puffin: …common, or Atlantic, puffin (Fratercula arctica) occurs on Atlantic coasts from the Arctic south to Brittany and Maine. It is about 30 cm (12 inches) long, black above, white below, with gray face plumage, red-orange feet, a blue-gray, yellow, and red bill, and horny plates of skin around the…

purslane: The common purslane (P. oleracea), or pusley, is a widespread weed, recognizable by its small yellow flowers. P. oleracea sativa, known as kitchen garden pusley, is grown to some extent as a potherb, mostly in Europe. Rose moss (P. grandiflora), a trailing fleshy species, is cultivated…

galliform: Care of the young: The common quail (Coturnix coturnix), wild individuals of which normally breed at one year of age, matures to breeding condition in seven weeks in captivity. It is uncertain whether wild birds hatched in the spring actually do breed during the summer; environmental control factors, especially decreasing…

quince, (Cydonia oblonga), a small tree or shrub of the rose family (Rosaceae), grown for its edible fruit. Quince is the only member of the genus Cydonia and is native to Iran, Turkey, and possibly Greece and the Crimean Peninsula. The fruit has a strong aroma and is astringent in the raw state

ragweed: Major species: The common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), also called Roman wormwood, hogweed, hogbrake, and bitterweed, is found across the North American continent. It typically grows about 1 metre (3.5 feet) high and has thin, alternate or opposite, much-divided leaves. The great, or giant, ragweed (A. trifida), also called…

brown rat, (Rattus norvegicus), species of rat (family Muridae) found on every continent except Antarctica. The alternate name “Norway rat” came from a false hypothesis widely believed in 18th-century England that the rats were native to Norway. Research has confirmed, however, that the brown rat

common raven, (Corvus corax), large, black-feathered, highly intelligent bird of the Corvidae family, which includes other types of ravens, crows, magpies, and jays. Common ravens are the largest of the passerine, or perching, birds (order Passeriformes), alongside thick-billed ravens. They have a

The Common Reader, collection of essays by Virginia Woolf, published in two series, the first in 1925 and the second in 1932. Most of the essays appeared originally in such publications as the Times Literary Supplement, The Nation, Athenæum, New Statesman, Life and Letters, Dial, Vogue, and The

Virginia Woolf: Legacy of Virginia Woolf: …Reader (1925) was followed by The Common Reader: Second Series (1932; also published as The Second Common Reader). She continued writing essays on reading and writing, women and history, and class and politics for the rest of her life. Many were collected after her death in volumes edited by Leonard…

redshank: In the common redshank (Tringa totanus), about 30 cm (12 inches) long, the legs are orange-red, the upper parts are brownish or gray, the rump and hind edge of the wing are white, and the upturned bill is reddish with a black tip. The common redshank nests…

redstart: The common, or American, redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) breeds from Canada to the southern United States and winters in tropical America; the male is mostly black, with red wing and tail markings. Another strikingly marked form is the painted redstart (S. picta), found from southern Arizona to Nicaragua. Both…

redstart: The common redstart (P. phoenicurus) breeds across temperate Eurasia; the male is gray, with a black face and throat, reddish breast, and red-brown tail.

reed: …common, or water, reed (Phragmites australis) occurs along the margins of lakes, fens, marshes, and streams from the Arctic to the tropics. It is a broad-leafed grass, about 1.5 to 5 metres (5 to 16.5 feet) tall, with feathery flower clusters and stiff, smooth stems. Other plants of the…

reedbuck: …and less hooked in the southern, or common, reedbuck (R. arundium). The southern reedbuck is the largest species, standing 65–105 cm (26–41 inches) tall and weighing 50–95 kg (110–210 pounds), compared with 65–76 cm (26–30 inches) and 19–38 kg (42–84 pounds) for the mountain reedbuck, the smallest of the three.…

rhea: The common rhea (Rhea americana) is found in open country from northeastern Brazil southward to Argentina, while Darwin’s rhea (Pterocnemia pennata) lives from Peru southward to Patagonia, at the tip of the continent. Both species are considerably smaller than the ostrich; the common rhea stands about…

rhododendron: Major species: In the British Isles, common rhododendron (R. ponticum) has become an invasive species. Introduced in the late 18th century from Spain, Portugal, and, to a lesser extent, Turkey, this rhododendron forms impenetrable thickets in which virtually nothing else grows.

temperate forest: Fauna: …and opossums such as the common ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), which nests in holes, and the well-known koala (Phascolarctos cinerea), which is free-living and feeds mainly or entirely on young tree foliage.

roller: The 30-centimetre- (12-inch-) long common roller (Coracias garrulus), found from southern Europe to western Asia, has vivid blue wings with black borders. See also cuckoo roller; ground roller.

fin whale, (Balaenoptera physalus), a slender baleen whale, second in size to the blue whale and distinguishable by its asymmetrical coloration. The fin whale is generally gray with a white underside, but the right side of the head has a light gray area, a white lower jaw, and white baleen at the

rue, (Ruta graveolens), small perennial shrub in the family Rutaceae used as a culinary and medicinal herb. Native to the Balkan Peninsula, rue is cultivated for its strongly aromatic leaves, which can be used fresh or dry in small amounts. Rue is an evergreen plant with gland-studded foliage. The

sage, (Salvia officinalis), aromatic herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae) cultivated for its pungent edible leaves. Sage is native to the Mediterranean region and is used fresh or dried as a flavouring in many foods, particularly in stuffings for poultry and pork and in sausages. Some varieties are

sagebrush: The common sagebrush, or big sagebrush (A. tridentata), is a many-branched shrub, usually 1 to 2 metres (about 3 to 6.5 feet) high, with silvery gray bitter-aromatic foliage. The small wedge-shaped leaves usually have three teeth at the outer end.

weed: Biological control: …the western United States, where Saint-John’s-wort, or Klamath weed (Hypericum perforatum), was subjected to depredation by three insect species, beginning in California in 1945. The release of two insects of the genus Chrysolina and one of the genus Agrilus continued for a number of years, and the effort was carried…

salt (NaCl), mineral substance of great importance to human and animal health, as well as to industry. The mineral form halite, or rock salt, is sometimes called common salt to distinguish it from a class of chemical compounds called salts. Properties of common salt are shown in the properties of

sand flea: The common sand flea (Platorchestia platensis, formerly known as Orchestia agilis), which is found on the coast of Europe and on the eastern Atlantic coasts of the Americas from Greenland to Uruguay, is about 1 cm (0.4 inch) in length and is mostly dark brown or…

Cerastes: …above each eye, and the common, or Sahara, sand viper (C. vipera), which lacks these scales. Both species are small (seldom more than 60 cm [about 2 feet] long), stocky, and broad-headed and are found in northern Africa and the Middle East.

sandpiper: The common sandpiper (Actitis, or sometimes Tringa, hypoleucos) is an abundant breeder on grassy shores of lakes and rivers throughout Eurasia, and it winters from Africa to Australia and Polynesia. This species is notable for a nervous mannerism of wagging its tail. The closely related spotted…

scab: Potatoes are especially susceptible to common scab, caused by a bacteria (Streptomyces scabies and related species) that spreads rapidly in dry alkaline soils. It can be prevented by avoiding the use of materials such as wood ash, fresh manure, and lime that will add alkalinity to the soil. Other disease-prevention…

coeducation: …new free public elementary, or common, schools, which after the American Revolution supplanted church institutions, were almost always coeducational, and by 1900 most public high schools were coeducational as well. Many private colleges from their inception admitted women (the first was Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio), and many state universities…

owl: Form and function: …widespread species, such as the Eurasian scops owl (O. scops) and the screech owl, geographic variation is so great that some divergent races are more different from one another than some species are from one another. In the far north there is only a faint pattern on a whitish background;…

scoter: The black scoter is the least abundant in the New World. All three species of scoter feed mainly on marine animals such as clams; only about 10 percent of their diet is plant material. The three species may be seen feeding in mixed flocks.

pandanus: Major species and uses: …Micronesia and Hawaii, and the common screw pine (P. utilis). Fibres are also obtained from the aerial roots.

sea lavender: Major species: …or common, sea lavender (Limonium vulgare). Bearing small flowers in dense spikes, it grows naturally in large tracts that sometimes turn acres lilac-coloured in late summer. It is a popular ornamental in warm climates. Wavy-leaf sea lavender (L. sinuatum) is one of several species cultivated for use as cut…

sea robin: Along the American Atlantic, the common sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) is noted for its sound production. The largest species of sea robins grow about 70 cm (28 inches) long.

harbour seal, (Phoca vitulina), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The harbour seal is whitish or grayish at birth and as an adult is generally gray with black spots. The adult male may attain a length and weight of about 1.8 m (6 feet) and 130 kg

Lamiaceae: Major genera and species: Self-heal, or heal-all (Prunella vulgaris), provided another important source of herbal medicine. The 40 to 50 species of the genus Lamium are known as dead nettles; they are low weedy plants that are sometimes cultivated as medicinal plants.

United States: The Continental Congress: of Thomas Paine’s irreverent pamphlet Common Sense abruptly shattered this hopeful complacency and put independence on the agenda. Paine’s eloquent, direct language spoke people’s unspoken thoughts; no pamphlet had ever made such an impact on colonial opinion. While the Congress negotiated urgently, but secretly, for a French alliance, power struggles…

George Bernard Shaw: Works after World War I: …instead a controversial pamphlet, “Common Sense About the War,” which called Great Britain and its allies equally culpable with the Germans and argued for negotiation and peace. His antiwar speeches made him notorious and the target of much criticism. In Heartbreak House (performed 1920), Shaw exposed, in a country-house…

Benjamin Spock: …books on child-rearing, especially his Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946; 6th ed., 1992), influenced generations of parents and made his name a household word.

Emanuel Lasker: His book Common Sense in Chess (1896) is considered a classic.

Jacob Bronowski: Among his books are The Common Sense of Science (1951) and the highly praised Science and Human Values (1956; rev. ed. 1965). In these books Bronowski examined aspects of science in nontechnical language and made a case for his view that science needs an ethos in order to function.…

philosophy of common sense, 18th- and early 19th-century Scottish school of Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, Dugald Stewart, and others, who held that in the actual perception of the average, unsophisticated man, sensations are not mere ideas or subjective impressions but carry with them the belief in

homing: A Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), transported in a closed container to a point about 5,500 km (3,400 miles) from its nest, returned to the nest in 12 12 days.

shelduck: The common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) of Europe and Asia is black and white with a reddish chest band; the drake has a knob on its red bill. The ruddy shelduck (Casarca ferruginea), ranging from North Africa and Spain to Mongolia, is orangish, with a pale head…

minnow: promelas) and the common shiner (Notropis cornutus), a blue and silver minnow up to 20 cm long. The golden shiner, or American roach (Notemigonus cryseleucas), a larger, greenish and golden minnow attaining a length of 30 cm and a weight of 0.7 kg (1.5 pounds), is both edible…

shipworm: The common shipworm, T. navalis (20 to 45 cm [8 to 18 inches] long), has a worldwide distribution but is especially destructive on the Baltic Sea coast.

siskin: The common siskin (C. spinus) of Europe has a black cap and yellow-tinged breast.

skate: …North Pacific Ocean and the common skate (Dipturus batis) of the western North Atlantic Ocean may reach 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) long as adults. The skate’s tail lacks the stinging spines found in electric rays. They are innocuous bottom dwellers, often found lying partly buried. They swim with a graceful…

skunk: The common striped skunk is found from central Canada southward throughout the United States to northern Mexico. Adults grow to be about 47 to 82 cm (about 18 to 32 inches) long and may weigh up to 6.3 kg (13 pounds). Their fur is typically black with…

snapdragon: The common snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) is a popular garden plant and is used in the floral industry; many horticultural varieties exist. The taxonomy of the group is contentious.

snapping turtle: The distribution of the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is widespread from Canada to the west coast of northern South America. C. serpentina serpentina is the subspecies found throughout southern and eastern Canada and in the eastern half of the United States. It is distinguished by a saw-edged crest…

snipe: The common snipe, Gallinago (sometimes Capella) gallinago, bears some resemblance to the related woodcock and is about 30 cm (12 inches) long, including the bill. It is a fair game bird, springing up with an unnerving squawk, flying a twisted course, and dropping suddenly to cover.…

snowdrop: Several species, including common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) and giant snowdrop (G. elwesii), are cultivated as ornamentals for their nodding, sometimes fragrant flowers.

soapwort: Major species: Common soapwort, or bouncing Bet (S. officinalis), reaching a height of 1 metre (3 feet), is widely naturalized in eastern North America. Its roots have been used medicinally, and its sap is a substitute for soap.

sole: The well-known Dover sole (Solea solea) of Europe is a commercially valuable food fish. The Dover sole reaches a length of about 50 cm (20 inches) and is brown in colour, with darker blotches and a black spot on each pectoral fin. It is found from estuaries…

spiderwort: Major species: …in the garden is the common spiderwort, or widow’s tears (T. virginiana), an upright juicy-stemmed plant with white to pink or purple flowers.

squirrel monkey: Common squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) have olive or grayish crowns and are found only in South America, whereas the endangered Central American squirrel monkeys (S. oerstedii) have black crowns and reddish backs. The common and Central American species both have hair on the ears, unlike…

common starling, (Sturnus vulgaris), species of bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, and the order Passeriformes native to Europe and parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa. Common, or European, starlings were intentionally introduced to a wide range of other regions during the

stilt: The common stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is variably black and white with pink legs and red eyes. Among its races are the black-winged stilt (H. h. himantopus), of the Old World, and the black-necked stilt (H. h. mexicanus), of the New World; and very dark birds occur…

stock: Gillyflowers, or common stock (Matthiola incana), are biennials native to southwestern Europe and western Asia. It is one of the most important species used by the floral and horticultural industries. The plants feature narrowly oval deep green leaves and produce 60- to 80-cm (25- to 30-inch) spikes…

security: Stock: Common stock, in some countries called ordinary shares, represents a residual interest in the earnings and assets of a corporation. Whereas distributions to bonds or preferred stock are ordinarily fixed, dividends paid on common stock are set at the time of payment by the directors…

horticulture: Temperature control: …of the atmosphere are called common storage. The most primitive types take advantage of the reduced temperature fluctuations of the soil by using caves or unheated cellars. Aboveground structures must be insulated and ventilated. Complete temperature-regulated storages utilizing refrigeration and heating are now common for storage of horticultural products. The…

chondrostean: Distribution: The common sturgeon (Acipenser sturio; also known as the Atlantic, or Baltic, sturgeon) is found along the European coast from Norway to the Mediterranean Sea. A closely related form (A. oxyrinchus) is found along the east coast of North America from the St. Lawrence River to…

pumpkinseed, popular food and sport fish and a species of sunfish

angiosperm: Inflorescences: , sunflowers, Helianthus annuus), for instance, the outer (or ray) flowers have a well-developed zygomorphic corolla, and the inner (disk) flowers have a small actinomorphic corolla. The inner disk flowers generally are complete flowers, and the ray flowers generally are sterile.

swallow: The common swallow (Hirundo rustica) is almost worldwide in migration; an American species, called barn swallow, may summer in Canada and winter in Argentina. The 10 species of Petrochelidon, which make flask-shaped mud nests, include the cliff swallow (P. pyrrhonota), the bird of San Juan Capistrano…

pitcher plant: Nepenthaceae: gracilis), the common swamp pitcher plant (N. mirabilis), and the golden peristome (N. veitchii), as well as a number of hybrid species such as Hooker’s pitcher plant N. ×hookeriana, N. ×mastersiana, and N. ×dominii.

animal behaviour: Function: …European, or common, swift (Apus apus). At first glance, swifts appear to voluntarily restrict their own reproduction. When Lack removed the eggs laid each day from a pair’s nest he discovered that the female could lay up to 72 or more eggs in a season. Yet, surprisingly, she usually…

tannin: Gallotannin, or common tannic acid, is the best known of the hydrolyzable tannins. It is produced by extraction with water or organic solvents from the galls of certain trees, notably the Aleppo oak (Quercus infectoria) and Chinese nutgall (Rhus chinensis). Tara, the pod from Caesalpinia…

tansy: Common tansy, or garden tansy (T. vulgare), is sometimes known as golden-buttons and is an invasive species in many places outside its native range.

teasel: Major species: Common teasel (D. fullonum) is similar to Fuller’s teasel but has upright rather than hooked bracts that are not useful for fulling. Common teasel is treated as a weed in both Europe and North America.

insectivore: Natural history: …moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) and the tailless tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus), attain the size of a small rabbit. Most insectivores are either ground dwellers or burrowers, but several are amphibious, and a few have adapted to life in the trees or forest understory. They prey almost entirely on invertebrates and small vertebrates.…

Arctic tern: …similar to that of the common tern (Sterna hirundo), its frequent companion.

runic alphabet: …main varieties of runic script: Early, or Common, Germanic (Teutonic), used in northern Europe before about 800 ad; Anglo-Saxon, or Anglian, used in Britain from the 5th or 6th century to about the 12th century ad; and Nordic, or Scandinavian, used from the 8th to about the 12th or 13th…

time signature: …signatures are common: 𝄴 (common time, or ) and 𝄵 (cut time, or alla breve, ). Both derive from symbols of mensural notation (used from c. 1260 to 1600),

butter-and-eggs, (Linaria vulgaris), perennial herbaceous plant of the Plantaginaceae family, native to Eurasia. The plant is widely naturalized in North America, where it is considered an invasive species. Butter-and-eggs grows up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall, bears narrow flax-like leaves, and

tobacco, common name of the plant Nicotiana tabacum and, to a limited extent, Aztec tobacco (N. rustica) and the cured leaf that is used, usually after aging and processing in various ways, for smoking, chewing, snuffing, and extraction of nicotine. Various other species in the genus Nicotiana are

Don’t fall victim to overconfidence, confirmation, recency, or cognitive fallacies.Have you ever found yourself meticulously preparing a trading strategy, only to second-guess your decisions when it comes time to execute? If so, it’s possible that you’ve succumbed—without even knowing it—to a

treecreeper: The best known is C. familiaris, a 13-cm- (5-inch-) long streaky brown-and-white bird found in woodlands across the Northern Hemisphere; it is known as the Eurasian treecreeper in Europe. Its tail is stiffened and serves as a prop against the tree. Its nest, a soft cup within a mass…

treecreeper: The best known is C. familiaris, a 13-cm- (5-inch-) long streaky brown-and-white bird found in woodlands across the Northern Hemisphere; it is known as the Eurasian treecreeper in Europe. Its tail is stiffened and serves as a prop against the tree. Its nest, a soft cup within a mass…

katydid: The common true katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia) produces the repetitive song for which katydids are named; the song is phoneticized as “katy-did, katy-didn’t.” However, each species of katydid has its own rasping song, produced by stridulation, whereby the forewings, one of which is ridged, are rubbed together.…

trumpeter: …common, or gray-winged, trumpeter (Psophia crepitans). The others are the pale-winged, or white-winged, trumpeter (P. leucoptera), and the dark-winged, or green-winged, trumpeter (P. viridis), of Brazil.

turkey: The best known is the common turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a native game bird of North America that has been widely domesticated for the table. The other species is Agriocharis (or Meleagris) ocellata, the ocellated turkey. For unrelated but similar birds, see bustard (Australian turkey), megapode (brush turkey), and snakebird

Turkic languages: Linguistic history: …into two types early on, Common Turkic and Bolgar Turkic. The language of the Proto-Bolgars, reportedly similar to the Khazar language, belonged to the latter type. Its only modern representative is Chuvash, which originated in Volga Bolgarian and exhibits archaic features. Bolgar Turkic and Common Turkic differ in regular phonetic…

twayblade: The common twayblade (N. ovata), found throughout Eurasia, has small green flowers and broad egg-shaped leaves. The lesser twayblade (N. cordata), also widespread in Eurasia, has heart-shaped leaves.

Dipsacales: Valeriana clade: Garden valerian, also called garden heliotrope (Valeriana officinalisj), is a perennial herb prized for its spicy fragrant flowers; it is native in Europe and western Asia. Its dried rhizome yields valerian, a natural sedative. Spikenard (Nardostachys grandiflora) is a perennial herb of the Himalayas that…

vampire bat: The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), together with the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus, or Desmodus, youngi) and the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) are the only sanguivorous (blood-eating) bats. The common vampire bat thrives in agricultural areas and feeds on livestock such as cattle, pigs, and…

shining leaf chafer: A related species, the common vine pelidnota (Pelidnota punctata), occurs throughout North America. It is bright orange-brown with three black spots on each wing cover (elytra). The larvae feed on grapevine roots, the adults on the leaves; both can be quite destructive. The Japanese beetle (q.v.; Popillia japonica), which…

buttercup: Major species: peltatus) and the common water crowfoot (R. aquatilis) have broad floating leaves and finely dissected submerged leaves.

water hemlock: …in North America is the common water hemlock (C. maculata), also known as cowbane or musquash root, which grows to about 2.5 metres (8 feet) tall. It has divided leaves and clusters of white flowers.

water hyacinth: The common water hyacinth (E. crassipes) is the most widely distributed species. Its leafstalk is spongy and inflated, and the upper lobes of the purple flowers have blue and yellow markings. It reproduces quickly and often clogs slow-flowing streams. It is used as an ornamental in…

artiodactyl: Reproduction: …season of the waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) is continuous in Uganda, but in Zambia its breeding season shows a sharp peak at the height of the rains.

waxwing: …common, or Bohemian, waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is 20 cm (8 inches) long and has yellow and white wing markings in addition to red. It breeds in northern forests of Eurasia and America and every few years irrupts far southward in winter. The cedar waxwing (B. cedrorum), smaller and less…

carnivore: Form and function: …member of Carnivora is the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), which weighs only 25 grams (0.9 ounce). The largest terrestrial form is the Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), an Alaskan grizzly bear that is even larger than the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). The largest aquatic form is the elephant seal (Mirounga…

Poaceae: Economic and ecological importance: The development of bread wheat (T. aestivum), a hexaploid wheat, involved the hybridization of a tetraploid wheat with A. tauschii, a closely allied diploid species of grass, followed by chromosome doubling to 42.

wheatear: The common wheatear (O. oenanthe) breeds also in Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, and northeastern Canada.

portobello mushroom, (Agaricus bisporus), widely cultivated edible mushroom. One of the most commonly consumed mushrooms in the world, the fungus is sold under a variety of names and at various stages of maturity in brown, white, and off-white forms. It is found naturally in grasslands around the

whitlow grass: The European common whitlow grass (Draba verna) is a low annual with small rosettes of narrow leaves, clusters of white flowers at the ends of leafless stems, and spear-shaped fruits borne on long stalks. It has naturalized in northern North America and grows on mountains, sandy ground,…

gnu: The common wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a keystone species in plains and acacia savanna ecosystems from southeastern Africa to central Kenya. It is highly gregarious and superbly adapted for a migratory existence. C. taurinus has high shoulders sloping to lower hindquarters, a deep chest, a short…

cress: …closely related winter cress, or yellow rocket (B. vulgaris), is a common weed, conspicuous in fields for its bright yellow spring flowers. Bitter cress, cuckoo flower, or meadow cress (Cardamine pratensis), a low-growing plant of the Northern Hemisphere, with pinnately divided leaves and small white to rose flowers, is found…