Running Weblogs with Slash

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 Running Weblogs with Slash are crows. Crows belong to the family Corvidae. The American Crow (Corvus brachyrynchos) is 17 to 21 inches long when fully grown and weighs approximately 1 lb. Crows in the wild can live to be approximately 10 years old (the oldest known wild American Crow lived to a whopping 29 1/2), but they are often carried off prematurely by predators and disease. Crows are omnivorous and will eat just about anything, from insects, worms, and mice, to berries and corn, to food scraps discarded by humans. An adult crow needs 11 ounces of food each day. Crows’ black coloration helps to protect them from predators at night and allows them to easily identify other members of their species during the day, when they are highly visible.

Crows are believed to be the most intelligent of all birds. They exhibit many characteristics generally considered to be indications of higher intelligence, including problem solving, toolmaking, and the ability to play, as well as excellent memory, communication, and mimicry skills. Crows are also extremely social—not only will crows defend and protect their own families, but they will come to the aid of unrelated crows in need or distress. They live in large ...