BREATHING-PORES. 



BROMEUA 



fin being shorter, and baring smaller number of rays. Bloch record* 

 it a* being common in Swedish Pomerania. It i* even more rare in 

 England than the last species. (Yarrell, Brititk Pitku.) 



BKKATMINii PORES, microscopic aperture* in the cuticle of 

 plants. [STUM A TBS.] 



BRE'CCIA, an Italian word literally signifying "an opening or 

 breaking in any substance," U employed in geology to designate a rock 

 composed of angular fragmenU of a pre-existing rock, or of several 

 pre-existing rocks, united by a cement of mineral mutter that may 

 vary from compact to friable. Thus, as in the annexed diagram, the 



fragments (which are shaded) may 

 be composed either of angular 

 portions of quartz rock, or any 

 other single rock, united by a 

 cement (which is dotted) formed of 

 the hard siliceous substance named 

 chert, or any other hard mineral 

 substance ; or the fragmenU may be angular portions of many rocks, 

 such as a mixture of pieces of slate, porphyries, limestones, granites, 

 or others, united by a friable sandstone or any other soft mineral 

 substance. 



The term Breccia has been adopted from the well-known Breccia 

 marble, which has the appearance of being composed of fragments 

 joined together by carbonate of lime, infiltrated among such fragments 

 after the latter were produced by some disrupting force. 



Breccias inform the geologist that the pre-existing portions of rocks 

 included in them have not been exposed to considerable friction, 

 which would have rounded off the angular parts ; as has happened in 

 the case of pre-existing pieces of rocks included in conglomerates. 

 [CONGLOMERATE.] Hence the geologist may expect to find the rocks, 

 whence the angular fragments of a breccia are derived, not far distant 

 from the breccia itself, while the rounded pebbles contained in a 

 Conglomerate may have been transplanted from considerable distances. 

 BKEISLAKITE, a mineral which occurs crystallised in delicate 

 capillary crystals of a reddish-brown or chestnut-brown colour, bent 

 and grouped like wool Its fibres are flexible. It has a metallic lustre. 

 It is found at Vesuvius and Capo di Bove, near Rome, forming woolly 

 coatings in the cavities of lavas. It contains silica, alumina, and oxide 

 of iron. 



BRENTI'DES, a family of Coleopterous Insects, belonging to the 

 notion Rkynchophora and sub-section Recticornet. Distinguishing 

 characters : Body much elongated ; tarsi with the penultimate joints 

 bilobed ; antenna; filiform, or in some with the terminal joint formed 

 into a club ; proboscis projecting horizontally, generally long ; in the 

 male longer than in the female ; palpi minute. 



The insects constituting this family are among the most remarkable 

 of the Beetle Tribe, and are almost entirely confined to tropical 

 climates ; only one species has yet been discovered in Europe. But 

 little is known of their habits, except that they are generally found 

 crawling on trees, or under the bark, and 

 sometimes on flowers. The most common 

 colouring of the species is black, or brown, 

 with red spots and markings. 



The four principal genera of the Brentidet 

 are as follows : Brentut, Arrhenodrt, 

 ('loci rut, and Cyclat. The genus Brentut is 

 chiefly distinguished by having the antennae 

 11-jomted, either filiform or sometimes 

 slightly enlarged towards the apex, and the 

 body linear. 



Brenlut Temminctii (Kliig), one of the 

 most remarkable species of the tribe, will 

 give an idea of their general form. It is 

 found in Java, and is of a blackish colour 

 varied with red markings, and has deeply- 

 striated elytra. 



In the genus Arrhrnodct the rostrum is 

 TtmmiiuUi (KlQg). hort . ">d terminated by two distinct 

 mandibles, which are straight and project 

 considerably in the males. The species inhabit North America, and 

 one is found in Europe, A. Italica. 



Ulocenu has the antenna! 9-jointed ; the last of which forms a 

 club. 



Cyclat has the antenna; 10-jointed ; the terminal joint forms an oval 

 club ; the thorax is indented in the middle, and the abdomen is of an 

 oval form. 



HKETT. [RHOMBUS.] 



BRKI'NNKKITK in a native Carbonate of Magnesia and Iron. It 

 occurs crystallised. I fat primary form is an obtuse rhomboid. The 

 cleavage perfect, parallel to the primary planes. Colour yellow of 

 different shades, and black ; streak white ; fracture flat conchoidal ; 

 hardness 4'0 to 4 5 ; its lustre is vitreous, sometimes inclining to 

 pearly ; it is transparent and translucent. Specific gravity 8'0 to 3'2. 

 found at Zillerthal in Salzburg and other places in the Tyrol It has 

 been analysed by Stromeyer and contains 



Carbonate of Magnesia 86'05 



Carbonate of Iron 13'82 



Carbonate of Manganese 0'69 



HKKX I A'CK.K, Brrxiadt, the Brexia Tribe, a natural order of plant* 

 belonging to the polycarpous group of Monopetalous Exogens. This 

 order waa constituted by Lindley in the first edition of his ' Natural 

 System of Plants.' The following is his description of the order : 

 Calyx inferior, small, persistent, 5-parted, activation imbricated; 

 petals 6, hypogynous, imbricated in estivation; stamens 5, hypogynous, 

 alternate with the petals, arising from a narrow cup, which is toothed 

 between each stamen ; anthers oval, innate, 2-celled, bursting longi- 

 tudinally, fleshy at the apex ; pollen triangular, cohering by means of 

 fine threads ; ovary superior, 5-celled, with numerous ovules attached 

 in two rows to placenta) in the axis ; style 1, continuous ; stigma 

 simple ; fruit drupaceous, 5-celled, many seeded ; seeds indefinite, 

 attached to the axis with a double integument, the inner of which is 

 membranous ; no albumen ; cotyledons ovate, obtuse ; radicle cylin- 

 drical, centripetal. The species are trees with nearly single trunks ; 

 the leaves are coriaceous, alternate, simple, not dotted, with deciduous 

 minute stipules ; the flowers are green, in axillary umbels, surrounded 

 by bracts on the outside. 



Dr. Lindley remarks that the habit of Braria is that of some 

 Myrtinactrr, especially of Thei>hratta, from which it differs in being 

 polypetaloua, and the stamens being alternate with the petals. Its 

 relations are also strong with Bhamnatta and Ctiattracece, but it* 

 stamens are hypogynous, and its seeds indefinite. Some resemblance 

 to Anacardiacetc may be seen in the resinous appearance of the young 

 shoots, and in its habit It agrees with Pitiotporacete in its hypogynous 

 definite stamens, its polyspermons fruit, and alternate undivided 

 leaves. There are three species of Bruno, all of them elegant trees 

 with a fine foliage. They grow well in a mixture of turfy loam and 

 peat; and cuttings with their leaves not shortened strike readily in 

 sand under a hand-glass in heat, or a leaf with a bud attached will 

 grow. The leaves are covered with a resinous matter which causes 

 rain to run off them immediately, and thus induced I>n IVtit Thouars 

 to give these plants the name of Brexia, from Bf'f is , which signifies 

 ' a wetting.' In gardens they are commonly called Theophrastat, 

 but they differ considerably from that genus. All the species of 

 Brexia are natives of Madagascar. The other genera of this order are 

 Jxerba, Argophyttum, and Jtoutsea. There are but six species in all 



(London, Encyclopedia, of Plants ; Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom ; 

 Don, Gardener"! Dictionary.) 

 BRILL. [RHOMBUS.] 

 BRIMSTONE. [SULPHUR.] 

 BRINE-SHRIMP. [BRANCHIOPODA.] 

 BRITTLEWORTS. [DIATOMACEA] 



BRIZA, a genus of Grasses belonging to the tribe Falucinea. 

 It has nearly equal broad 3-ribbed glumes; 3-8 flowers, densely 

 imbricated in a short distichous spikelet; the outer palea navi- 

 cular, heart-shaped, obtuse, rounded on the back, unarmed ; the 

 glumes and palea; membranous with a scarious margin; terminal 

 styles. Two species of this grass are natives of Great Britain, the 

 /(. minor and B. major. They are known by the common names of 

 Quaking-Grass and Maiden's-Hair. Their dense clusters of flowers 

 are hung upon the ends of a very delicate filamentous peduncle, 

 forming an elegant panicle which shakes with the slightest breath of 

 air, hence the name Quaking-Grass. Both the species grow in 

 pastures, but do not yield much nutriment for animals which feed 

 upon them. (Babington, Manual of Botany.) 

 BROADBILL. [DucKS.1 

 BROCCOLI. [RRASSICA.] 



BROCHANTITE, a native hydrous Sulphate of Copper. It 

 occurs crystallised, and has for its primary form a right rhombic 

 prism. The cleavage is obtained with difficulty in the direction of 

 the lateral faces of the primary form. The colour is emerald-green ; 

 fracture uneven ; hardness 3'5 to 4'0 ; lustre vitreous ; translucent, 

 transparent. Specific gravity 3'78 to 3'8". It is found in Siberia. 

 The following analysis is by Magnus : 



Sulphuric Acid 17-43 



Oxide of Copper 66'98 



Oxide of Tin '' \ I 



Oxide of Lead 1 04 



Water ll'Ol 



BROME-GRASS. [BROMUS.] 



BROMELIA'CE^E, or BRoM Kl.l .]:. Hrnm'limrti, the Pine-Apple 

 Tribe, a natural order of Endogenous plants, taking its name from the 

 genus to which the pine-apple was once incorrectly referred [AN A x ASSA], 

 and consisting of herbaceous plants, remarkable for the hardness and 

 dryness of their gray foliage. They occur in great abundance in tin- 

 tropical part* of the New World, or in such extra-tropical countries 

 as, owing to local circumstances, have a climate of a trpic:i] i 

 Sometimes they are found growing on the earth in forests, but more 

 commonly they spring up from the branches of trees, round which 

 they coil their simple succulent roots, vegetating upon the decayed 

 matter they may find there, and absorbing their food in a great 

 measure from the atmosphere. Their leaves are always packed 

 together so very closely at the base a* to form a kind of cup, in which 

 water collects; so that the traveller who ascends the trees on hi. 'li 

 they grow, if he upset one of these plants, as he easily in 

 unexpectedly deluged by a shower, the source of which he would not 

 have suspected. The flowers of most are pretty, and of some of 



