ferny leaves. Masses of fragrant yellow flowers in spring. Requires full sun and reasonably well drained (but not chalky) soil. The flowers are yellow, fragrant and copious. They form in the autumn but don't come out until early spring, so don't prune after late summer if you want flowers the following spring. As with most trees, they're programmed to go straight up to find the light (whether they need to or not). On a young tree this can give the impression that they're destined to be tall and slender which they're not. Most Acacias reach a height of about 15-25ft and grow out. The eventual shape of a mature tree is quite squat and wide. Man appears to have dominion over most living things so you can always shin up a ladder and give it a haircut. It won't mind - just do it after flowering (April) unless you dislike the flowers in which case you can do it earlier. Left to their own devices, relatively short (25ft ish), quite broad and not dense. A marvellous tree for screening (they take your eye away without cutting all the light out) but unfortunately not reliably frost hardy except in large built up or coastal areas. If damaged in exceptionally cold winters, a well established tree will often re shoot from the base; a new lease of life.

In early March, you suddenly begin to realise how un-rare (I can't say common) these are. Clouds of yellow flowers all over the place but generally in areas whose phone number begins 0208 or 0207 or within 6 or 7 miles of the coast.
Propagated by us by seed.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.

ALOE STRIATULA (CORAL ALOE)

There are not many of the South African  Aloes that can be grown in Britain. This one is remarkably hardy. Some of it sprawls on the ground and some of it occasionally rears up to 3ft - or more if supported by a wall. Very cold weather will kill off the tips but it recovers. I've had it growing in my West Sussex frost pocket of a garden for many years. Yellow flowers that last for many weeks during the summer. Aloe vera is famous for its effect on burnt skin. You use the sap from a cut leaf to rub on the wound. Does this one have the same effect? Probably.

Forest Vegetation Simulator Models & Event Monitor Files

The Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) is a family of models used for predicting forest stand dynamics (tree growth, mortality, regeneration, management, disturbance, etc.) throughout the United States. The Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team supports a variety of insect and pathogen models that allow FVS users to incorporate forest pest disturbances into their FVS projections.
The family of FVS models comprises 20 different geographic variants, each calibrated to local conditions. Insect and disease models for FVS are developed and maintained in partnership with Forest Health Protection and the Forest Management Service Center. The models take one of two forms: (1) FVS model extensions, which are integrated into and interact directly with the base FVS model, or (2) keyword component (kcp) files, which contain FVS keywords instructing the base FVS model to perform specific calculations and activities (such as mortality) during a simulation. Availability of insect and disease models varies by FVS variant, as summarized below.

Image represents a stand of Douglas-fir in the Fremont National Forest as simulated with the South Central Oregon Northeastern California variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and the Dwarf Mistletoe Model. View animation (Opens in new window/tab)

Donnie Avocado, Flower type A, West Indies race

This is one of the main cultivar in my grove in 2011 my 7 year old trees produced close to 100 lbs per tree. It is a peculiar fruit. Once the fruit sets and temperatures begins to warm up and rain or irrigation is regular they grow very fast and it is the earliest commercial variety to go to market in Florida. On 2011 I had Donie fruit the first week of June. Average fruit size is 16-28 oz. If you leave then on the tree the fruit keeps getting bigger, they start dropping off in August. I have seen this variety also spelled "Doni" "Donie".
Harvest 2012: My 8 year old trees produced an average of 110 lbs per tree.
December 26, 2012. The trees seem to be building the coli-flowers to get ready to flower very soon. In the top of the trees you can see a few opening flowers. The trees look clean, green and so far no white fly or sign of sooty mold like I had last year.
January 19, 2013: The trees are blooming and there are a lot of open flowers.
March 20, 2013: Looks like it will be a good year, fruit is setting very well. As good as I ever seen it. Flowers may have another 10-14 days to go.
April 14, 2013: The Donnies are off and running. Probably due to a mild and strange winter they set and are holding a good amount of fruit. Lets see it its true. I predict 140-150 lbs per tree on the average this year, We'll know by the end of July.
June 22, 2013: Seems like my Donnies are headed for a record year. I do notice this year their flavor is better than prior years.  So far I picked picked 110 lbs on the average per tree, may be I will not reach my prediction above.
August 1, 2013: I came in a bit off at 133 lbs per tree. A 20% increase over last year.
February 2, 2014: Some trees have open flowers, not a lot, seems to be behind last year. 
February 12, 2014: Flowering seems to be going slow this year,
February 27, 2014: Donnies are two to three days away to full bloom. Beta's are ahead of Donnies. This is the first time I see this. 
August 30, 2014: The Donnie season is over my trees produced and average of 200 lbs per tree. A very good and predictable early producer.
April 13, 2015: I have neglected to report on this variety. This year the late February cold snap, (I registered temperatures of 31 degrees in parts of my grove) cause all the fruit set to fall off along with flowers. The trees then set a second bloom that is just about finished. So this year there will be an light normal crop, with a not so large second crop. I have some fruit from the first set in the 3-4 oz range and some fruit the size of nickels and dimes.  No ideal how is going to play out in production.
Check out the page from Tropical Research and Education http://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/crane/avocado/donnie.shtml

Doll Art

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