The Common House Martin is a migratorypasserinebird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia, and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia. It feeds on insects which are caught in flight. It has a blue head and upperparts, white rump and pure white underparts, and is found in both open country and near human habitation. It is a noisy species, especially at its breeding colonies. It is similar in appearance to the two other martin species of the Delichon genus, which are endemic to eastern and southern Asia. Its scientific name (Delichon urbicum) and common name both relate to its use of man-made structures. It builds a closed cup nest from mud pellets under eaves or similar locations on buildings usually in colonies, but sometimes fouling below nests can be a problem. It is hunted by the Eurasian Hobby, and like other birds is affected by internal parasites and external fleas and mites, although its large range and population mean that it is not threatened globally. Its proximity to man has led to some cultural and literary references, including a description in Macbeth. (Full article...)
The first instalment of The Flashman Papers by George MacDonald Fraser was published in 1969. The series of novels and short stories centre on the exploits of the fictional protagonist Harry Flashman, a cowardly British soldier and cad who is placed in a series of real historical incidents between 1839 and 1894. While the incidents and much of the detail in the novels have a factual background, Flashman's actions in the stories are either fictional, or Fraser uses the actions of unidentified individuals and assigns them to Flashman. During the course of Fraser's novels, Flashman goes from his expulsion from school into the army. Although he is a coward who tries to run away from any danger, he is involved in a number of notable military episodes from the 19th century, often taking actions that cause or affect subsequently infamous events. Flashman is a minor character in the 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days; a bully who is expelled from Rugby School for drunkenness. The character was then developed by Fraser, and appeared in a total of eleven novels and one collection of short stories featuring the character. Although chronology of the main series finishes in 1894, Flashman lives on until 1915 and he is also found in his late 80s in another Fraser book, Mr American. (Full list...)
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