VULTURE

 KING VULTURE

This bird is a large scavenger bird with wingspan up to 6.5 feet. These birds weight up to about 7.5 pounds. They have an orange fleshy carbuncle on the beak. The rest of the animal is predominantly white (back and belly) with black wings. They lack a voice box but can make low croaking noises.

Figure 1. Image of a vulture via the Smithsonian Institution (open access).

This bird lives in tropical forests from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is non-migratory. They will just anything but especially like carrion (e.g., dead meaty cattle and dead fish). It can lives 30 years in captivity. They live alone. They can soar for hours over  mountains.

Classification

Kingdom Animala

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Accipitriformes

Family Cathartidae

Genus Sarcoamphus

Type Species S. papa

This species is the last surviving species of this genus. Their numbers are decreasing primarily due to habitat loss.

Reference

Wikipedia, 2026

 THE GREATER “BEE FLY” 

Bombylius major looks somewhat like a furry bee but with a long rigid proboscis used for drinking nectar from deep flowers. Actually, this animal is a fly! Its proboscis is not a stinger. Unlike a bee, Bombylius has only one pair of wings that are held away from the body. They can rotate their bodies around a vertical axis; this behavior is called “yawning,” when applied to a helicopter flight option. Their body length is 6 to 18 mm and their proboscis is between 5.5 and 7.5 mm in length; thus the entire animal is less than 26 mm long (1.25 inches); which is similar to the size of a bee. 

Figure 1. Bombylius major, approximately 25 mm in entire length (body and proboscis).

This bee mimic does not sting, bite, nor spread disease. It can tolerate arid and moist environments.

This bee mimic is most common in England, Scotland, and Wales. There are several hundred described species of this bee mimic.

Reference

Wikipedia, 2026

A VIPER FISH

 

A viper fish is any species belonging to genus Chauliodus. This post concerns the viper fish Chauliodus sloani. 

This particular species, which is a good representative of the nine known species of viper fish, lives at depths of about 200 m (660 feet) deep in most oceans; thus it inhabits the twilight (mesopelagic zone) of oceans. 

Viper fish are fierce predators with fangs. Chauliodus sloani has fangs so large that this fish cannot close its mouth over them. When closing its mouth, the teeth slide up to the front of the fish’s face. Its flexible neck allows it to bend its head back and stick out the lower jaw in order to reach out and grab fish, squid, and crustaceans. Once the jaws close, they form a “cage” of teeth that fit together. Its teeth make up about 10 percent of its body length. Their jaws are exceptionally strong. Also, the first vertebra is a shock-absorber; thus this fish can collide with and stun its prey.

The viper fish discussed in this blog post is iridescent dark silver/blue, with pale fins. It is also bioluminescence (i.e., wilth photophores on the ventral sides). These photophores probably attract prey.  

Chauliodus sloani can grow to over 30 cm in length. It has a large mouth but a narrow body. These fish can live up to 30 years!

   Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Actinopterygii

Order Stomiiformes

Family Stomiidae

Genus Chauliodus

Type Species C. sloani

This fish migrates vertically through tropical and temperate oceans worldwide. During the day, it prefers deep depths as much as 2500 m deep, but, at night, it migrates upward into shallower (about 500 m deep), where food is more plentiful.  

Figure 1. The viperfish Chauliodus sloani (about 30 cm in length). 

Figure 2. Chauliodus sloan (complete body).

Fenster Quartz

It seems that I cannot resist the various forms of quartz (silicon dioxide). In my defense, quartz (silicon dioxide) is the most common mineral on Earth (think beach sand and sand dunes) and one of the most diverse minerals-- in terms of its physical characteristics. 

To date, I have previously posted the following four write-ups about quartz: 

May 31, 2026 “Rose Quartz”

August 26, 2016 “Varieties of Quartz, Part 1”

Sept 14, 2018 “Varieties of Quartz, Part 2 “

Sept 23, 2028 Black Onyx Quartz

This current blog concerns a rare form of quartz, called “Fenster quartz  = (SiO₂)

During its crystallization, the sunken faces of fenster quartz crystals are occasionally sheeted over by a thin layer of more quartz that traps whatever water or mud might have been around at the time of the formation of this mineral. As a result, the crystallizing material experienced complex, fluctuating geological conditions during formation, which caused its unique layered appearance. This type of crystal has a very complicated internal structure that looks very complicated. Europeans refer to this material as “Fenster Quartz,” which is derived from the German word “das Fenster,” meaning “the window.” Fenster quartz develops in pegamatitic veins where unstable growth (with inclusions) took place. It is not a unique mineral, but it is an unusual growth pattern for quartz. 

Furthermore, fenster quartz is a coupling of clear quartz and elestial quartz. The result is that a crystal has repeating faces, which remind some folks of “an infinite multi-verse of repeating opportunities and outcomes.” This form of quartz is also known as “window quartz.” Variations of this mineral range from rusty/smokey” (like the one shown here) to perfectly clear. It is an affordable mineral if you wish to add it to your collection.

 

Fenster quartz is found in Brazil (most common source), Madagasgar, Africa, and in USA (at the Herkimer Diamond site---see one of my previous posts concerning this locality).

Two views (front and back) of the same specimen of fenster quartz (eclestial quartz) is 40 mm wide, 40 mm long, and 30 mm thick at its thickest point. It was collected at Arramberri, Nuevo Leon, south of Monterrey, in northeastern Mexico. 

Kori Bustard Bird

 This is the largest living, flying animal on Earth. The male is up to 4.5 feet in length and larger than the female. The Kori bird is a ground dweller that only flies when absolutely necessary.

Figure 1. Kori Bustard bird. Image from Smithsonian Institution (open access).

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Otidiformes 

Family Otididae

Genus Ardeotis

Type species A. kori

There are two living species of this bird, which found only in the Old World (Africa, India, Mozambique, and Australia).

The Kori Bustard bird may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. The average adult male weighs about 25 pounds and is up to 4.5 feet in length, with a wingspan up to 9 feet. They live in open grassy areas and have no real nest. 

There are only two species.

Reference

Wikipedia, 2026.

GOLD AND SILVER

                                                                GOLD 

Who hasn’t heard about gold? From childhood and beyond, the word “gold” means wealth and power to most people. So practically everyone gets interested whenever the word “gold” is mentioned. 

Gold is a “noble metal,” meaning it does not rust nor lose its shine. 

Gold occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust and can be concentrated via three main processes; namely, 1) magmatic activity (= molten rock), 2) hydrothermal activity (= driven by heated underground magmatic fluids, e.g. hydrothermal veins), and 3) metamorphic activity (heat and pressure). 

There is also a fourth process: placer deposits, on the Earth’s surface, and involves  weathering/transport plus reworking via running water. 

 

Note: “Porphyry” gold deposits are associated with low-grade igneous intrusions in the 

Earth’s crust.

Primary gold is referred to as lode, whereas reworked gold (i.e., occurs in stream and river beds) is referred to as placer deposits. 

“Porphyry gold deposits” are associated with low-grade igneous intrusions. 

Gold can also occur in “greenstone belts,” which are metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks, like the “Banded Iron Formations (BIFs).”

In sum, there is a considerable amount of terminology associated with “gold deposits.” 

The value of gold varies daily these days. As of March 21, 2026, the price of gold was approximately $4,504 dollars per ounce! Next week, no doubt, it will have a different value! 

          Figure 1. A hand-specimen of gold (2.5 inches wide). Image via the Smithsonian Institution.

                                                                   Silver

                                                                          

         Figure 2. A hand-specimen of gold (dimensions unknown). Image via the Smithsonian Institution.                       

                                                                  

Silver, whose chemical designation is “Ag,” occurs mainly with hydothermal-veiw deposits, which are commonly associated with igneous intrusions and volcanic activity. Silver is rarely found as a pure, native metal. Rather, it is usually combined with sulfur, arsenic, and antimony, and especially in association with lead-zinc and copper nickel ores. Furthermore, most silver is produced as a by-product of copper, lead, and zinc refining.

REFERENCE 

WIKIPEDIA, 2026

CHRISTMAS CACTUS

This “False Christmas Cactus,” is scientifically named Schlumbergera truncata, a succulent that blooms around November (rather than December). Thus S. truncata also goes by another common name, the “Thanksgiving Cactus.”

Schlumbergera truncata is indeed a cactus and it has sharp, pointy edges with claw-like tips. This cactus also displays flowers from mid-November to early December. Additionally, this cactus has leafless, flat, segmented green stems (caldodes) which act as photosynthetic organs. The ends of these stems are truncated, rather than pointed. The flowers of this cactus can be in shades of pink, orange, or whitel.

This cactus is endemic to a small area of the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, where subtropical or tropical moist forests exist. (Wikipedia, 2026).

This cactus is commonly grown indoors to help improve air quality by filtering out airborne toxins, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene.

  Classification

Kingdom Plantae

Clades (3 of them)

Order Caryophyllales

Family Cactaceae

Genus Schlumbergera

Type Species: S. truncate

                                                     Figure 1. Wide view. My backyard. 

Figure 2. Tall view.