37 



NIGHT-HERON. 



NOCTHORA. 



38 



5 to 10, bilabiate, with a hollow nectariferous claw. The capsules 

 more or less connected together, terminated by the elongated styles 

 opening in the inside, many-seeded. The leaves are capillary, multifid, 

 often surrounding the flowers like an involucre, and finely cut like 

 fennel. The flowers are solitary on the tops of the stems or branches. 

 The species are erect annual smoothish herbs. The species are vulgarly 

 known by the names Devil in a Bush and Devil in a Mist. 



N. saliva has ovate-obtuse anthers ; capsules muricated, united up 

 to the very point into an ovate fruit, terminated by 5 erect styles ; 

 the stem erect and rather hairy ; flowers naked. The seeds are 

 angular, aromatic, subacid, and were formerly used instead of pepper ; 

 and have also been employed as carminatives. It is the M \dv8iov of 

 Hippocrates, 'Steril.' 675, and of Dioscorides, 3, 93; the Githex of 

 Pliny, 20, 17. 



N. anentis has pointed anthers; from 5 to 7 styles circinately 

 revolute, outwardly smooth; capsules connected below the middle 

 into an obconical fruit, which is narrowest at the base. It has a 

 smooth stem, with diverging branches. It is a native of middle and 

 southern Europe in corn fields, also in the north of Africa. The seeds 

 are sometimes used instead of those of N. tatii-a, but they are not so 

 aromatic, neither have they so pleasant a smell. Both species are 

 employed in the adulteration of pepper. 



(Lindley, Flora Medica ; Fraas, Synopsii Planlarum, Flora Clauica.) 



NIGHT-HERON. [NYCTICORAX.] 



NIGHT-JARS. [GOAT-SUCKERS.] 



NIGHTINGALE. [PHILOMELA.] 



NIGHTSHADE, DEADLY. [ATROPA.] 



NIGRIN, a Mineral consisting principally of oxide of titanium, and 

 containing about 14 per cent, of iron. It resembles ifenaccanite in 

 colour, lustre, and appearance of the fractured surfaces. It occurs in 

 Ceylon and in Transylvania. 



NIKA, a name given by M. Riaso to a genus of Macrurous Crusta- 

 ceans. [PALF.lIOMD.ffi.] 



NIMA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Simarubacea. 

 It has hermaphrodite flowers, a 5-parted permanent calyx, 5 oblong 

 petals, 5 stamens with filaments dilated at the base ; the 5 ovaries are 

 connected together, pilose, and seated on the thick disc beneath the 

 petals. The embryo is large, without albumen. The species are trees, 

 with alternate imparipinnate leaves, having four pairs of serrated 

 leaflets. The flowers are disposed in panicle corymbs. 



A', quattioidet is a native of Nepaul, in a valley near the town 

 called Thankot. It has elliptical oblong leaflets, which are acuminated 

 and serrated. The corymbs are trichotomous. It is as bitter as the . 

 quassia of South America. 



(Don, Dichlamydeous Plants; Lindley, Flora Medico,.) 



NIPADI'TES (Bowerbank), a genus of Fossil Fruits from Sheppey. 



NIPPLEWORT. [LAI-SANA.] 



NISSO'LIA (hi honour of William Nissolo, a French botanist), a 

 genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Leyuminoitt. It has 

 a campanulate calyx, a papilionaceous corolla, and 10 monadelphous 

 stamen*. The legume is stipitate, one- or few-seeded. The species 

 are climbing shrubs, with imparipinnate leaves. 



N.ferruginea has from 7 to 11 leaflets, which are alternate, oblong, 

 mucronate, and clothed with rusty velvety down ; beneath, the flowers 

 are panicled, monadelphous, and the legume straight and rather velvety. 

 The flowers are violaceous. It is a native of Guyana, and exudes from 

 its stem a red transparent gum that has a powerful astringent flavour. 

 It is also known by the name of A', quiriata. 



None of the species of this genus are European, nor are they of use 

 in art or science. A mixture of loam and peat is the best soil for 

 them, and young cuttings will strike root in sand under a bell-glass 

 in heat. 



(Don, DicMnmi/deoiu Plants; Burnett, Outline! of Botany.) 



NISUS. [FALCOHTDA] 



NITELLA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order C/iaraceai. 

 It is characterised by the whole plant being more or less pellucid ; the 

 cells are tubular, not invested with a secondary layer of smaller cells 

 as in Chara ; the reproductive organs consist of globules and nucules, 

 mostly seated on the terminal whorl, and axillary. 



Four species of this genus have been described inhabiting Great 

 Britain. 



N. trarulucent has an elongated flaccid pellucid glossy stem, with the 

 branches of the whorls spreading, elongated ; the nucules and globules 

 approximate, on the smaller ramuli scarcely bracteated. It grows in 

 deep and stagnant ponds, but is by no means a common plant in Great 

 Britain. It is the largest of the British species, and best adapted for 

 the examination of the curious currents, which are obvious in the whole 

 of the family to which it belongs. [SAP.] 



X.Jte.ri/it has a stem 1 to 2 feet long, smooth, flaccid, somewhat 

 glosay and pellucid. It is not unfrequeut in lakes and still waters. 

 The nurules are often solitary. The stem, like that of Chara, is often 

 incrusted with carbonate of lime. Hasaal thinks this constitutes the 

 only distinction of Agardh's A 7 , opaca. 



!f. nidifica has single steins, smooth below, flaccid, somewhat glossy 

 and pellucid : the nucules and globules separate. It is a native of the 

 salt-water ditches in the south and eaxt of England. 



-i'-acilii has smooth, glossy, pellucid stems, with whorls of the 

 branches compound, the segments acute, the bracts wanting. This is 



a small delicate and elegant species, but probably not distinct from 

 N. flexUis. In fact it may be questioned whether all these species are 

 not varieties of one. 



(Hassal, Freshwater Alga: ; Smith, English Botany; Babington 

 Manual of Britiih Botany.) 



NITIDULA, a genus of lusects belonging to the Clavicorn family 

 of the Coleoptera Pentamera. 



NITRE. [POTASSIUM.] 



NO'BIA. [ClRRIPEDIA.] 



NOBLE. [AspiDOPHOHUs.] 



NO'CTHORA, F. Cuvier's name for the Douroucouli, a quadru- 

 manous animal of the New World, with several characters that 

 remind the observer of some of the Lemuridce (the Loris especially) 

 of the ancient continent and its islands. Indeed Dr. Horsfield and 

 Mr. Vigors observe ('ZooL Jour.,' voL v.) that to the philosophic 

 inquirer "it will equally be a Lemur among the Monkeys, or a 

 Monkey among the Lemurs." 



Humboldt, who first gave a detailed and clear account of this 

 curious form, sees in it, and with good reason, an approximation to 

 the Slow Lemur, or Lori Paresseux of the French (Lemur tardigradus 

 of the south of Asia), and the physiognomy and features, particularly 

 the eyes, well justify the comparison. So far it would seem to repre- 

 sent in America the Lemuridue of the Old World ; but the teeth are the 

 same with those of the Sajous (Simice apella, S. capucina, &c., Linn.), 

 according to F. Cuvier, who observes, that if the canines were 

 small and little in the individual examined by him, it was because 

 that individual was a female. The diameter of the small intestines 

 was extremely small, and the caecum simple and only about two inches 

 deep, and^sensibly smaller than the stomach. 



The organs of motion do not present anything very particular ; the 

 four extremities or hands are formed exactly like those of the Sajoua, 

 except that the animal does not extend the fingers of the fore hands, 

 which remain raised as F. Cuvier has represented them (see the 

 cuts). The nails are long, narrow, channelled (en gouttieres), and a 

 little hooked : the tail is very moveable, but not prehensile, though 

 the animal can turn it over its back, or round its neck or its legs. 

 The pupil of the eye is round, and the eyes themselves are very large 

 and without any accessory organ. 



Profile of the Douroucouli. 



> 



Fore bands of the Douroucouli. 



The external car is much developed and very like that of the Simice 

 generally. The aperture of the nostrils is not wide. The mouth is 

 very large and without cheek-pouches. The fur is soft, thick, and of 

 a silky nature. The interior of the hands presents area: formed of 

 very fine striae, always parallel and ordinarily circumscribed the one 

 within the other. Vulva grandis externe vulva; canum simillima. 

 Under each axilla a teat. 



The habits of this creature are entirely nocturnal. It spends the 

 day in sleep, folded up with the head hidden between the fore legs ; 

 but as soon as the brightness fades into twilight the animal awakes to 

 activity. The eyes, which, if exposed to the full brilliancy of day, are 

 darkened with excess of light, for the iris is then closed completely, 

 perform their office as the shades of night approach, and the pupil 

 then dilates nearly to the size of the eye. 



Humboldt informs us that, in n state of nature, the Douroucouli 

 hunts small birds, and also, especially, insects : it eats all sort.-) of 

 vegetables, but is pnrticularly fond of bananas, sugar-caue, the fruit of 



