11M 



UPUPID.K. 



URANIUM. 



us* 



Mr. Yarrell has recorded the manners of a Hoopoe in the potsession 

 of Mr. Bartlett, a preserver of bird* in Museum-street, London. " This 

 bird," say* Mr. Yarrell, " is quite tame, mid when unexcited the high 

 crest falbi flat I.TIT the top of the head and covens the occiput ; it takes a 

 meal-worm from the hand very readily, nibbles and pinches it between 

 the ends of the mandibles, then putting it on the ground, strikes it 

 several blows with the point of the beak ; when the insect is apparently 

 dead or disabled it is again taken up, and by a particular motion of 

 the head, which is thrown backward, and the beak opened, the meal- 

 worm drop* into the gape of the mouth and is swallowed. The call 

 fur another is a sharp note; but it also utters at times a sound closely 

 resembling the word ' hoop, hoop, hoop,' but breathed out so softly, 

 but rapidly, as to remind the hearer of the note of the Dove. This 

 bird constantly rube himself in the sand with which the bottom of 

 his large cage is supplied, dusting himself like the larks, but takes 

 great care to shake off any sand or gravel that may adhere to his food, 

 which is raw meat chopped and boiled egg. 



" At the moment of settling on the floor of the room, Mr. Bartlett's 

 bird bends the head downwards till the point of the beak touches the 

 floor, after which, as well as occasionally at other times, the long 

 feathers forming the crest are alternately elevated and depressed in a 

 slow and graceful manner, the bird assuming on appearance of great 

 vivacity, running on the ground with a very quick step. M. Necker, 

 iu his ' Memoir on the Birds of Geneva,' says Hoopoes fight despe- 

 rately, and leave the ground covered with their feathers." (' British 

 Birds.') 



I'romcropt, Brigs. Bill with the under mandible, at its base, thicker 

 than the upper; the margin acute; nostrils corneous; the aperture 1 

 lateral and oval ; hind claw curved ; toil long, cuneated. (Sw.) 



P. crytkrorhynchui (I'pupa erylhrorhyncniu, Lath.). The whole 

 plumage varying with metallic blue and green ; the bill coral-red. 



Ttomtrofi rryll,,,,, ly,.cl>tu. ' 



This brilliant bird, the PromeropH Moqueur of the French, lives in 

 small troops in South Africa (interior of the Cpe of Oood Hope). It 

 is said that there u a variety from Senegal, which Inn two large white 

 tripe* on the wings and on the external tail-feathers. 



Epimackiu, Cu v. Bill resembling that of Promeropi, but the margins 

 are obtuse and somewhat inflected ; wiugt, tongue, and feet unknown ; 

 tail very long; side-feathers of the body greatly developed. 



. mai/nia (('pupa nayna, Om., V. lupcrba. Lath.). Body generally 

 black or brownUh-block ; tail graduated, thrice as long as the body 

 (Lesion says three feet in length, French); feathers of the sides 

 elongated, raised, curled, glittering on their edges with steel-blue, 

 azure, and emerald-green, like precious stones ; the head and the belly 

 lustrous also with steel-blue, Ac. In truth, language fails to convey 

 any just idea of the magnificence of this species. It inhabits the 

 coasts of New Guinea. 



Grand Promciope (Kfimachut 



I I : A 'NIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Afuiaccir. 

 The name which the plant bears in Madagascar is liavenala. This 

 genus has but one species, U. tjicciota, which is a native of Madagascar. 

 It has a superior coloured perianth, consisting of 3 petals ; a 2-leaved 

 nectary, and one of the leaves bifid ; a 3-celled many-seeded capsule, 

 and the seeds in two rows covered with an aril. The flowers arc 

 arranged upon a spadix, which are nodding, very similar to the 

 bananas, which belong to the same family. The leaves are arranged 

 in a fan-shape. The seeds of this plant are said to constitute a whole- 

 some food. 



URANISCODON. [IOUANID*.] 



UHANITK. [UiiANiOM.] 



URA'NIUM, a Metal discovered by Klaproth, in 1789, who named 

 it after the planet Uranus, the discovery of which had previously 

 occurred in the same year : the mineral from which it was first 

 obtained is called Pechblende, in German. 



Pitchblende, or Oxide of Uranium. This Mineral occurs in amor- 

 phous and reniform masses, and also pulverulent. .Structure granular, 

 compact. Fracture uneveu, couchoidal. Hardness : scratches phos- 

 phate of lime, is scratched by felspar. Colour grayish, brownish, and 

 iron-black. Opaque. Lustre imperfect metallic. Specific gravity 

 6-468. Before the blow-pipe infusible per se, but colours the exterior 

 flame green ; with borax it fuses into a dull-yellow glass, which 

 becomes green in the reducing flame. In powder, it dissolves slowly 

 in nitric acid. Pitchblende occurs in Saxony, Bohemia, &c., and iu 

 Cornwall. The following analyses are by Klaproth aud 1'fulK 



