< User talk:Saukkomies

Welcome to My Sandbox page

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This is used to play around with new material I am creating or editing. Feel free to leave a comment on this page's talk page on material I am working on.


Table for the tree squirrel articles I'm working on:


The table below lists the nine recognized subspecies of Ratufa indica, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:[1]


Ratufa indica taxonomy
Subspecies Authority Synonyms
R. i. indica Erxleben (1777) bombaya, elphinstoni, purpureus, superans
R. i. centralis Ryley (1913) none
R. i. dealbata Blanford (1897) none
R. i. maxima Schreber (1784) bengalensis, malabarica






stuff I'm working on for Upper Peninsula of Michigan article


Wildlife

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The Upper Peninsula contains a large variety of wildlife, including:

Mammals

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Mammals of the Upper Peninsula
Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name
Blarina brevicauda Northern Short-tailed Shrew Cryptotis parva North American Least Shrew
Sorex arcticus Arctic Shrew Sorex cinereus Cinereus Shrew
Sorex fumeus Smoky Shrew Sorex hoyi American Pygmy Shrew
Sorex palustris American Water Shrew Eptesicus fuscus Big brown bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans Silver-Haired Bat Lasiurus borealis Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bat Myotis lucifugus Little brown bat
Perimyotis subflavus Eastern Pipistrelle bat Myotis septentrionalis Northern long-eared myotis bat
Scalopus aquaticus Eastern Mole Mus musculus House mouse
Tamias minimus Least Chipmunk Tamias striatus Eastern chipmunk
Sciurus carolinensis Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus niger Fox Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus American Red Squirrel Lepus americanus Snowshoe Hare
Sylvilagus floridanus Eastern cottontail rabbit Mustela nivalis allegheniensis Least Weasel
Mustela erminea bangsi Stoat Martes americana American Marten
Castor canadensis North American Beaver Ondatra zibethicus Muskrat
Martes pennanti Fisher Procyon lotor Raccoon
Taxidea taxus American Badger Mephitis mephitis Striped Skunk
Lontra canadensis North American River Otter Vulpes vulpes Red fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus Gray fox Canis latrans Coyote
Canis lupus nubilus Great Plains Wolf Lynx rufus Bobcat
Lynx canadensis Canadian Lynx Odocoileus virginianus White-tailed deer
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear


Birds

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Birds of the Upper Peninsula
Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name
Buteo jamaicensis borealis Red-tailed Hawk Buteo lagopus Rough-legged Buzzard
Buteo platypterus Broad-winged Hawk Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald Eagle Circus cyaneus Northern Harrier
Accipiter gentilis Northern Goshawk Accipiter striatus striatus Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter cooperii Cooper's Hawk Pandion haliaetus carolinensis Osprey
Larus delawarensis Ring-billed Gull Larus argentatus Herring Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia Bonaparte's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Franklin's Gull
Rissa tridactyla Black-legged Kittiwake Pandion haliaetus Osprey
Anas rubripes American Black Duck Corvus brachyrhynchos American Crow
American Robin Turdus migratorius Anas americana American Wigeon
Icterus galbula Baltimore Oriole Barred Owl Strix varia
Poecile atricapillus Black-Capped Chickadee Cyanocitta cristata Blue Jay
Branta canadensis Canadian Goose Spizella passerina Chipping Sparrow
Quiscalus quiscula Common Grackle Gavia immer Common Loon
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Junco hyemalis Dark-eyed Junco
Phalacrocorax auritus Double-crested Cormorant Picoides pubescens Downy Woodpecker
Carpodacus mexicanus House Finch Bubo virginianus Great Horned Owl
Passer domesticus House Sparrow Anas platyrhynchos Mallard
Zenaida macroura Mourning Dove Cardinalis cardinalis Northern Cardinal
Dryocopus pileatus Pileated Woodpecker Carduelis pinus Pine Siskin
Carpodacus purpureus Purple Finch Sitta canadensis Red-breasted Nuthatch
Melanerpes erythrocephalus Red-headed Woodpecker Agelaius phoeniceus Red-winged Blackbird
Phasianus colchicus Ring-necked Pheasant Columba livia Rock Pigeon
Archilochus colubris Ruby-throated Hummingbird Bonasa umbellus Ruffed Grouse
Baeolophus bicolor Tufted Titmouse Sitta carolinensis White-breasted Nuthatch
Meleagris gallopavo Wild Turkey Aix sponsa Wood Duck


There is a large variety of birds, including hawks, osprey, gulls, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, woodpeckers, and bald eagles.

Reptiles

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Reptiles of the Upper Peninsula
Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear

In terms of reptiles and amphibians, the UP has common garter snakes, red bellied snakes, pine snakes, northern water snakes, brown snakes, eastern garter snakes, eastern fox snakes, smooth green snakes, northern ringneck snakes, Eastern Milk snakes (Mackinac and Marquette counties) and Eastern Hognose snakes (Menominee County only), plus snapping turtles, wood turtles, and painted turtles (the state reptile), green frogs, bull frogs, northern leopard frogs, and salamanders.

Amphibians

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Amphibians of the Upper Peninsula
Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear


Fish

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Fish of the Upper Peninsula
Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear

Lakes and rivers contain many fish like walleye, Northern Pike, Trout, Salmon, and bass.

Shellfish

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Shellfish of the Upper Peninsula
Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Common Name
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear
Alces alces andersoni Western moose Ursus americanus American Black Bear

The UP also contains many shellfish, such as clams, aquatic snails, and crayfish.

Text

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shrews, mice, moles, chipmunks, squirrels, cotton-tail rabbits, snowshoe hares, weasels, stoats, martens, fishers, raccoons, badgers, skunks, beavers, muskrats, river otters, red foxes, gray foxes, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, lynx, white tailed deer, moose, black bears, and bats.

There is a large variety of birds, including hawks, osprey, gulls, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, woodpeckers, warblers, and bald eagles.

In terms of reptiles and amphibians, the UP has common garter snakes, red bellied snakes, pine snakes, northern water snakes, brown snakes, eastern garter snakes, eastern fox snakes, smooth green snakes, northern ringneck snakes, Eastern Milk snakes (Mackinac and Marquette counties) and Eastern Hognose snakes (Menominee County only), plus snapping turtles, wood turtles, and painted turtles (the state reptile), green frogs, bull frogs, northern leopard frogs, and salamanders.

Lakes and rivers contain many fish like walleye, Northern Pike, Trout, Salmon, and bass.

The UP also contains many shellfish, such as clams, aquatic snails, and crayfish.

The American Bird Conservancy and the National Audubon Society have designated several locations as internationally Important Bird Areas.[2]

Among the more uncommon animals seen in the Upper Peninsula include rare cougar sightings, a few of which have been officially confirmed by wildlife agencies.[3] Although th Upper Peninsula was home to cougars in the past, they were hunted out during the early years of settlement. The nearest stable cougar populations today are in the Dakotas. However, solitary transient cougars are known to travel hundreds of miles, and have been spotted throughout the northern Midwest, including the Upper Peninsula.[4] Another uncommon animal is the locally-famous Albino Squirrel of Michigan Tech, in Houghton. This squirrel is often seen scampering around the Michigan Technological University campus and surrounding neighborhoods, and even has a Facebook groupdedicated to it (which includes photographs). Although it has been given a unique name, it is unclear whether there is just one or multiple albino squirrels in Houghton.

U.P. public lands

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There are a number of governmental institutions and public lands located in the Upper Peninsula, as detailed below:

Calumet Historic District in Houghton County. Grand Hotel in Mackinac County. Mackinac Island in Mackinac County. Quincy Mining Company Historic District in Houghton County. St. Ignace Mission in Mackinac County.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon and Gogebic Counties. Fort Wilkins Historic State Park in Keweenaw County.


Lyric references to Neopagan themes

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There are several songs on this album that touch on themes prevalent within the British Neopagan community, as shown by the following song references:

  • Songs from the wood: "Let me bring you songs from the wood...", "Let me bring you love from the field...", and "Show you how the garden grows..." are all references to a desire of a return to nature, to a more natural way of life, and a veneration of nature,[5] refering to the common Neopagan belief of the divine immanence of the physical world, or nature.
  • Jack-In-The-Green: Although there is some discrepancy as to whether Jack-In-The-Green refers to a Celtic or an Anglo-Saxon pagan mythological figure, there is unanimous agreement that Jack-In-The-Green refers to a spirit of nature connected with nature, rebirth and fertility.[5]
  • Velvet Green: The line "Walking on velvet green..." may be taken as a reference not just to a midnight tryst in the fields with a lover, but also as a philosophy of how to live one's life in accord with honoring nature,[5] another common theme within the Neopagan community.[6]
  • Cup Of Wonder: This song is almost a Neopagan anthem, so replete is it with Pagan themes and imagery, including:
    • "...and we bring you Beltane's flower...": Beltane is the Celtic May Day festival, and one of the most important annual festivals or sacred days of the Neopagan year.[7] Beltane's flower refers to the ancient practice of decorating the home on Beltane with flowering branches of the hawthorn tree.
    • The lines '"...sung along the old straight track...", "...those who ancient lines did lay...", and "...walk the lines of nature's palm..." all refer to the Ley lines that the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins wrote about in his 1925 book entitled The Old Straight Track, and which many Neopagans believe exist.]].[8]
    • "Pass the word..." refers to the Pagan gatherings that were celebrated during the seasonal festivals throughout the year (including Beltane), mostly in secret during the time when these gatherings were banned by the Christian Church. Thus to "pass the word" meant to quietly tell others of the secret gathering.[5]
    • "Pass the lady..." refers to the traditional sacramental sabbath-cake that is passed around and shared by participants in special Neopagan sabbath rituals. The cake is sometimes refered to as "the Lady" (meaning: the May Lady or the Goddess]].[9]).[5]
    • "Pass the wit of ancient wisdom..." is a call to return to the old pre-Christian British Pagan traditions.[5]
    • "Pass the cup of crimson wonder..." and "...ask the cup that fills with red..." - although there is disagreement as to whether this is refering to an ancient Druidic blood sacrifice, or to merely red wine, these lines do evoke Pagan imagery[5], as well as the ancient practice of divination through Oinomancy (the studying of wine in a bowl), which is still practiced by some Neopagan groups.
  • Hunting Girl: In this song about a dominant woman lover, the lines ...high born hunting girl..." and "...the queen of all the pack..." might be references to the pre-Christian Irish (hence: Pagan) mythological Queen Medb (pronounced [mɛðv], sometimes Anglicised Maeve), who was a high born lady who gave birth to a "pack" of mighty warriors, and was renowned for her sexuality.[10]

The 2003 remastered edition includes a pair of bonus tracks, featuring a live rendition of "Velvet Green".



  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Thorington was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Michigan Michigan Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program See also, American Bird Conservancy -- Important Bird Areas in Michigan.
  3. ^ Sitar, Kristie (Nov. 4, 2009). "DNR Verifies Cougar Tracks, Confirms Location of Trail Camera Photo in Eastern Upper Peninsula" (Press release). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 10 February 2010. The Department of Natural Resources today announced it has verified two sets of cougar tracks and confirmed the location of a cougar photo in the eastern Upper Peninsula. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Cougars". Wildlife Species. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Voorbij, Jan (1998–2009). "Songs From the Wood, Annotations". Jethro Tull Cup of Wonder Annotations. Jan Voorbij. Retrieved 25 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  6. ^ OED, s.v. "pagan"
  7. ^ Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Boston, Beacon Press ISBN 0-8070-3237-9. p.3
  8. ^ Cowan, David (2003). Ley Lines and Earth Energies: An Extraordinary Journey into the Earth's Natural Energy System. Adventures Unlimited Press. ISBN 1931882150.
  9. ^ Starhawk (1979, 1989) The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. New York, Harper and Row ISBN 0-06-250814-8 pp.181-196 (revised edition)
  10. ^ t. F. O'Rahilly: Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin 1946 – cited in Thomas Kinsella: THE TAIN Dolmen Press, Dublin 1969/1986 ISBN 0 85105 178 2