YELLOW-WORT. 



YUXX. 



1*71 



Aristotle (' Hist Auius.,' U. 1), and remarks that the Greeks of his 

 time did cot call it by the ancient appellation iu their tongue, but by 

 the Latin name Fiona, " car iU ont eaUS domiuez pur les Latini, dont 

 ill out retenu telle diction." It U the Bruant of the French generally ; 

 Semmolle end Zivolo di Teaia Oialla of the Italians ; and, according 

 to the ' Portrait* d'Oyseaux,' Hortolano, Cia, Megliarina, Verxerot, 

 Paierixo, and Spaiarda of the aune people. It appear* to be the 

 (ironing and Golspink of the Swede* ; Ooldammer, Ammering, and 

 Goldammering of the German*; Qeel-Gent of the Netherlander*; 

 Yoit, Yellow-Yoldrin. Yellow- Yowley, and Yellow- Yeldrook of tho 

 KuRliih : and Llino* Felrn of the Welah. 



Tbeae bird* are caught and fatted for the table with the Ortolan in 

 Italy, whence probably one of the Italian names above noticed. 



YELLOW-WORT. [CnLOR*.] 



YENITE. [IRON.] 



YEW. [TAXES.] 



YTTRIA. [YTTRIUM.] 



YTTRIUM, a peculiar metal discovered in the state of oxide, or 

 rarth, and named Yttria; it was found by Gadolin in 1791 in * 

 mineral from Ytterby in Roalagen, Sweden ; this was at first called 

 Ylierbite, and afterwards (iadolinile, by which name it U now generally 

 known. 



The minerals which contain Yttrium, or rather its oxide, Yttria, are 

 a* follow* : 



(iadoiinitr occurs crystalline and massive. Primary form an oblique 

 rhombic prism. Cleavage imperfect, so that its direction has not been 

 ascertained. Fracture flat, conchoid*], sometimes splintery. Hard- 

 net* 6-5 to 7-0. Colour preeuUh black, very dark. Streak greenish- 

 gray. Lustre vitreous, inclining to resinous. Opaque, translucent on 

 the edges. Specific gravity 4-238. 



The massive variety is amorphous, structure compact. Before the 

 blow-pipe it decrepitates if not cautiously heated, and does not melt 

 except in small splinters. If heated with precaution on charcoal it 

 incandesces at once, and its colour becomes paler. In nitric acid it 

 lose* it* colour, and gelatinises. 



Qadolinite is found at Ytterby near Stockholm, and at other places 

 in Sweden, and also in Greenland. 



This mineral has been repeatedly analysed, and with somewhat 

 varying results : thus, it was examined by Kkeberg, Klaproth, and 

 Yauqurlin, without the detection of oxide of cerium, which was found 

 by Benelius, who give* the following as tho composition of the 

 mineral from Broddbo : 



Silica 24-16 



Yttria 45-93 



Oxide of Cerium 16*90 



Oxide of Iron 11-34 



Moisture 0-60 



In a specimen from Kararfvet, Berzeliua found 2 per cent, of 

 glucina, and rather more than 3 per cent, of lime. Other analysts 

 have obtained a much larger portion of glucina. Scheerer has more 

 lately detected 4-75 per cent, of oxide of lanthanitim in the Qadolinite 

 from Hitterim. 



Tantrliir, Phosphate of Yttria, occurs crystallised and massive. 

 Primary form a square prism. Cleavage parallel to the lateral face* 

 of the primary crystal. Fracture uneven, splintery. Hardness 4-5 to 

 5. Colour yellowish-brown. Streak pale brown. Lustre resinous. 

 Opaque. Translucent, in thin splinters. Specific gravity 4 '557. 

 Acids do not act upon this mineral. Before the blow-pipe infusible 

 per M on charcoal. With borax dissolves slowly into a colourless 

 It yields no water when heated. It is found iu Norway. It 



contains phosphoric acid, Yttria, and di-phosphate of iron. 



}'Mro-cmte It occurs crystallised and massive. Primary form the 

 cube. Fracture uneven. Hardneat scratches fluor-spar, and is 

 scratched by quartz. Colour violet-blue, grayish-blue, grayish-red, 

 and grayish- white. Opaque. Specific gravity 3-447. 



Maxive Varieties. Structure granular, compact. Before the blow- 

 pipe infusible, but lose* it* colour and becomes white. Acted upon 

 by acids, and the solution give* a precipitate soluble in carbonate of 

 ammonia. Found st Finbo and Broddbo in Sweden. It contains 

 fluoric acid, yttria, oxide of cerium, and lime. 



Cotmbalt of Yitria. [FlRODSosiTK.] 



Tilaniatf of Ytlria. [I'oi.TXt'.MTK.] 



Ytlro^olmnbilt ; Yilro-tantaltlr ; Ytllov Ytiro-columbile. It present* 

 no trace of crystallisation. It is found between felspar in th* state 

 of lamelUe, *omrtimes in grains not exceeding the *ize of a pepper- 

 corn. The longitudinal fracture of the lamella) is foliated, the cross- 

 fracture fine-grained. Lustre resinous on the surface, vitreous in the 

 fracture. Colour yellowish-brown, accidentally with green spot* or 

 stripes. Streak white. Opaque. Scratches glass with difficulty, but 

 in very ditinctly scratched by it Specific gravity 5*882. 



Dark Yllro-cutumttilt occurs with the preceding, commonly in thin 

 laming*, seldom in grain*. Fracture conchoidal in one direction, fine- 

 grained in another. Lustre intermediate between vitreous and resinous. 

 Colour brownuh-black. Streak white. Very small fragments are 

 translucent, almost colourless, sometimes a little yellowish, llardnes* 

 equal to that of the preceding. 



Stack Yuro-cviumMe .Indistinct trace* of crystallisation. Fracture 



lamellar in one direction, coarse granular in another. Disseminated, 

 seldom the size of a hazel-nut. Lustre imperfect metallic. Opaque. 

 Colour black. Streak gray. Brittle. Scratches glass. Specific gravity 

 5*395. (Haidinger, ' Mineralogy,' vol. iiL, p. 173.) 



Analysis of the above by Berzelius : 



99-225 99-89 97-848 95-75 



Before the blow-pipe they are all infusible per re, but decrepitate 

 and acquire a lighter colour. They are not acted upon by acid?. 



The above minerals all occur at Ytterby, and in the neighbourhood 

 of Kuhlun in Sweden. [PYROCBLOKE.] 



YTTKOCEKITE. [YTTRIUM.] 



YTTKO COLUMBITE. [YTTRIUM.] 



YTTRO-ILMENITE. [I RANIOM.] 



YTTKO-TANTALITE. [YTTRIUM.] 



YUCCA, a genus of Plants belonging to the section Atpara , 

 the natural order Lilia<rr. The corolla is inferior, bell-shaped, its 

 segments without nectaries; stamens club-shaped ; style none; berry 

 hexagonal, of six cells ; seeds numerous, flat. 



}'. gloriota. Common Adam's-Needle, U a caulescent plant, with 

 lanceolate straight furrowed leaves, their edges smooth and entire. 

 This handsome plant is a native of Peru and North America. It 

 grows on the shores of Carolina, where it blossoms in July and August, 

 its panicle of elegant flowers attaining a height of 10 or 12 feet In 

 British gardens the stem of this plant does not attain a height of 

 more than 2 or 3 feet. 



)'. aloifolia, Aloe-Leaved Adam's-Needle, has linear-lanceolate even 

 straight leaves, with the edges bordered by fine callous notches. This 

 plant is a native of North and South America. 



}'. tlraconu, Drooping-Leaved Adam's- Needle, and )'. flamrntota, 

 Thready Adam's-Needle, are cultivated in this country. The latter 

 grows in the open air, and blossoms in the autumn. Its flowers are 

 panicled and pendulous, and of a cream-colour. The leaves have their 

 edges beset with long recurved threads. 



YUNX, a genus of Birds. The bill is short, straight, depressedly 

 conical Nostrils basal, naked, partly closed by a membrane. 



' ^^' 



; -r . ,\.. 





Wrynrtk ( Yunr torqvilla). 



