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General Knowledge Quiz

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Gloster

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2 Gilbert White was Hampshire, possibly the Alton area.
4 Was Father David North Africa?
6 Audubon was American, so possibly New England (a wide area)?
 
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Calthrop

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Gloster said:
2 Gilbert White was Hampshire, possibly the Alton area.
Click to expand...

Yes, indeed -- he was ?vicar ?rector of Selborne, near Alton, where he very largely carried out his natural-history studies; he "stayed put and let the beasties come to him".

Gloster said:
4 Was Father David North Africa?
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I'm afraid not. Possible "pointer": David was French; but his area of operation was way outside of France or her empire.

Gloster said:
6 Audubon was American, so possibly New England (a wide area)?
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As the "father of North American ornithology" -- your citing America / US, will do fine (to be nitpicky, Audubon spent his time over a wide area of the country lying further south and west, than New England).


perryman said:
1. Alexander Von Humboldt did his stuff in South America.
Click to expand...

Correct ! Three down, three to go.
 
341o2

341o2

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David Fleay - Australia. Realised after filming the last proven Tasmanian Tiger to exist, in captivity, during which he was bitten on the backside, realised the importance of breeding endangered species. First person to breed the Duck billed platypus in captivity (would have got 2 & 6 as well if I had got in earlier, Audbon has made a series of illustrations of wild birds of America)
 
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Calthrop

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341o2 said:
David Fleay - Australia. Realised after filming the last proven Tasmanian Tiger to exist, in captivity, during which he was bitten on the backside, realised the importance of breeding endangered species. First person to breed the Duck billed platypus in captivity (would have got 2 & 6 as well if I had got in earlier, Audbon has made a series of illustrations of wild birds of America)
Click to expand...

That's him -- the thylacine (Tas. Tiger) man -- had hopes of saving the species, but alas it wasn't to be.

There remain two to get.
 
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Calthrop

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You're pretty warm; but Burchell's life-span was in a period of time a bit "before Kenya became Kenya". His most-acclaimed work was on that continent; but in regions of it, which Europeans reached relatively early.
 
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Calthrop

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DaleCooper said:
Kenya?
Click to expand...
Calthrop said:
You're pretty warm; but Burchell's life-span was in a period of time a bit "before Kenya became Kenya". His most-acclaimed work was on that continent; but in regions of it, which Europeans reached relatively early.
Click to expand...

@DaleCooper -- on reflection: with my having adjudged @Gloster's answer re Audubon correct (right continent, but basically not the relevant or most-relevant area thereof); I feel that your answer re Burchell should also be reckoned correct. I essentially picked six guys, each associated with one of six different continents: Burchell is right for Africa; only he operated, early in 19th century, in what is now South Africa and northern fringes thereof -- but you got his continent right.

Scores therefore: @Gloster and @341o2: two correct answers each. @perryman and @DaleCooper: one correct answer each.

@Gloster, @341o2: would you be interested in a tie-breaker -- another question of the same kind, the first of you two to answer correctly, to take the floor?
 
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Calthrop

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DaleCooper said:
Kenya?
Click to expand...
Calthrop said:
You're pretty warm; but Burchell's life-span was in a period of time a bit "before Kenya became Kenya". His most-acclaimed work was on that continent; but in regions of it, which Europeans reached relatively early.
Click to expand...

@DaleCooper -- on reflection: with my having adjudged @Gloster's answer re Audubon correct (right continent, but basically not the relevant or most-relevant area thereof); I feel that your answer re Burchell should also be reckoned correct. I essentially picked six guys, each associated with one of six different continents: Burchell is right for Africa; only he operated, early in 19th century, in what is now South Africa and northern fringes thereof -- but you got his continent right.

Scores therefore: @Gloster and @341o2: two correct answers each. @perryman and @DaleCooper: one correct answer each.

@Gloster, @341o2: would you be interested in a tie-breaker -- another question of the same kind, the first of you two to answer correctly, to take the floor?

(Post has printed twice, for some reason !)
 
G

Gloster

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I will pass as I am still slowly moving house and sorting my belongings. An excuse/explanation that will go on for another month or two as I have lots of books to move.
 
341o2

341o2

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Staying with Australia, it is thought that the actions of one man in 1859 unleashed a nationwide disaster, to the extent that fencing off parts of the continent was tried.
What was it?
 
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EbbwJunction1

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I think that it was the introduction of (I think) rabbits to remove the problems being caused by a plant.

The only problem was that they bred like .. well, rabbits ... and the initial number multiplied and kept on multiplying. They rapidly ate all the plants but because there were so many of them, they ate everything else as well, thus causing devastation to the natural flora and fauna.
 
341o2

341o2

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It was indeed rabbits, thought to have been released by Thomas Austin on his estate, along with other European animals so he could go hunting.

With no predators and the climate warm enough to breed all the year round, within 10 years were a problem, 2M being shot annually without any effect on the population, within 40 a continent wide one, causing extinction of native species, soil erosion and crop destruction.

Introduction of myxomatosis in the 1950's has checked their numbers, estimated from 600M to 100M but they are now becoming immune to the virus.

your floot
 
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EbbwJunction1

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I'm not going to be on the forum for a short while, so I'll give you the answer to save time.

Although Jorn Utzon was the original designer of the Sydney Opera House and did much of the early work, he regularly fell out with the authorities and threatened to resign many times. It came to a head towards the end of 1965, and he finally resigned in March 1966, when he left Australia, never to return.

The Sydney Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973, but Utzon was not invited to the ceremony, nor was his name mentioned. The significant thing was, to me, that he never actually saw his creation "in the flesh", which i think is quite sad.

I'll declare the designer's board available for use by anyone who has a sharp pencil!
 
DaleCooper

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EbbwJunction1 said:
I'm not going to be on the forum for a short while, so I'll give you the answer to save time.

Although Jorn Utzon was the original designer of the Sydney Opera House and did much of the early work, he regularly fell out with the authorities and threatened to resign many times. It came to a head towards the end of 1965, and he finally resigned in March 1966, when he left Australia, never to return.

The Sydney Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973, but Utzon was not invited to the ceremony, nor was his name mentioned. The significant thing was, to me, that he never actually saw his creation "in the flesh", which i think is quite sad.

I'll declare the designer's board available for use by anyone who has a sharp pencil!
Click to expand...
I was going to suggest he had an obsession with nun's head wear.
 

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Calthrop

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EbbwJunction1 said:
I'll declare the designer's board available for use by anyone who has a sharp pencil!
Click to expand...

We're on an Australian kick -- I'm looking at staying on that theme.

Concerning a very well-known and greatly loved song, widely reckoned as Australia's unofficial national anthem...


(1) "Matilda" as much mentioned in the song, is not just nonsense: it has in the context, a specific meaning -- which is what?

(2) What is a jumbuck?

(3) In the song, and in the context of old-time Australia: what is, here, a squatter?
 
perryman

perryman

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Calthrop said:
We're on an Australian kick -- I'm looking at staying on that theme.

Concerning a very well-known and greatly loved song, widely reckoned as Australia's unofficial national anthem...


(1) "Matilda" as much mentioned in the song, is not just nonsense: it has in the context, a specific meaning -- which is what?

(2) What is a jumbuck?

(3) In the song, and in the context of old-time Australia: what is, here, a squatter?
Click to expand...

1. I thought 'Matilda' was some sort of bag that someone who was itinerant (for want of a better word) carried with them?
 
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