1289. Rabbits may be known for getting into gardens and nibbling on lettuce, but their diets include more than just leafy greens. This pet rabbit makes a meal of corn on the cob.
　　(Photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Istanbul: City at the Crossroads," March 1998, National Geographic Traveler magazine)
　　

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　1288. Built between 1818 and 1858 by French architect Auguste de Montferrand, St. Isaac‘s Cathedral was once the largest church in Russia. Dusted by a winter snow and lowly lit by passing cars and holiday lights, it still dominates the St. Petersburg skyline today.
　　(Photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Catherine the Great," September 1998, National Geographic magazine)
　　

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　1287. Kangaroos romp at a sanctuary on Kangaroo Island. Discovered and named by Capt. Matthew Flinders in 1802, the island is Australia‘s third largest. It‘s also a popular tourist destination offering miles of well-preserved coastlines and an abundance of wildlife.
　　(Photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in, "South Australia‘s Gateway to the Great Outback," April 1970, National Geographic magazine)
　　

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　1286. "Polar bears are masters at conserving energy. During their eight-month fast [when warm weather makes seal hunting nearly impossible due to a lack of sea ice] breeding females can lose as much as 45 percent of their weight. So heat retention is important, to avoid spending too much energy to keep warm."
　　(Text from "Polar Bears," January 1998, National Geographic magazine)
　　

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　1285. "Gunmetal sheen of sundown bathes craggy terrain where the Rio Grande cuts a tortuous path. The 801,000-acre Big Bend National Park on the U.S. side, at right, is now complemented by Mexico‘s Santa Elena Canyon Protected Area, created in November 1994."
　　—From "Tex-Mex: The Winding Border," February 1996, National Geographic magazine
　　

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1284. Years of unforgiving wind and waves have shaped and sculpted these limestone columns.
　　(Photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in the National Geographic book Wild Shores of Australia, 1996)
　　

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　1282. Built in the 1800‘s, the buildings that house Prondfoot‘s are still used as a boat club, tea room, and restaurant.
　　(Photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in the National Geographic book, Wild Shores of Australia, 1996)
　　

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　1281. Grueling terrain and steep mountain passes were no deterrent for a trio of cyclists that embarked on a seven-week journey across the Alaska Range. Despite the hard work, one rider, Paul Adkins, said, "You get into a special zone when you ride a bike here. You smile, look around, and say, ‘This is it!‘"
　　(Text adapted from "Biking Across the Alaska Range," May 1997, National Geographic magazine)
　　
　　

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　1280. "Exotic, reverent, modern, pastoral: Thailand indeed wears many faces. Wide acceptance is given to all, including a katoey, a transvestite at an upscale Pattaya cabaret, featuring male performers."
　　—From "The Many Faces of Thailand," February 1996, National Geographic magazine
　　

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　1279. "At Simonopetra [Monastery] monks pile the bones of brothers in a charnel house. The remains of a former abbot rest in a special box held by Father Macarius. To the monks who pray here, these orderly rows of skulls evoke the monastery‘s long history and the devotion of the men who kept alive its spirit."
　　—From "The Byzantine Empire: Rome of the East," December 1983, National Geographic magazine
　　

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