AMP 



AMP 



cow, but actually belonging to the liquor 

 of the allantois. 



AMO'RPHOUS (a, priv., uopftj, form). 

 Shapeless, irregular ; a term applied to 

 mineral and other substances which oc- 

 cur in forms not easy to be defined. 



AMO'RPHOZO'A (a/jLopcpo?, shapeless, 

 ^Mov, animal). Shapeless animals ; a term 

 applied by Blainville to the Porifera of 

 other writers, including the sponges. 



A'MPELIC ACID. An acid obtained 

 from the oils of bituminous schist. The 

 term ampelin denotes an oily matter pre- 

 pared from the same substance. 



AMPE'LID^ [ampelis, the chatterer). 

 Cliatterers; a family of the Insessores, 

 or perching birds, or the Cantatrices of 

 Macgillivray, distinguished by the enor- 

 mous width of their gape, which in many 

 extends beyond the eye, and in some is 

 nearly as wide as in the goatsucker. 

 They belong, generally, to tropical Ame- 

 rica ; only one, the waxwing, is found in 

 Europe. See Dentirostres. 



A'MPELITE (ciMTreAo?, a vine). A 

 kind of slate, found in the fossililerous 

 and in the metamorphic series of rocks. 

 The aluminous variety is the alum slate ; 

 the graphic, the graphic slate. 



AMPERE'S THEORY. An electro- 

 dynamic theory, by which the mutual 

 attraction or repulsion of two magnets is 

 referred to the mutual action of electric 

 currents, according to a certain funda- 

 mental law, in a manner resembling 

 the polar attraction of statical electricity, 

 i. e. of electricity in a state of tension. 

 In following out this theory, it was sup- 

 posed by Ampere, that around each par- 

 ticle of a body, which has been consti- 

 tuted a magnet, there is constantly cir- 

 culating, in a certain stated direction, a 

 small current of electric fluid. 



A'MPin-; A'MPHIS- Uixcpl, dtx<pk). 

 The former of these prefixes is a Greek 

 preposition, signifying on both sides, 

 around, that which may be understood in 

 two ways. The latter prefix has strictly 

 the same meanings, but is mostly used 

 as an adverb. 



1. Amphi-bia (/3lof, life). The second 

 class of the Vertebrata, comprising ani- 

 mals which commence their larva state 

 as fishes, and undergo various stages of 

 metamorphosis in advancing towards the 

 condition of reptiles, their most striking 

 peculiarity consisting in the change from 

 aquatic respiration by branchiae to an 

 atmoi-pheric respiration by true lungs, 

 They are consequently designated as ani- 

 mals having a double life. 

 22 



2. Amphi-bole. A silicate of lime and 

 magnesia, otherwise called hornblende. 

 The derivation of this term is, perhaps, 



.fii(pi/3o\oi, eqtiivocal, from the liability 

 of this mineral to be mistaken for augite, 

 which is similarly constituted. 



3. Amphi-bolia {dfX(pi/3o\o^, equivocal). 

 The "fallacia amphiboliae" of logicians 

 is seen in those amphibolous sentences 

 which are capable of two meanings, not 

 from the double sense of any of the words, 

 but from their admitting of a double 

 construction, as in the witch-prophecy of 

 Shakspere, "The duke yet lives that 

 Henry shall depose." This is what the 

 French call " construction louche," a 

 squinting construction; i. e. where some 

 word or words may be referred either to 

 the former or latter clause of the sen- 

 tence, 



4. Amphi-bolites. Trap-rocks, the basis 

 of which is amphibole or hornblende, a 

 silicate of lime and magnesia. The deri- 

 vation is the same as that of amphibole. 



5. Amphi-gamous {'^d/jio?, nuptials). A 

 term applied by De Candolle to those 

 cellular cryptogamous plants, which have 

 no trace whatever of sexual organs, as 

 distinguished from the other cryptoga- 

 mous plants, which, from the unusual 

 character of their fructification, are called 

 cetheogaynous. 



6. Amphi-gen (7^1/09, a kind). A double 

 silicate of potash and alumina, other- 

 wise called leucite or Vesuvian. The 

 name appears to be derived from its com- 

 position, the oxygen of the silica being 

 equal to that of the bases. 



7. Amphi-pneurta (Trveat, to breathe). 

 An order of amphibious animals, includ- 

 ing the proteus and the siren, which re- 

 tain their gills during life, and acquire 

 lungs in addition by the partial meta- 

 morphosis which they undergo, 



8. Amphi-poda (vroi'?, 7ro36f, a foot). 

 A group of crustaceous animals, which 

 have feet for both walking and swimming. 

 The best known British species is the 

 sand-hopper, which burrows in the sand, 

 and which, unlike most of the group, 

 seldom enters the water. 



9. Amphi-sarca [a ap^, aapKo?, flesh). In 

 botany, a compound fruit, many-celled, 

 many-seeded, superior, indehiscent; in- 

 durated or woody externally, pulpy inter- 

 nally, as in adansonia. 



10. Amphis-bcenidce {f3aiv(a, to walk). 

 Double-walkers ; a small family of Ophi- 

 dian reptiles, intermediate in some re- 

 spects between the true serpents and the 



I slow-worms. They derive their name 



