Bone-dust, Bone-earth, and Bone-phosphate, in agriculture, very useful manures, from their containing the phosphate of lime, which is one of the necessary ingredients of nutritive vegetation, particularly of the cereal crops.

Bonito (Sp.), in ichthyology, a long marine fish, remarkable for its persecution of the flying-fish and flyingsquid; fam. Scomberidæ..

Bo'ops, in icththyology, a genus of acanthopterygious fishes, of the family Chætodon. It is also the specific name of the Jubarta (Balana boöps), a whale about fifty feet long, which inhabits the Greenland seas.

Boo'tes (Gr. bous an ox), in astronomy, a constellation of the northern hemisphere, which contains 39 stars. On the celestial globes, Boötes is represented with a club in one hand and the two dogs, Canes venatici, held by a string in the other.

Boragin'eæ (Lat. borago action of the head), in botany, a nat. order of flowering monopetalous Endogens, of which the plant Boragos is the type. Boras'sus (Gr.), in botany, the Fan Palm, a genus of the Palm-tree tribe with gigantic leaves, and fruit as large as a child's head. The Hindoos consider it the king of trees.

Borate, in chemistry, a salt consisting of boracic acid with a basis, as Borate of lime, Borate of magnesia, Borate of soda, &c. (See Borax.)

Borax (Gr.), in chemistry, a compound of boracic acid and soda, the principal use of which is as a flux in the operations of the blowpipe.-Boracic acid is a compound of boron and oxygen, which occurs as a natural product in the hot springs of Lipari, and other places, and is a constituent of various minerals.-Boracite is a native borate of magnesia.Boraxated tartar is a compound of borax with crystals of bitartrate of potash.

Boreal (Gr. boreas the north wind), in natural philosophy, applied to a pole

of a magnet which points to the north.

Boril'la, a rich copper ore, in dust. Boring, in mineralogy, a method of piercing the earth, so as to ascertain the extent of any mineral bed or vein rich enough to be worth sinking a shaft. The same operation is undertaken in boring for water.

Bornine, in mineralogy, a name given to telluric bismuth, a mineral of light steel-grey colour and metallic lustre, occurring in crystalline masses, and composed of tellurium, bismuth, sulphur, and silver; sp. gr. 72-8.0. Bornite, a tellurite of bismuth.--Dana. Boron, in mineralogy, one of the elementary substances; the base of boracic acid. It is of a dark olive colour, without taste or smell. It bears intense heat in close vessels without fusing. Its specific gravity is about twice that of water. If heated to 600°, it suddenly takes fire, oxygen gas disappears, and boracic acid is generated. - Boro-fluorides are compounds formed by the union of the fluorides of boron, or fluoboric acid gas, with either potassium, sodium, or borium. - Boro-hydrofluoric acid is a compound of the boracic and fluoric acids.

Bos (Lat. an ox), in zoology, a genus of Mammalia, of which the domestic ox, the buffalo, bison, &c., are species; order Ruminantia.

Boschus (Lat.), in ornithology, a genus of the Anatinæ, or Duck family. Bostric'hidæ (Gr. bostrychus a lock of hair), a family of wood-boring coleopterous insects, of which the Bostrychus, which is very destructive to timber, is the type.

are

Boswellia, a genus of East Indian trees, the Olibanum, one of the species of which, B. thurifera, yields the gum resin olibanum, the frankincense of the ancients, and now used in Catholic churches; order Terebinthaceæ. Botany (Gr. botane a plant), that branch of natural science which comprehends all that relates to the vegetable kingdom. In the classification of the botanical nomenclature there two principal systems-the sexual or artificial one of Linnæus, and that of Jussieu, which is according to the natural order of plants. The Linnæan system is founded on the number, situation, and proportion of the essential organs of fructification, denominated stamens and pistils. The names of the classes and orders are of Greek derivation, and allude to the functions of the respective orders. Thus the vegetable kingdom is divided by that great naturalist into 24 classes, of which 23 belong to flowering, and I to flowerless plants. The first eleven classes are distinguished entirely by the number of stamens, which are called Monandria, Diandria, Triandria, &c., as far as Dodecandria, from the Greek words one, two, three, &c. combined with male (andria), because the stamens of flowers are compared to males, and the pistils to females. Hence the orders, as far as Polygynia, are denominated Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, &c., according as the flower has one or more pistils; so called from the Greek mone (one), and gune (a female). Thus the jasmine, having two stamens and one pistil, is placed in the second class of the first order of that class, or Diandria Monogynia. The following is a summary of the 24 classes, which owe their distinctions chiefly to the stamens and pistils:-1. Monandria, one stamen.-2. Diandria, two stamens.-3. Triandria, three.-4. Tetrandria, four.-5. Pentandria, five.6. Hexandria, six.-7. Heptandria, seven.-8. Octandria, eight.-9. Enneandria, nine.-10. Decandria, ten. -11. Dodecandria, twelve.-12. Icosandria, twenty or more stamens, inserted into the calyx.-13. Polyandria, all above twenty inserted into the receptacle.-14. Didynamia, four stamens, two long and two short.15. Tetradynamia, six stamens, four long and two short.-16. Monadelphia, the stamens united into the bodies by the filaments.-17. Diadelphia, the stamens united into the bodies by the filaments. - 18. Polyadelphia, the stamens united into three or more bodies by the filaments.-19. Syngenesia, anthers united into a tube.-20. Gynandria, stamens inserted either upon the style or germen.-21. Monœcia, stamens and pistils in separate flowers, but on the same plant.-22. Diœcia, stamens and pistils, like the former, in separate flowers, but on two separate plants. -23. Polygamia, stamens and pistils separate in some flowers, united in others, either on one, two, or three distinct plants. 24. Cyptogamia, stamens and pistils either not well ascertained, or not to be numbered with certainty.

The Natural System of Plants, as devised by Jussieu and De Candolle, differs most materially from the Linnæan System; it takes into consideration the entire organization of the plant, with its properties and peculiar habits. The most striking genus of a tribe of plants gives name

to the order; as, for instance, the Rose (Lat. rosa), forms the type of the natural order Rosaceæ; and the Violet, that of the order Violaceæ. In this manner Jussieu divided the whole vegetable kingdom into 15 classes, and the genera into 100 orders, but which number has been gradually increasing with the general progress of discovery. The difference between the artificial system of Linnæus and natural order of Jussieu has been admirably illustrated by our distinguished countryman, Professor Lindley, in his work on the "Vegetable Kingdom."

In the Natural System the vegetable world has been classified under two grand divisions - the VASCULARES and the CELLULARES; and these again divided into classes and subclasses.

VASCULARES. Class I. Dycotyledons or Exogens. The plants of this class have stems consisting of concentric layers, formed by external annual additions, and are composed of vascular and cellular tissue; the flowers are furnished with male and female organs of reproduction, called stamens and pistils. Class II. Monocotyledons or Endogens. The stems of this class are formed by the addition of new fibres to the interior of the stem already formed; flowers sexual, the seed consisting of one cotyledon.

CELLULARES. Class I. Semi-vasculares. Plants having vessels as well as cellular tissue; the stems are increased by simple elongation; the leaves veined and forked; the sexual organs distinct and visible under the microscope only. - Class II. The Agama are plants which increase by elongation or irregular expansion of their parts, and are wholly composed of cellular tissue, showing, under the microscope, no sexual organs whatever. These consist of the Fungi, Mosses, Lichens, Hepaticas or Liverworts, and Algæ. The Dicotyledons are divided into four sub-classes-the Thalamifloræ, Calycifloræ, Corollifloræ, and Monochlamydeæ.

grapes.

Botryoi'dal (Gr.), resembling a bunch of Boulders, in geology, fragments of rock embedded in diluvial deposits; sometimes found lying on the surface of the ground, and bearing marks of abrasion and transport.-Boulder formations are deposits of clay, gravel, &c., containing boulders, or fragments of triturated rocks.

Boustrophe'don (Gr. ox-ploughing), an ancient form of writing from right to left, and from left to right, liko ploughing.

Bovey Coal, a species of wood-coal, or lignite, found at Bovey, near Exeter. -Lignites are chiefly found in rocks of tertiary formation. Their constituents are carbon, oxygen, and earthy matter.

Bo'vidæ (Lat. boves oxen), in zoology, a tribe of Ruminants, of which the genus Bos is the type.

Bow-line, in practical navigation, a term applied to a rope fastened near the middle of the perpendicular edge of the principal square sails; its use is to make the sails stand sharp and close to the wind.

Bow-pen, in the arts, a metallic ruling pen, the part holding the ink being formed of two cheeks bowed out towards the middle.

Box (Sax.), in botany, the common name of the Euphorbian genus of plants, the Buxus, or Box tree.-Box-thorn, the English name of the genus of plants Lycium.-Box-wood, the finegrained wood of the box tree, extensively used in wood engraving, and the manufacture of various articles. -Boxing the compass is repeating the various points of the compass in

order.

Boyau (Fr.), in fortification, a trench made by a besieging army, to serve as a covered line of communication or approach during the siege.

Brachelytra (Gr. brachys short, and elytron a sheath), in entomology, a section of coleopterous insects or beetles, the Staphylinus of Linnæus. Brachi'nus (Gr. noise-making), in entomology, a genus of coleopterous insects or beetles, so called from the noise they make in discharging an acrid fluid.

Brachionus (Gr. brachion an arm), a genus of rotiferous Infusoria, of which there are several genera.

Brachiopods (Gr. brachion, and podes feet), in malacology, a class of bivalved Mollusca, which, instead of feet, are furnished with two fleshy arms provided with numerous fila

ments.

Brachyglottis (Gr. short-tongued), in botany, a genus of garden plants of the order Composite. -Brachys, signifying short, forms a prefix to various scientific words connected with botany, zoology, ichthyology, mineralogy, &c.; as Brachyrynchus, a greenhouse plant; - Brachytype, a variety of calcareous spar;-Brachytypous, in mineralogy, of a short form; -Brachyurus, short-tailed, applied to a tribe of Crustaceæ, comprehending the Crabs, Lobsters, &c. Brachium (Lat. the arm), among the Mammalia, that part which articulates

with the scapula, and extends to the elbow; the os humeri of anatomy.-In entomology, the brachia are the first pair of legs in hexapod insects. Bra'dypods (Gr. slow-footed), in zoology, a family of edentate mammals, including the two-toed and threetoed sloths.--Brande.

Brain (Sax. bragan), in physiology, the soft, whitish mass enclosed in the cavity of the skull, in which the nerves and spinal marrow terminate. It is divided into three parts-the cranium, or proper brain, which occupies the whole of the superior part of the cavity; the cerebellum, occupying the lower and back part of the cavity; and the medulla oblonga, situated at its base, beneath the cerebrum and cerebellum.

Bramah Lock, in mechanical science, an ingeniously-contrived lock, invented by him whose name it bears. -The Bramah press is constructed on hydrostatic principles by the same inventor.

Bran'chie (Lat.), in ichthyology, the gills or respiratory organs of fishes and other aquatic animals. Branchiferæ (Lat. branchia), in malacology, a family of Mollusca, including various genera, as the Fissurella, the Emarginula, and the Parmophorus.

Branchiopods (Lat. branchiæ, and podes feet), an order of crustaceous animals with gills and feet. They are chiefly microscopic, and always in motion.

Branchios'tegens (Lat. branchiæ, and Gr. stegos a cover), an order of fishes with gills free, and covered with a membrane.

Brassica (Lat.), a genus of cruciferous plants, comprising the cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, &c. Braunite, a mineral of a dark brown colour, occurring massive and crystallized, and consisting of protoxide of manganese, oxygen, baryta, and water. Bravou'ra (Ital. courage), in music, an air consisting of difficult passages, in which many notes are executed in one syllable.

Braxy (Sax. broc disease), a disease or scouring in sheep; the most virulent form of anthrax, which kills upwards of fifty per cent. of the sheep that annually die of disease in Scotland. Report of the Privy Council on Diseases of Cattle.

Brazil, Braziletto, a kind of wood used for dyeing and for cabinet-work, brought from Brazil. Brazil-wood, the heavy red-coloured wood of Casalpinia Braziliensis, used as a dye-stuff.

Brazil'ian Pebbles, pure rock-crystal lenses for eye-glasses and spectacles. Brazing, in metallurgy, the soldering together of metals by means of an alloy, of which brass forms the prin cipal ingredient.

Bread-fruit, the fruit of the Artocarpus incisa of the South Sea Islands. Bread-nut, the fruit of the Brosimum alicastrum, a native of the WestIndies. Bread-root, the tuberous-rooted plant, Psoralea esculenta, of N. America, which produces abundant crops of roots, used like the potato in this country.

Breccia (Ger. brechen to break), in mineralogy, a species of rock composed of angular fragments cemented together; a kind of pudding-stone. Breis'lakıte, a fibrous mineral found in the lavas of Vesuvius, which occurs in delicate capillary crystals and semimetallic lustre.

Breve (Fr. and Ital.), in music, a note equal to four minims.

Brevipen'nes (Lat. short-winged), a term applied by Cuvier to the first family of the order Grallæ, of which the ostrich or emu is the type, whose wings are too short for flight. In natural history, the word brevis (short) forms a prefix to numerous terms of a scientific character; as, brevicaudatus, short-tailed; brevicaulis, shortstemmed; brevicollis, short-necked; brevicornis, short-horned; brevidens, short-toothed; breviflorus, short or small-flowered, having small petals; brevifolius, short or small-leaved; breviped, short-footed; brevipennate, short-winged; brevirostris, or brevirostrated, short-billed; breviscapus, short stalked; brevisetus, shortbristled; brevistylus, short-styled; breviventris, having a short abdo

men.

Brev'isite, a white zeolitic mineral. Bristol Stone, or Bristol Diamond, in mineralogy, a kind of rock crystal, a transparent varicty of quartz, consisting of pure silica, so named from being found in a rock near Bristol.

Brisure (Fr.), in fortifications, a line of four or five fathoms, which is allowed to the curtain and crillon, to make the hollow tower, or to cover the conccaled flank.

Britan'nia Metal, in the arts, a sort of mixed metal of which the best teapots are manufactured. It is made by melting an equal weight of platebrass and tin, and when melted, adding the same quantities of bismuth and regulus of antimony.

Bromal, in chemistry, an oily colourless fluid, obtained by the action of bromine on alcohol.

Bromate, in chemistry, a salt formed by the combination of bromic acid with any salifiable base.

Brombenzoic Acid, an acid prepared from dry benzoate of silver and bromine.

Bromelia'ceæ, a nat. order of endogenous plants, of which the Bromelia ananas, or Pine-apple, is the type. Bromic Acid, in chemistry, an acid consisting of 5 equivalents of oxygen and I of bromine. It reddens, and then destroys the colour of litmus paper. Its equivalent is 118.4. Bromine (Gr. a stench), in chemistry, a substance obtained from the crystallizable residue of sea-water, called bittern. It is one of the elementary bodies, and about three times heavier than water. It corrodes the skin, stains it of a yellow colour, and is a powerful and dangerous poison. Bromine unites with iodine, hydrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, and selenium, as well as with many of the metals, forming compounds called bromides, among which are the following:Hydrobromic acid, 1 atom of bromine, and I of hydrogen;-Bromic acid, I atom of bromine, and 5 of oxygen ;Protobromide of phosphorus, I atom of bromine, and I of phosphorus ;Perbromide of phosphorus, 5 atoms of bromine, and 2 of phosphorus. Bromus (Gr. the wild oat), in botany, the Brome-grass, an extensive genus of the order Gramineæ, or Grass tribe. Bronchia, or Bronchi (Gr. bronchos the windpipe), in anatomy, the ramifications of the windpipe, or trachea, which pass into the lungs.Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchia. Bronchocele, an enlargement of the thyroid gland.-Bronchotomy, an incision made into the trachea.

Bronze (Ital. and Fr.), in metallurgy, a red-brown metal, compounded of copper and tin, harder and more fusible than copper, and highly malleable when it contains from 85 to 90 per cent. of copper. Bronze for cannon is composed of 90 copper, and 10 of tin. English bell-metal, according to Dr. Thompson, consists of copper 80, tin 101, zinc 56, lead 4*3=100. Reflectors for telescopes consist of 66 parts of copper, and 33 parts of tin. Bronze for medals is formed of 100 copper, and 7 to 11 of tin and zinc. Bronzing salt is chloride of antimony, so called from its being used in browning gun barrels, &c.-Bronze liquid is made by melting 14 ounces of vinegar, 2 drachms of sal-ammoniac, and half a drachm of sorrel (binoxalate

of potash).-A liquid to imitate antique bronze is made by dissolving I part of sal-ammoniac, 3 parts of cream of tartar, and 6 of common salt in 12 parts of hot water, mixing with the solution 8 parts of a strong solution of the nitrate of copper.

Bronzite (from bronze), a mineral of a yellowish-brown colour, with a semimetallic lustre, consisting of silica, magnesia, and oxide of iron.

Broom (Sax. brom), in botany, the common English name of the genus Spartium. The Spartium scoparius is a beautiful yellow-flowering leguminous shrub, of the sub-tribe Genista.

Brown Bess, in military art, a musket with a brown barrel and smooth bore, distinguished from the rifle.

Bruchus (Gr. a grinding with the teeth), in anatomy, a genus of insects of the family Rhynchophora, the females of which deposit their eggs in the seeds of leguminous plants, which on coming to maturity are devoured by the larva, where it undergoes its metamorphosis.

Brunia'cese (so named from M. Brun), a nat. order of ericaceous shrubs, with small pretty flowers, extremely ornamental in gardens.

Brunonia'cesæ (so called from R. Brown, the distinguished botanist), a nat. order of monopetalous Exogens, of which the Brunonia, a genus of Australian plants, is the type.

Brunswick Green, in the arts, a colouring obtained from submuriate of copper, by exposing metallic copper to the action of muriate of ammonia.

Bruta (Lat. brutish things), in zoology, an order of Mammalia according to Linnæus, but now constituting the Edentata of Cuvier, as the elephant, walrus, &c.

Bryonia (Gr. sprouting out), a genus of climbing plants, the Bryony, or wild hop.

Bryonin, a crystallizable substance obtained from white bryony. Bryophyllum (Gr. a sprouting leaf, a yellow flowering shrub, whose leaves possess the remarkable property of budding on their margins, and forming new plants, a property not possessed by any other plant.

Bryozo'a, or Bryozoa'ria (Gr. bryon moss, and zoon an animal), the minute Mollusca that live united in masses in a moss-like manner.

Bubo (Gr. the groin), in pathology, a swelling of the lymphatic glands, arising from syphilitic virus.-In ornithology, the horned owl. Buccina'tor (Lat.), the large muscle of the cheek, so called from its use in blowing wind instruments.

Buccinite (Lat. a horn), in geology, fossil remains of shells, called Buccinum.

Buccinoi'dia (Lat. and Gr. like a trumpet), in malacology, a form of pectino - branchiate Gasteropods, of which Buccinum, a genus of bivalved Mollusca, is the type. Buceros (Gr. ox-horned), in ornithology, a genus and family of birds (Buceridæ) remarkable for their enormous bills.

Bucholzite, an amorphous mineral, spotted black and white, consisting of silica, alumina, potash, and oxide of iron.

Buchu Leaves, the produce of a species of Barosma, of the Cape Colony, of an aromatic smell, and highly esteemed for their diuretic properties. Buckland'ia (in honour of Dr. Buckland), a fossil plant from the Stonefield oolite.

Buck'landite, in mineralogy, a rare variety of augite, which occurs in minute crystals in the lake of Laach, on the Rhine.

Buckwheat (Germ. buchweizen), the
Polygonum fagopyrum.
Buffalo (Ital. and Sp.), in zoology, the
Bos bubalus, a species of ox domes-
ticated in India and Italy.

Bufoi'de (Lat. bufo), a family of amphibious reptiles, of which Bufo, a toad, is the type.

Bu'fonite (Lat. bufo), fossil teeth of fishes occurring in the oolitic formation of the Pycnodont family. Buhl, in the arts, mother-of-pearl, gold, or other rich material used for inlaying.

Bulimus (Lat.) a genus of land Mollusca.

Bu'limy (Gr.hunger), voracious appetite, Bulla (Lat.), a genus of Mollusca belonging to the Sea-slugs; nat.

order Bulladæ.