331 



ASTi;\<:\i.rs 





M 



bodiea, numetimea collected in i hemispherical or globular maun, 

 winch IK occasionally h'Uated Tin- upper I with 



orbicular or snbiuignlar (tarry disks, which lire lamellar and senile. 

 Kach disk U the seat of a polype, with a Mng'.e r..w of numerous 

 arm*, in the centre of which in the mouth. Lamarck divides thane 

 conli into two sections : the first, consisting of species whose starry 

 dik are tenanted from each other, leaving interstices between 

 Uioni ; and the second, of specie* whose (tarry disks are contiguous. 

 Of the Brat Motion, A. rotulota, an inhabitant of the Weet 

 was, U an example ; of the aecond, A. farotn, common iu the seas of 

 the Kant Indies affords a good illustration. The species are numerous. 



Aitrtra favota. 



ASTRA'GAI.US, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Ltyttminosir. It has the calyx 5-toothed ; the keel of the flower 

 obtuse ; the stamens diadelphous ; the legume bilocular or half- 

 bilocular, from the upper suture being bent in so much. The species 

 are shrubs or under-ehruba. 



A. hypoglotlit, the Purple Milk- Vetch, is a native of Europe in 

 gravelly and chalky places. 



A. glycyphyllut, Liquorice-Vetch, U another British species. It has 

 a sweetish taste in its leaves, but they ore not pleasant, and cattle do 

 not eat it. 



A. rtna, Goafs-Thorn, ia the plant which is said to yield Gum 

 Tragacanth. It is a small bush with pinnated gray leaves, terminated 

 by a spiny midrib and half-covering clusters of axillary pale yellow 

 flowers. It grows in the Levant. The gum ia a natural exudation 

 from the plant. Many other species of Aitragalus, as A. (' 

 A. gtmmifer, A. ariilatia, and A. tlniliilif-rn, are now known to yield 

 this substance. The species of Ailrayalui arc very numerous, and 

 above 250 have been described by botanists. Many of them are culti- 

 vated, most of them being hardy plants, but they are not remarkable 

 for their beauty. 



ASTRAKANI'TE, a variety of native sulphate of magnesia (Epsom 

 Salts), which is called Eptm 



ASTIIOCA'UYUM, a genus of Palms found in small groups, or in 

 single specimens, in the tropical parts of America, of middling stature, 

 and of -a very singular appearance on account of the spines with which 

 they are armed. Their stems are covered all over, except at the 

 places where the leaves are set on, with stiff and very numerous 

 prickles. The leaves are pinnated. The fruit resembles cocoa-nuts. 



These plants are found exclunivt ly in South America, where several 

 species were collected by Ir. Von Martins, the great illustrator of the 

 Palm Tribe. Among the more remarkable an 



a common inhabitant of swampy places in the neighbourhood of Tarn, 

 where it is called Murumuru. The tle-h of tin- fruit resembles the 

 melon in flavour and the musk in odour, and in considered a great 

 delicacy by the Americans. ' _-ure of it in the next column, 



but so much reduced that the armature { the stem cannot be shown. 

 The leaves are found to frni an . 



Another species, A. airi, has very hard W.HK!, which is much used 

 fr )>owi and similar purposes, where hardness and toughness are 

 required. 



The fibres of the leaves of A . Tueumn are greatly valued for fishing- 

 net*. (Martin*. Pal mi, p. 69, Ac.) 



A^TK'n IMNI <onnsof Kossil Crinoidca, from the 



Mountain Limestone of 



ASTIOI.o'MA, a genus of pla' 'hi'-nntnrrd 



iltuw. One species, the A. >>" '* (he Taomanian 



CranU'iry. The fruit is of a v< .etinnw 



slightly n-d, of thr nix k currant, n 



np|.l.-.flavourod pulp, inclosing a large seed. It j.-- mi the 



trailing stems of the plant. The flowery are of a beautiful ca: 

 (Lillillry, Vujtliililr A'in;/'/l.) 



ASTltm-l . of SUr-Fwhea, including the A.- 



M 



Aitrocaryum mui-imuri. 



ASTROPHY'TON, a genus of Star-Fishes, remarkable for the 

 branched character of its rays. One npecirs, th- .(. 

 British. It is however a rare animal ; and although occasionally found 

 in other places, is most commonly caught off the Shetland*: hence 

 it is called the Shetland Argua. (Forbes, /?/v lift.) 



AST I ' i;. a genus of Hawks formed by Bech 

 by a short beak bent downwards from the base and convex 1 

 with somewhat oval nostril-. The feet are rather short, and tin- 

 toes (of which the exterior are united at the base by a membrane) 

 arc long. 



Numerous species of this genus are diffused over all parts of the 

 world; but Europe only contains one, .1 *s, the Gos- 



hawk, so highly prized by the falconers f old, H lor its 



flights at cranes, geese, pheasants, and partridges. [I 



ATAt'AMITK (CUoride of C. r ,..,-, Muriatcof Copper). It occurs 

 massive, pulverulent, and crystallised. Its primary form is a right 

 rhombic pri>m. The colour is green, of various shades, but chielly 

 emerald green. The streak is lighter. The fracture n. . dm>s 



3-0 to 8'6. Lustre Speeili, 



4-4. It is found at Hcmolcnos in Chili; the pulverulent vai 

 Atacama in Peru. The massive variety is renifunn, > 

 structure. The analysis by Proust is a follows : 



.tic Acid 10-6 



Oxide of Copper 76-6 



W,. 12-8 



U 



ATELKS, a genus of Kiimjuut, or American M. 1 also 



Sj.ider Monkey... formed by St. Milan, 



numerous and remarkable m of organic stnutiuv, which 



readily di.-tinguish them from all other group-, of (,/ Tin- 



most ] 'i i the genus cousist in : iti-nu 



ated, anil jKiwerfully prehensile tails; fora hands either entirely deprived 

 of thumbs, or having only a very small rudiment of that organ ; and 

 their dental system, which, like that of all the A 



.0 molar teeth in "lie on each aide) more than 



arc found cither in man or in the kindred genera of the Old World. 

 The first and last of these modit'uM' :nmon to tie 



n gem ra ; the second is shared with them only \>\ the 

 linp only of two 



if l'i nnant, 



h whose other characters we are very impel I. . ily aei|uainte.l. 

 The .{!! are further di-tinr "' ir small round 1 



.uailably H limb^, whii'h l> 



giving these aninialn much of '. have 



