APT 



APT 



A nearly. 



There is a general method of investi- 

 gating 1 the value of such series, for which 

 Se SKHIKS. 



APPULSE,in astronomy, the approach 

 of a planet towards a conjunction with the 

 sun, or any of the fixed stars. The ap- 

 pulsesof the planets to the fixed starshave 

 always been of great use to astronomers, 

 in order to fix the places of the former. 

 The ancients, wanting an easy method of 

 comparing the planets with the ecliptic, 

 which is not visible, had scarce any Qther 

 way of fixing their situations, but by ob- 

 serving their tract among the fixed stars, 

 and remarking their appulses to some of 

 those visible points. Dr. Halley has pub- 

 lished a method of determining the places 

 of the planets, by observing their near 

 appulses to the fixed stars. 



APPURTENANCES, in common law, 

 signify things corporeal and incorporeal, 

 that appertain to another thing as princi- 

 pal ; as hamlets to a manor, and common 

 of pasture and fishery. Things must agree 

 in nature and quality to be appurtenent, 

 as a turbary, or a seat in a church, to a 

 house. 



APRICOT, in botany, a species of pru- 

 nus, with rosaceous flowers, and a deli- 

 cious fleshy fruit, of aroundish figure. See 

 Pncxcs. 



APRON, in gunnery, the piece of 

 lead which covers the touch-hole of a 

 cannon. 



The dimensions of aprons are as follows : 

 viz. for 42, 32, and 24 pounders, 15 inches 

 by 13 ; for 18, 12, and 9 pounders, 12 in- 

 ches by 10 ; and for cannon of less calibre, 

 10 inches by 8. They are tied by two 

 strings of white marline. 



APSIS, ia astronomy, a term used indif- 

 ferently for either of the two points of a 

 planet's orbit, where it is at the greatest 

 or least distance from the sun or earth. 

 Hence the line connecting these points is 

 called the line of the apsides. 



APTENODYTES, in ornithology, pen- 

 guin, a genus of the order Anseres. The 

 bill is 'straight, rather compressed, and 

 sharp along the edges ; th,e upper mandi- 

 ble is obliquely sulcated, lengthwise ; feet 

 palmated, shackled ; wings fin-shaped, 

 and without quill-feathers ; feet fettered, 

 four-toed. Tnis genus resembles the alca 

 in colour, food, stupidity, eggs, nest, posi- 

 tions of legs behind the equilibrium, and 

 consequent erect posture. They are to- 



tally unfit for flight, but swim dexte rously ; 

 nostrils linear, hid in the groove of the 

 bill, palate as well as the tongue beset 

 with a few rows of conic, retroflected, 

 stiff papillae ; wings covered with a strong 

 broad membrane ; tail short, wedged, the 

 feathers very rigid. There are nine species 

 according to Latham, but Gmelin enume- 

 rates eleven. 



This genus of birds seems to hold the 

 same place in the southern parts of the 

 world as the awks do in the northern, 

 and are by no means to be confounded 

 the one with the other, however authors 

 may differ in opinion in respect to this 

 matter. The penguin is seen only in the 

 temperate and frigid zones, on that side of 

 the equator which it frequents ; and the 

 same is observed of the awk in the oppo- 

 site latitudes ; and neither of the genera 

 has yet been observed within the tropics. 

 The awk lias true wings and quills, though 

 small; the penguin mere fins only, instead 

 of wings. This last has four toes on each 

 foot ; but the former only three. The 

 penguin, while swimming, sinks quite 

 above the breast ; the head and neck only 

 appearing out of the water, rowing itself 

 along with its finny wings, as with oars ; 

 while the awk, in common with most other 

 birds, swims on the surface. Several other 

 circumstances peculiar to each might be 

 mentioned ; but we trust the above will 

 prove fully sufficient to characterize this 

 genus. The bodies of the penguin tribe 

 are commonly so well and closely covered 

 with feathers, that no wet can penetrate ; 

 and as they are in general excessively 

 fat, these circumstances united secure 

 them from the cold. They have often been 

 found above seven hundred leagues from 

 land ; and frequently on the mountains 

 of ice, on which they seem to ascend 

 without difficulty, as the soles of their 

 feet are very rough, and suited to the pur- 

 pose. 



Aptenodytes antarctica, is full 25 inches 

 long, and weighs eleven or twelvepounds : 

 it inhabits the south sea from 48 to the 

 antarctic circle, and is frequently found on 

 the ice mountains and islands on which it 

 ascends. It is a numerous tribe ; and they 

 were found in great plenty in the Isle of 

 Desolation. 



The black-footed penguin is found in 

 the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, but particularly in Robbean or Pen- 

 guin Isles, near Saldanic Bay. Like all the 

 genus, this is an excellent swimmer and 

 diver ; but hops and flutters in a strange 

 and aukward manner on the land, and, if 

 hurried, stumbles perpetually; and fre- 

 quently runs for some distance like a qua- 



