HIDE 799 



Manilla hemp is the produce of the wild banana, Musa textUis. It is known,' says 

 Mr. Craufurd, in his ' History of the Eastern Archipelago,' ' to our traders and navi- 

 gators under the name of Manilla rope, and is equally applicable to cables and to 

 standing or running rigging.' 



STJNN and JUTE are two varieties of hemp. Hemp is used in the manufacture of 

 Jwckaback for towels and common tablecloths, and of the low-priced cloth worn by 

 agricultural labourers. The largest consumption of this material is in the manu- 

 facture of sail-cloth and cordage. 



From Mexico, British India, Ceylon, and other countries, we imported of vegetable 

 substances applicable to the same uses as hemp and flax: in 1871, 23,106 cwts., value 

 26.040J. ; in 1872, 64,880 cwts., value 94,564^. 



HEIVIP SEED. (Chenevis, Fr. ; Hanfsaat, Ger.) The seed of the hemp; it is 

 used for crushing for its oil, or as food for birds. 



HENBANE. The Hyoscyamus niger. Henbane is a plant used in medicine, from 

 which modern chemistry has extracted a crystalline vegetable principle called hyos- 

 cyamine> which is very poisonous, and when applied in solution to the eye, determines 

 a remarkable dilatation of the pupil, as belladonna also does. See HYOSCYAMINB. 



HENNA. The herb used for dyeing the nails in the East. See ALXENNA. ^ 



HEPAR, which signifies liver in Latin, was a name given by the older chemists to 

 some of the compounds of sulphur. 



HEPATIC AXR. Sulphuretted hydrogen gas. 



BERMETXCAXi SEAL is an expression derived from Hermes, who was said to 

 be the parent of Egyptian chemistry. It is used to designate the perfect closure of a 

 hollow vessel, by the cementing or melting of the lips of its orifice ; as in the case of 

 a glass thermometer. 



HERN AND! A O VIGERA. Hcrnnnt seeds, some of which are imported from 

 India for tanning. 



HERRINGS. The herring*family belongs to the order Malacopterygii, charac- 

 terised by having a scaly body like the salmon, and no adipose dorsal fin. The 

 herrings, Clupca Harengut, are a well-known fish inhabiting the deep water all round 

 the British Isles. They approach the shores in the months of August and September, 

 for the purpose of depositing their spawn, which takes place in October or November. 

 At this period they are caught in immense numbers ; upwards of 20,000,000 fish have, 

 it is said, been taken off Lowestoft alone. By thus destroying the gravid fish, we 

 wantonly destroy one of our most important fisheries. The quantity of herrings 

 which appear on our coasts is becoming less and less each year ; and unless some 

 system is adopted, this fish will, in a comparatively short time become extinct, and a 

 most important industry be destroyed. 



HERSCHEIiITE. A hydrated silicate of alumina, soda, and potash, crystal- 

 lizing in the rhombic system. It is found in lava in Sicily, and splendid examples 

 have been recently obtained from the basalt quarries at Richmond in Victoria. 



HESPERIDEJE or AurantiacecB. A family of dicotyledonous plants. They are 

 trees or shrubs. The leaves are dark green, glabrous, of a coriaceous texture, and 

 dotted with numerous transparent points, caused by the presence of receptacles filled 

 with a volatile oil which communicates the odour peculiar to the family. The species 

 are numerous, the greater number originally natives of the tropical regions of Asia, 

 though now cultivation has spread them over the larger portion of the globe. The 

 flowers are usually octoriferous ; the fruit has a more or less acid pulp ; and the wood 

 is generally compact and valuable. The genus Citrus contains the best kno\m species 

 of the family. Under CITBTTS, most of the fruits are referred to. The fruits, however, 

 of several other genera belonging to the family are greatly esteemed in the countries 

 which produce them. The Wampa, highly relished in China and the Indian Archipe- 

 lago, is the fruit of Cookea punctata, and considered excellent. The Oegle marmelas 

 is used in medicine, and a perfume is prepared from the rind of the fruit, which is 

 itself delicious, and acts as a laxative. 



HESSONITE. See ESSOXITE. 



HEUliANDlTE. A hydrous silicate of alumina and lime, occurring in oblique 

 crystals in cavities in amygdaloidal rocks. 



HICKORY. The Juglans alba ; white walnut, a native of America. There are 

 several species, all natives of North America, and growing into stately trees. The 

 wood of the hickory, and some others of the Juglandacece, is tough and strong ; there- 

 fore it is used for making shafts and springs for carriages, such screws as are employed 

 in bookbinders' presses, for cogged wheels, and many other purposes where toughness 

 is a desideratum. The hickory nuts are much esteemed, and form an article of trade. 

 The heart of the wood is often red, and the bark has been recommended by Dr. Ban- 

 croft, as a yellow die. 



BIDE. (Pcau, Fr. ; Haut, Ger.) The strong skin of an ox, horse, or other large 





