Programming 3D Applications with HTML5 and WebGL

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Programming 3D Applications with HTML5 and WebGL is a MacQueen’s bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii), a large bird that ranges through the Middle East and southwestern Asia. It is named after General Thomas MacQueen, a 19th century British soldier who was stationed in India. MacQueen was a collector of natural history specimens and donated a bustard he had shot to the British Museum; the bird was named after him in 1832.

MacQueen’s bustards live and breed in arid sandy areas, with a diet made up of seeds, plant shoots, and insects. While females are slightly smaller, the birds are generally about 2 feet in length, with an average wingspan of 55 inches. They have light brown plumage, black stripes on their necks, and white underbellies. The fluffy feathers on their head and neck are fanned out in mating displays—this species does not often vocalize. They nest in holes scraped in the ground, laying 2–4 eggs at a time.

This species (and a close relative, the Houbara bustard) are becoming rare, as they are a popular target for falconers and have been overhunted. Some Middle Eastern leaders, including the royal families of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have made conservation efforts in recent years, but the birds’ status is still vulnerable.

The cover image is from Johnson’s Natural History. The cover fonts are URW Typewriter and Guardian Sans. The text font is Adobe Minion Pro; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is ...