niH.ODOH. 



DIPTEHA. 



i 



ul are scattered on the limbo. Length of head and body two inches. 

 that of the tail ui inch and a quarter. It is an inhabitant of Australia. 

 u brought to England by Mr. Cunningham. 



Th Yellow-Crowned Diplodsctyl* (biflodaclyliu riltaltu.) 



The remaining species of thin genus in the 'British Museum 

 Catalogue' are A ornaltu, D. octllalut, a native of Australia, I), 

 marmoral**, from Australia, D. bilineatut, and 11. lintaiiu, Cape of 

 Oood H|ie. 



DI'PLODON, Spix's name for a genus of Fresh-Water Conchifem, 

 ffaiadft at Lea. [NAIADES.] 



DIPLODONTA. [Lt'cmiDJL] 



DI'PLODUS, a genus of Fossil Placold Fishes, from the Coal 

 Formation and Mountain Limestone. (Agassiz.) 



DIPLOLEPIS, a genus of Insects proposed by Qeoffroy for some 

 of the specie* which produce Galls. [GALLS.] 



DIPLOPTEKA, a divison of stinging Hymenopterous Insects, 

 im-luding the various species of Wasps, and distinguished by having 

 the upper wings folded longitudinally when at rest. 



DIPLO'PTERUS, a genus of Fossil Placoid Fishes, from the Old 

 Red-Sandstone of Scotland, three species; and from the coal shale 

 of Leeds, one species. (Agassiz, Report to Briliih Auocialion, 1842.) 



DIPLOTAXIS (from InrAovi, double, and Tiu, an arrangement, 

 on account of the double rows of seeds in each cell), a genus of Plants 

 belonging to the natural order Crucifera, ami the tribe Bratticeir. 

 It has a compressed pod and subconvex valves, with one straight 

 nerve, and the seeds oval or oblong, in two rows. The species arc 

 herbaceous plants, natives of Europe and the temperate parts of Asia 

 and Africa. There are two British species : 1). tenuifolia, with a 

 leafy branched glabrous stem, shrubby below ; and D. muralit, with 

 an herbaceous simple hispid stem. The former is a fetid plant with 

 large yellow flowers, and grows on old walls, and is not an uncommon 

 plant in England and Scotland ; the Utter is a rare plant. (Babington, 

 Manual ; Loudon, Sncytiopadia.) 

 Mll'PER. [MlUDLIBA] 



DIPSACA'CE.*, Ttazkicortt, the Teazle Tribe, a small natural 

 order of Exogenous Plants, with monopetalous flowers, nearly allied 

 to Compo*it<r, from which it diners in the ovule being pendulous 

 instead of erect, in the embryo being inverted, in the anthers being 

 distinct, not syngenemoug, and in the corolla having an imbricated, 

 not valvate aestivation. In habit the species are similar to Compotifir, 

 having their flowers constantly arranged in heads. It embraces 6 

 genera and about 150 species. None of the species are of any import- 

 ance except the Fuller's Teazle (Diptacui Fullonum), whose prickly 

 flower-beads are extensively employed in carding wool. Many of the 

 species have handsome flowers, especially the Scabioses, and are 

 cultivated in the gardens of the curious. Purple and Starry Scabioses 

 are common hardy annuals. [DIPHACUS ; KNAUTIA ; SCABIOSA.] 



DIPSACUS, a genus of Plants, the type of the natural order 

 Diptatarta. It has the following characters : The calyx is cup- 

 ahaped, the involucel forming a thickened margin to the ovary ; the 

 corolla 4-fid; the receptacle with spinous scales shorter than the 

 involucre ; the fruit with four sides and eight little depressions. The 

 species are erect prickly or pilose biennial herbs. The leaves are 

 opposite ; the heads of flowers are terminal, and the corollas lilac- 

 coloured, yellow, or white. 



/>. tytrrttru, the Wild Teazle, has opposite undivided leaves ; the 

 scale* of the receptacle straight, at the end longer than the flowers, 

 involucre curved upwards; the stem is five or six feet high, prickly, 

 leafy, branched. It is a native of Great Britain, and common in 

 hedges and by road-sides. The water which collects in the connated 

 leaves has a reputation for curing warts, and also as a cosmetic 

 amongst the country people ; hence Ray conjectures it has one of its 

 name*. Labrum Ventru. 



D. PtUlomtm, the Fuller's Teazle, has the scales of the receptacle 

 hooked at the end as long as the flowers ; involucres reflcxed. Thin 

 plant is extensively cultivated in Great Britain, especially in the 

 north and west of England, on account of the use of its hard recurved 

 spiny scales in the preparation of woollen cloth. In this way it has 

 been probably introduced. The most useful kinds are grown on 

 the continent of Europe, where it is an undoubted native. [TEAZLE, 

 in ARTS AXD 8c. Div.l 



/>. pilotui has the leaves stalked, with a leaflet at the base on each 

 aide. The heads of the flowers are small. It grows in moist shady 

 places, and is a native of England and the whole of Europe. 



There are many other species of fHptaau, but they are of little 

 importance. 



A portion of the upper part of Itiptacttt 

 1 , a flower with the hard spiny bract from which it apring* ; 2, a corolla 

 with two of the stamen*, and the ovary containing a pendulous ovule nmrh 

 magnified ; 3, a longitudinal section of a fruit, with the pendulous seed and the 

 inverted embryo. 



DIPSAS (Laurcnti), Sungariu (Oppel), a genus of Serpents, | 

 by Cuvier under the great genus Coluber. Body compressed, mmli 

 leas than the head ; scales of the spinal row of the back larger tliuu 

 the others. 



I), fiullca, Cuvier; Coluber Bucephalut, Shaw. Black, iiuuul.it , ,1 

 with white. 



The cut in the next page, from Gueriu ('Iconog.') will illustrate the 

 form. 



The term Dipnu is also used by Dr. Leach to distinguish a genus 

 of Fresh-Water Conchifers ; and he states that its systematic situation 

 is between Unto and Anodonta (Anodon); t'niv of Sowerby ; Jfamilit 

 of Lea, [N 



DIPSASTR.EA. [MADIIKPIITLLKKA.] 



pI'PTERA, one of the orders into which Insects are divi.K-.l. 

 This name was first applied by Aristotle, and has subsequently l>< .-n 

 adopted by almost all entomologists to designate those insect* the most 

 striking characteristic of which is the possession of two wings only. 



The common House-Fly and Blue-Bottle-Kly afford familiar ux;i ; 

 of this order. Some Dipterous Insects however are destitute of wing* 

 (such as the species of the genera Melophayut, Nycleralia, &c.) ; hence 

 it is necessary that we should here notice other peculiarities observable 

 in these insects. 



The Diptera have 6 legs furnished with 5-jointed tarsi, a proboscis, 

 2 palpi, 2 autcnnfc, 3 ocelli, and 2 halteres, or poiscrs. 



The wings are generally horizontal in their position ami t ran -patent ; 

 their nervures are not very numerous, and are for the most p;irt longi- 

 tudinally disposed, a character in which the wings of Dipterous Insects 

 differ from those of the orders Aewopfera and Jfymenoptera. 



The proboscis, situated on the under part of the head, is generally 

 short and membranous, and consists of a sheath (or part analogous to 

 the under lip or labium in mondibulate insects), which serves to keep 

 in situ other parts of the mouth, which when they are all present 

 represent the mandibles, maxilla;, tongue, and labium. 



There are however conxiderable modifications in the structure of 

 the proboscis : in some it is long, slender, and corneous ; and the 

 number of inclosed pieces, which ore generally very slender and sharp, 

 varies from two to six. 



It is evident that this structure of mouth is adapted only to the 



