A clue to the answer is in the Prime Ministers surname, Cameron. This name comes from the Scots Gaelic (incidentally meaning 'crooked-nose' but that's by the by).
Sleeping in a cardboard box is simply a tradition of the Cameron clan and I imagine that is the reason for its use here.
Many ancient Scottish clans uphold similar traditions - the MacDonald's of Keppoch use a traditional heather gathering basket for this purpose while the Halkerston's will use a feeding trough (often a ceremonial one not used by animals!).
There are other similar traditions across the clans, some including special sleeping arrangements for adults as well as newborns. Within the Haig clan, every third cousin must regularly sleep in the back of a horse drawn cart (these days, the modern equivalent is the back of a taxi).
It is rumoured but unconfirmed that grandparents in the modern day McKerrell clan regularly sleep in (unplugged!) chest freezers!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Do birds have ears?
Birds have elective ears, which means they can have a set if they want them - but it's not compulsory.
Many pelicans took ears during the mid to late 1990s and the trend enjoyed a revival on the Yorke Peninsula during the summer of 2009.
Many pelicans took ears during the mid to late 1990s and the trend enjoyed a revival on the Yorke Peninsula during the summer of 2009.
Can cockatiels re-grow feathers?
Cockatiels will only re-grow feathers in the presence of other cockatiels. For optimum regrowth, the number is very specific: 17 must be present, and the birds must be loosely positioned in a circular shape (either in captivity or in the wild). Although re-growth is possible with other numbers, it is not desirable as it can lead to infections of the gland and claw.
Why can't parakeets eat chocolate?
A brief look at the evolution of parakeet gives us our answer.
Most birds arrived on the scene around 150 million years ago however parakeets were late developers and consequently they were something of a 'rush job'.
In order to make up for lost time the parakeet had to choose which adaptations it could take on board and which to leave behind to save time. (An eagle for example has pretty much all available adaptations, hence why it is known as 'Dat Nang' in Tibetan - roughly translates as 'boss of the sky').
One of the major adaptations the parakeet chose to leave out was the cocoa duct (known colloquially as the chocolate hole) which is most commonly found (in the U.K) in the duck family. It made this choice mainly because chocolate is less common in the tropical climates in which the parakeet originates from because it goes all melty too quickly so consequently the duct would be rarely useful.
Despite the popular myth, the parakeet can in fact eat chocolate if its beak is transplanted with that of a mallard. This procedure, though painful has about a 75% success rate and has in recent times become much more popular within the parakeet community due to certain high profile (celebrity if you will) parakeets having the operation done.
Most birds arrived on the scene around 150 million years ago however parakeets were late developers and consequently they were something of a 'rush job'.
In order to make up for lost time the parakeet had to choose which adaptations it could take on board and which to leave behind to save time. (An eagle for example has pretty much all available adaptations, hence why it is known as 'Dat Nang' in Tibetan - roughly translates as 'boss of the sky').
One of the major adaptations the parakeet chose to leave out was the cocoa duct (known colloquially as the chocolate hole) which is most commonly found (in the U.K) in the duck family. It made this choice mainly because chocolate is less common in the tropical climates in which the parakeet originates from because it goes all melty too quickly so consequently the duct would be rarely useful.
Despite the popular myth, the parakeet can in fact eat chocolate if its beak is transplanted with that of a mallard. This procedure, though painful has about a 75% success rate and has in recent times become much more popular within the parakeet community due to certain high profile (celebrity if you will) parakeets having the operation done.
Monday, September 20, 2010
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