: M 



OLAUX 



OLOBULARIACE.fi. 



ion 



in iU intensity, appearing brighter in colour when the animal was 

 active or exciteil, and deeper when it remained floating tranquilly 

 upon the lurface of the water. The abdomen ami under surface of 

 the fin* were of a beautiful pearly white colour, appearing a* if it 

 had been enamelled. The usual length of Mr. Bennett'* specimens, 

 measured from the extremity of the head to the tail, when extended 

 floating upon the surface of the water, was one inch and three-quarters, 

 sometimes one or two lines more or less. Mr. Bennett describes the 

 body of the animal as nibcylindrical, terminating in a tail, which 

 gradually becomes more slender towards the extremity until it finally 

 terminate* in a delicate point ; the head is short, with very small 

 conical tentacula in pairs, two superior nnd two inferior ; three (and 

 in (I. ortoptrryyitu, Ctivier, four) branchial fins on each side, opposite, 

 palmated, and digitated at their extremities, the number of digitations 

 varying, the central digitatioiu being the longest, and the first branchial 

 fins, or those nearest the head, larger and more dense than the others. 

 The body is gelatinous, and covered, he says, by a thin and extremely 

 sensible membrane. " When taken in the hand," continues Mr. Be,n- 

 nett, " the under surface of the animal soon becomes denuded of the 

 beautiful pearly white it previously had, and at tliat time appears 

 like a small transparent bladder, in which a number of air-bubbles are 

 observed together with the viscera. On the abdomen being laid open 

 a large quantity of air-bubbles escaped ; and perhaps a query may 

 arise how far they assist the animal in floating upon the surface of 

 the water. The figure of Glancui lie.ra)>terygita in Cuvier's work 

 ' Sur les Mollusque*' is tolerably well executed, but no engraving 

 can convey to the beholder the inconceivable delicacy and beauty of 

 this mollusk. In thn engraving alluded to there is an inaccuracy, at 

 least as compared with the specimens before me, in the digitated pro- 

 cesses of the fins not being sufficiently united at the base : in the 

 living specimens before me they were united together at the base, and 

 then branching off became gradually smaller until they terminated in 

 a fine point. Again, in the .engraving in Cuvier's work the anal 

 orifice is placed on the right side, whereas in my specimens it was 

 situated on the left ; for in all the specimens I examined 1 found tho 

 anus was disposed laterally, and could be plainly distinguished situated 

 on the left side of the 'animal, a little below the first fin. This I 

 consider also the orifice of generation, as in some of the specimens 

 examined a rather long string of dots resembling ova was seen to 

 protrude from it. One of the animals discharged from this orifice a 

 large quantity of very light brownish fluid ; this no doubt was the 

 f.. - " 



Numbers of the same species were taken by the same zoologist 

 towards the end of the same month in 2 26' N. lat., 19" 51' W. long., 

 light airs, nearly calm. Often when at rest the animal would drop 

 one or more of the fins, but on touching them they would be imme- 

 diately raised to their former position, and the fin was turned bock as 

 if to throw off the offending object From Mr. Bennett's observations 

 it appears that the Glauci actually feed upon Porpihr, and probably 

 upon Vtlella and Janihitut ; that the animal shows more sensitiveness 

 on the back than it does when touched elsewhere ; that it does not 

 seem to be disturbed by the contact of another Glaucia ; that the 

 fins have an undulating and a twisting movement ; and that a circu- 

 lating fluid could be perceived by means of a gloss through the semi- 

 transparent membrane of the back, close to the surface, flowing in 

 two directions one taking a course downwards and the other upwards. 

 It appears moreover, from the testimony of Mr. Bennett and others, 

 that no means have yet been discovered for preserving these evanescent 

 creatures, which lose their beauty and form even when taken olive 

 out of the water and laid upon the hand. " The digitations of the 

 fins fell off, the least movement destroyed the beauty of the animal ; 

 it speedily lost all the deep purple and silvery enamelled tint*, and 

 became a loathsome man." (' Zoological Proceedings,' 1836.) Spirit, 

 it is to be feared, would never preserve them in a state availalil- for 

 examination. Wo mention this to induce those observers who may 

 have the opportunity, to follow out their researches on the animal'* 

 organisation, by watching it narrowly with good glasses whilst it is 

 alive. 



OLAUX, a genus of Planta belonging to the natural order Primu- 

 lacta. It has a bell-shaped calyx, 6- parted, coloured, and. without 

 any corolla, by which peculiarity it is distinguished from all other 

 plants of the same order. There are 5 stamens inserted at the base 

 of the calyx ; the capsules are few-seeded, opening with 6 valves. 

 There is but one specie* of this genus. 



(j. mnriiima, the Black Saltwort, has a procumbent item, opposite 

 ovate glabrous leaves, axillary sessile pink flowers with obtuse seg- 

 ments. It grows on the sea-shore and salt-marshes, and is a native of 

 Great Britain. 



(Bsbington, Manual of flriiufi Botany.) 



OLEA1). [KAUOMIMC.] 



GLECHOMA. [NEI-KTA.] 



GLEDITSCHIA, a genus of Plants named in honour of Gottlieb 

 OlediUch, a professor at Berlin, and author of a work on the sexual 

 system of Linncus entitled ' Consideratio epicrixcos Sicgrsbcckionae 

 in l.innnei systema plantanim sexuale et methodum botnnicam.' 

 (IlUchoff, p. 562.) He was a good botanist, and contributed a valuable 

 paper on the reproductive organs of the Funyi to the ' Transactions of 

 the Berlin Academy' in 1748. This genus belongs to the natural order 



and the sub-order Canitft. The flowers arc unisexual, 

 the calyx has 3-4-5 equal sepals, which are connected together at the 

 base into a cupule. The petals are equal in number to the sepals; 

 two of them are connected into a carina. The leaves are abruptly 

 pinnate and bipinnate on the same tree. The flowers have a greenish 

 colour, and are disposed in spikes. 



Q. Iriacanthot, the Three-Horned Acacia or Honey Locust, is a 

 large tree, native of the Carolines and Virginia, and attaining a height 

 of from 60 to 80 feet. When the tree is young, the trunk and 

 branches are covered with small prickles, which become hard as it 

 increases in age, and form a formidable defence. The foliage is of a 

 light shining green, and is particularly elegant In the neighbourhood 

 of London the leaves do not appear uutiflate in the spring, and drop 

 off early in the autumn. The seeds are covered with a sweet pulp, 

 which, when infused and fermented, forms an intoxicating liquor 

 which was used by the American Indians. 



G. monosperma, the One-Seeded Gleditschia, is a native of the 

 Carolina*, Florida, and Illinois, in damp woods. It attains a height 

 of from 60 to 80 feet, and much resembles the former species. Wlien 

 none of the seeds ripen it is impossible to distinguish them. There 

 are 8 species of Glediltchia enumerated, a 1 ! of which possess the same 

 general character?. As ornamental trees they are much esteemed, 

 both on account of their elegant foliage and the varied and picturesque 

 forms assumed by the tree, together with the singular appearance of 

 the spines. They require a deep rich soil in a situation not exposed 

 to high winds. 



(Loudon, ncyclop<tdia of Trea and Sltrubt; Don, I>ichlamydeou4 

 Plants.) 



GLEICHENIACE/E, on order of Plants constituted by Von Martins, 

 and forming part of Liudley's alliance Pdicalti in the ' Natural System.' 

 In the ' Vegetable Kingdom ' it is reduced to the rank of a tribe umli-r 

 the order Polyi>odiace<e, and with the name Gleicheneer. The species 

 have the following characters : Spore-coses dorsal with a transverse 

 occasionally oblique ring, nearly sessile, and bursting lengthwise 

 internally ; the spores oblong or kidney-shaped. It includes the genera 

 Gleiekenia, Mrrltiula, Sticheriu, Platyzoma, Calymella, 



GLENOTKEMITES (TA^KTJ, articular cavity, rpn/ut, a perforation), 

 a genus of Echinodemutta, with only one opening in the crust ; estab- 

 lished by Goldfuss, and by him compared to Cidaritct ; found in the 

 chalk of Westphalia. ('Petrifacti Germanuc.') 



GLIKES, the fourth order of Mammalia in the ' Systema Natures ' 

 of Linnteus, who thus characterises it : Incisors (denies primores 

 incisores) two above and below ; Canines (laniarii) none. Feet nngui- 

 culatc; progression salient (cursu salientes). Food obtained by 

 gnawing the bark of trees, roots, vegetable?, &c. This is the character 

 given in the 'Synopsis' of the Mammalia. In the course of the 

 work the dental formula is thus stated : Incisors (denies primores), 

 two (bini) above and below, approximate, remote from the molars ; 

 no lauiorii. The genera placed by Linntous under this order in his hut 

 edition are, liyttrix (Porcupines), Leptu (Hares, Rabbits, 4c.), CWor 

 (Beavers, ic.), Mia (Rats and Mice, Guinea-Pigs, Agoutis, Marmots, 

 Lemmings, Hamsters, Dormice, Jerboas, the Paca, &c., and the 

 American Flying Squirrel (Sciuriu Americanut volant, Ray), .Sr/uciu 

 (the Squirrels), and Noctilio (one of the Bats). [CBHBORBBA 

 BODBBUa.1 



GLOBBA, a genus of Planta belonging to the natural order Zinge- 

 bcractce, indigenous in the tropical parts of Asia, especially in the 

 islands of the Indian Ocean and the continent of India, where they 

 extend as far north as 30 along the forest-clad base of the Himalayan 

 Mountains, and even ascend them to elevations of 2000 and 3000 feet ; 

 coming into flower in the rainy season. In a family abounding in 

 highly ornamental plants, many of the species of GUtbba are likr w i 

 showy ; for the cultivation of which, in European latitudes, a climate 

 and culture are required similar to that so successfully adopted for 

 Urchidacea;. The herbaceous parts yearly die down to the root-stocks ; 

 the leaves are distichous, lanceolate, with the sheaths split ; inflores- 

 cence terminal, loosely panicled or racemose, flowers mostly yellow. 

 In GMIta is now included the genus Mantitia, which was so named 

 from the resemblance of its flower to the Mantin insect; and tlio 

 species G. taltatoria, commonly called Opera-Girls, from the supposed 

 resemblance of the flowers to dancing figures. Tho fruit of (J 

 urt/orntM is said to be eatable. 



GLOBE-FISH. [TETRODOX.] 



GLOBE-FLOWER. [TROLLICS.] 



OLOBIOl'KI'HAI.rs. [CETACEA.] 



(LUliri.\M.\'^K.K,Setaffi*acea,Sclagi<ltotUna\ey, a very small 

 natural order of Exogens, nearly allied to Diptattac, A iterator, Vtrltcn- 

 acra, and Myoporacctt. The species ore herbaceous plants, or small 

 branched herbs. The leaves are alternate, generally sessile, toothed 

 or entire, without stipules, usually in clusters; flowers sessile, spiked 

 with large bracts ; calyx spathaccous, or tubular, persistent, with a 

 definite number of teeth or divisions, rarely consisting of two sepals ; 

 corolla tubular, hypogynous, more or less irregular, with 5 lobes, 

 imbricated in [estivation ; stamens 4, usually didynamous, arining 

 from the top of the tube of the corolla, seldom 2 ; anthers 1 -celled, 

 usually adnate to the dilated top of the filament, rarely versatile ; 

 ovary superior; style 1, filiform; stigma nearly capitate; ovules 

 solitary, pendulous, anatropal disc hypogynous, fleshy ; fruit 2-celled 



