Java and XML, Second Edition

Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects.

The animals on the cover of Java & XML, Second Edition are lions (Panthera leo). These great cats differ from other solitary felines in that they form family groups, called prides. Prides consist of as many as 30 to 40 lions, most of which are females and their offspring. The lifespan of a lion is approximately 3-4 years. Full grown males can grow up to 10 feet in length; the only cat larger is the tiger. The lion’s eye is particularly sensitive to movement, and it can detect the movement of its prey from a great distance. Special receptor cells in the cat’s eye give it exceptional night vision.

Lions live in eastern and southern Africa, although some subspecies of the African lion are endangered. The Asiatic lion (P.l. persica) once lived throughout India, the Middle East, and Southern Asia. Today, its population has been reduced to approximately 290 animals, which can be found in the Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat, western India. The Barbary and Cape lions are extinct.

Lions are carnivores and prey on large herd animals. They are at the top of the food chain, the apex predator of their environment. The females are the hunters, while the males’ role is to protect the pride from other aggressive males. Lions are not as fast as ...