FACTFINDER’S CROSSWORD

Dear Reader,

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic we are suspending competition entries for all our prize crosswords. Puzzles will continue to appear as normal but no entries will be accepted or prizes given.

We hope to return to normal as soon as possible.

The solution to this week’s Factfinder crossword will appear next Saturday as usual.

Stay safe!

Joy Yates, Editorial Director

Across

1 A black and white wading bird (6-7)

10 The customs and conventions of a

community (5)

11 A species of long-winged gulls (9)

12 The commander of a troop of Indian cavalry

(9)

13 Alan __ (1934 - 2013), Alyth-born novelist who wrote A Green Tree in Gedde (1966) (5)

14 A young slender tree (7)

16 Language spoken widely in arts of east

Africa (7)

18 Large arboreal lizards, native to tropical

America (7)

20 Very loyal, or firm in principle (7)

21 An old English gold coin (5)

23 One of three divisions of the academic year

(9)

25 An aromatic oil or balsam, popular in ancient

times (9)

26 Deadly viral disease, mainly in sub-saharan

Africa (5)

27 Polite or elegant literature (6-7)

Down 2

Light tents made from skins, etc, used by

nomads in Siberia (5)

3 Citizen of an Australian state (35,042 sq

miles; pop about 550,000 (9)

4 The Swedish parliament (7)

5 A first magnitude star in the Scorpion

constellation (7)

6 A Greek island (35 sq miles; pop 55,000) in

the Aegean Sea (5)

7 Something that issues from a source (9)

8 A 19th century movement in painting,

originating in France (13)

9 Relating to the Muse of choral song and

dance in Greek mythology (13)

15 Small amount of money given as a tip (Fr) (9) 17 Humiliation or degradation (9)

19 Viceroys or governors of provinces in

ancient Persia (7)

20 The fusee of a watch (7)

22 Suburban area in southern England, the

birthplace of Petula Clark (5)

24 A pin in the side of a boat to keep an oar in

place (5)