AL C 



ALE 



A'LBIN (alfjus, white). An opaque 

 white mineral found in Bohemia. It 

 occurs massive in aggregate crystalline 

 laminae. 



ALBI'NO (albus, white). A term ap- 

 plied by Dr. Prichard to one of those 

 varieties of mankind, including all indi- 

 viduals or races which have white hair, 

 and are also distinguished by red eyes. 

 The terra. Albino is derived from the Por- 

 tuguese, by whom it was applied to indi- 

 viduals found on the coast of Africa, who 

 resembled the negroes in every respect 

 except in colour. These negroes were also 

 called LeuccBthiopes, a term denoting 

 white negroes. 



A'LBITE. Soda Felspar. A silicate 

 of alumina, resembling felspar in its pro- 

 perties, with the substitution of soda for 

 potash. It occurs in crystals under the 

 ■form of hemitropes. These hemitropes 

 are formed when two crystals are so 

 joined to each other, that the upper plane 

 of the one is applied upon the lower 

 plane of the other. See Cleavlandite. 



ALBU'MEN {albus, white). One of 

 the most important proximate principles 

 of animal bodies, existing, in the solid 

 state, in several of the textures of the 

 body, as the cellular membrane, the 

 skin, &c. ; and, in the liquid state, con- 

 stituting the principal part of the white 

 of egg. Vegetable albumen closely re- 

 sembles animal albumen, and appears to 

 be an ingredient of emulsive seeds gene- 

 rally, and to exist in the sap of many 

 plants. 



ALBU'RNUM {albus, white). The ex- 

 ternal, last formed, and whiter portion of 

 the wood of exogenous trees. From its 

 being the channel of the ascending sap, 

 it is commonly called sap-wood. See 

 Duramen. 



ALCA'RGEN; ALCA'RSIN. Arseni- 

 cal compounds derived from acetyl. The 

 former is synonymous with cacodylic 

 acid ; the latter, with oxide of cacodyl, 

 and known as the liquor of Cadet. 



ALCE'DIN^ {alcedo, the king-fisher). 

 Alcedine birds, or King-fishers ; a family 

 of the order Jaculairices of Macgillivray, 

 of the Insessores of other writers. See 

 Halcyonidce. 



A'LCHEMY. The fanciful search after 

 the philosophers' stone, by which the 

 baser were to be transmuted into the 

 precious metals ; and the elixir vitce, by 

 which human life was to be indefinitely 

 prolonged. Those alchemists who were 

 supposed to be skilled in the art were 

 termed Adepts. 

 14 



A'LClDiE {alca, the auk). The Auk 

 or Penguin tribe ; a family of the Nata- 

 tores, or Swimming birds, which exhibit 

 the most remarkable adaptation of struc- 

 ture for aquatic habits, their short featlier- 

 less wings being admirable representa- 

 tives of fins or paddles. 



A'LCOATES. Crystalline compounds 

 formed by alcohol with several of the 

 salts which it dissolves. Tney corre- 

 spond with hydrates, but are much less 

 stable. 



A'LCOHOL. An alchemical term, of 

 Arabic origin, denoting the essf^nce of 

 bodies, separated by sublimation from 

 all impurities. It now signifies ardent 

 spirit of wine, as obtained by distillation 

 and subsequent rectification from all 

 liquids which have undergone vinous 

 fermentation. The first product of dis- 

 tillation is called low wine; this, on re- 

 distillation, becomes raw spirit, and, on 

 repeating the process, rectified spirit. In 

 its most concentrated state it is termed 

 absolute alcohol, and is then free from 

 water. 



A'LCOHO'METER {alcohol, ixirpov, a 

 measure). An instrument, also called 

 cenometer, for ascertaining the quantity 

 of alcohol contained in a vinous liquid. 



A'LCYONITES. A general term for 

 the fruit-like, spongiform fossils common 

 in chalk formations. They are fossil 

 alcyonia, or zoophytes nearly allied to 

 sponges, the production or habitation of 

 polypi. 



ALDE'BARAN. The Arabic name of 

 a star of the first magnitude, marked a 

 Tauri, situated in the eye of the constel- 

 lation Taurus. It is the bright star in 

 the group of the Hyades. It frequently"^ 

 suffers occultation by the moon, when the | 

 ascending node is in Virgo, and exhibits \ 

 the phenomenon of projection on the l 

 moon's disk. ~^ 



A'LDEHYDE. A colourless liquid, 

 formed by the action of oxidating bodies 

 upon alcohol, by which two atoms of hy- 

 drogen are abstracted, and the elements 

 of aldehyde left. Its name is derived 

 from the words o^cohol dehydxogenn- 

 tus: it is, in fact, alcohol minus hydro- 

 gen. 



ALDERA'MIN. A star of the third 

 magnitude in the northern constellation 

 Cepheus. 



ALDHA'FERA. A star of the third 

 magnitude in the constellation Leo. 



ALECTO'RIDES (aAeKTwp, a cock). 

 A tribe of gallinaceous or rasorial birds, 

 including the curassow and others which 



