Hawaiian goose See nene
hawk Any of many small to medium-sized, diurnal birds of prey, par¬ ticularly those in the genus Accipiter.
The term is often applied to other birds in the Accipitridae family (including buzzards, harriers, and kites) and sometimes to certain fal¬ cons. Hawks usually eat small mam¬ mals, reptiles, and insects but occasionally kill birds. There is often no difference in plumage between sexes. Hawks are found on the six major continents. Most nest in trees, but some nest on the ground or on cliffs. True hawks (accipiters) can usually be distinguished in flight by their long tails and short, rounded wings. They are exemplified by the 12-in (30-cm) sharp-shinned hawk (A. striatus), gray above with fine rusty barring below, found through¬ out much of the New World. See also GOSHAWK, SPARROW HAWK.
hawk moth or sphinx moth Any moth of the lepidopteran family Sphingidae. Found worldwide, these stout-bodied moths have long, nar¬ row forewings and shorter hind wings, with wingspans ranging from 2 to 8 in. (5-20 cm). Many species pollinate flowers while sucking nectar; the proboscis of some species is up to 13 in. (32.5 cm) long. Some hawk moths migrate. The larvae, which are smooth and have a dorsal “horn,” are called hornworms; larvae of two North American species—the tobacco, or southern, hornworm, and the tomato, or northern, hornworm—attack tomato, tobacco, and potato crops.
Hawkesbury River River, New South Wales, Australia. Rising in the Great Dividing Range, it flows 293 mi (472 km) northeast to the Tasman Sea north of Sydney. Known as the Wollondilly in its upper course and as the Warragamba after receiving the Nattai River, it becomes the Hawkes¬ bury after its junction with the Grose. It continues for 100 mi (160 km), becoming a salt tidal stream.
Hawking, Stephen W(illiam) (b. Jan. 8, 1942, Oxford, Oxford¬ shire, Eng.) English theoretical physicist. He studied at the University of Oxford and later received his Ph.D. from Cambridge. He has worked pri¬ marily in the field of general relativity and particularly on the physics of black holes. In 1971 he suggested that numerous objects, formed after the big bang, each had as much as one billion tons of mass but the size of only a proton. These “mini black holes” are unique in being subject to both the laws of relativity, due to their immense mass and gravity, and the laws of quantum mechanics, due to then - minute size. In 1974 he proposed that black holes “evaporate” by what is now known as Hawking radiation. His work greatly spurred efforts to delineate the properties of black holes. His work also showed the relationship of these properties to the laws of classical thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. Hawking’s achieve¬ ments, despite near-total paralysis from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, have earned him extraordinary honours. His books include the best-selling A Brief History of Time (1988).
Hawking radiation Radiation theoretically emitted from just outside the event horizon of a black hole. Stephen W. Hawking proposed in 1974 that subatomic particle pairs (photons, neutrinos, and some massive par¬ ticles) arising naturally near the event horizon may result in one particle’s escaping the vicinity of the black hole while the other particle, of nega¬
tive energy, disappears into it. The flow of particles of negative energy into the black hole reduces its mass until it disappears completely in a final burst of radiation.
Hawkins, Coleman (Randolph) (b. Nov. 21,1904, St. Joseph, Mo., U.S.—d. May 19, 1969, New York,
N.Y.) U.S. jazz musician. Hawkins came to prominence as a member of Fletcher Henderson’s big band (1924- 34), with which he absorbed the style of Louis Armstrong and developed the smooth legato phrasing and robust tone that set the technical standard for all tenor players. He worked in Europe (1934-39) and soon after his return recorded “Body and Soul,” which became a commercial success and one of the masterpieces of impro¬ vised jazz. Hawkins was the first important tenor saxophone soloist in jazz. He was receptive to the har¬ monic advances made by younger players, who widely acknowledged his influence.
Hawkins, Erick (b. April 23,
1909, Trinidad, Colo., U.S.—d. Nov. 23, 1994, New York, N.Y.) U.S. modern dancer. He worked with George Balanchine (1935-37) before join¬ ing the Martha Graham company in 1938. He became a leading dancer for the company, and he and Graham were married for a number of years. He stayed with her company until 1951, when he organized his own troupe and devoted himself to an approach based on kinesthetic awareness.
Hawkins, Sir John (b. 1532, Plymouth, Devon, Eng.—d. Nov. 12, 1595, at sea off Puerto Rico) English naval administrator and commander. A relative of Sir Francis Drake, he became a merchant in the African trade and the first English slave trader. After a successful slave-trading voyage in 1562-63, a group that included Elizabeth I provided money for a sec¬ ond expedition. A Spanish fleet attacked him on his third voyage (1567— 69, with Drake), beginning the quarrel between England and Spain that led to war in 1585. As treasurer (1577) and controller (1589) of the navy, he rebuilt older ships and helped design the faster ships that withstood the Spanish Armada in 1588. He later devised the naval blockade to intercept Spanish treasure ships. One of the foremost seamen of 16th-century England, he was the chief architect of the Elizabethan navy.
Hawks, Howard (Winchester) (b. May 30, 1896, Goshen, Ind., U.S.—d. Dec. 26, 1977, Palm Springs, Calif.) U.S. film director, screen¬ writer, and producer. He served as a pilot in World War I, then wrote screenplays in Hollywood (from 1922) and directed several projects before making his first major film, A Girl in Every Port (1928). A master technician and storyteller, he created a sense of intimacy by filming from eye level. He directed over 40 films (many of which he also produced and wrote) in a variety of genres: adventure ( The Dawn Patrol , 1930), crime (Scarface, 1932), comedy (Bringing Up Baby, 1938), war (Sergeant York, 1941), musicals (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1953), film noir (The Big Sleep, 1946), science fiction (The Thing, 1951), and westerns (Red River, 1948; Rio Bravo, 1959).
hawkweed Any of the approxi¬ mately 200 species of weedy plants that make up the genus Hieracium, in the composite family, native to tem¬ perate regions. Mouse-ear hawk- weed (H. pilosella ), orange hawkweed (H. aurantiacum), and common hawkweed (H. vulgatum ) are widely distributed weeds. Some species are cultivated as garden ornamentals for their attractive flower clusters.
Hawr al-Hammar See Lake Hammar
hawthorn Any of various thorny shrubs or small trees of the genus
Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis ).
ALAN CAREY
Coleman Hawkins, c. 1943.
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Hawthorne ► Hayes I 849
Crataegus, in the rose family, native to the northern temperate zone. Many species are native to North America. The simple leaves are usually toothed or lobed. Hawthorns bear white or pink flowers, usually in clusters, and small applelike, red (rarely blue or black) fruits. Many cultivated varieties are grown as ornamentals for their attractive flowers and fruits. The haw¬ thorn is well suited for hedgerows; its combination of sturdy twigs, hard wood, and many thorns makes it a formidable barrier to cattle and hogs.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel (b. July 4, 1804, Salem, Mass., U.S.—d. May 19, 1864, Plymouth, N.H.) U.S. novelist and short-story writer.
Descended from Puritans, he was imbued with a deep moral earnest¬ ness. After producing several unex¬ ceptional works, he wrote some of his greatest tales, including “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” (1832),
“Roger Malvin’s Burial” (1832), and “Young Goodman Brown” (1835).
His story collections include Twice- Told Tales (1837), Mosses from an Old Manse (1846), and The Snow- Image (1851). He is best known for the novels The Scarlet Letter (1850), a story of adultery set in colonial New England considered to be one of the best American novels, and The House of the Seven Gables (1851), the story of a family that lives under a curse for generations. His later works include The Blithedale Romance (1852) and The Marble Faun (1860). A skilled literary craftsman and a master of allegory and symbol¬ ism, he ranks among the greatest American fiction writers.