1017 



GLOSSOPHAGA. 



GLYOYRIUZA. 



1018 



Dr. Hucklaiid inp-nioutly remark*, that " the greater strength and 

 flattened oouditiou of the teeth of the fmniliei of sharks that pre- 

 vailed iu the formations beneath the chalk had relation, most 

 probably, to their office of cruthing the hard coverings of the C'rut- 

 tarta, and of the bony enamelled scale* of the fishes which formed 

 tli.-ir food." (' Bridgewater Treatise. 1 ) 



GLOSSOPHAGA. [CHEIROPTERA.] 



OLOSSOPORIS, a genus of Animals belonging to the order 

 Anntlida, and placed commonly near the Leeches. It bos a 

 posterior disc, but it is not suctorial. 



GLOSSO'PTERIS, a genus of Fossil Ferns, proposed by M. Adolphe 

 Brongniart to include species whose elongated leaves or fronds are 

 covered by fine arched dichotomous often anastomosing nervures. 

 Examples occur in the Carboniferous and Oolitic systems of strata. 



[COAL-PLANTS.] 



OLOTTALITE, a Mineral belonging to the group of Zeolites. It 

 occurs crystallised ; the crystals appear to be cubic and octahedral 

 Hardness 3-5. Brittle. Colour white. Lustre vitreous. Translucent. 

 Specific gravity 2'181. 



Before the blow-pipe it swells and melts into a white enamel. With 

 carbonate of soda it gives an opaque white bead, and with borax a 

 translucent glass. 



It has been found near Port Glasgow, Scotland. 

 According to Dr. Thomson's analysis it yields : 



Silica 37-014 



Alumina 16-303 



Lime 23-927 



Peroxide of Iron 0-500 



Water 21-250 



-98-M8 



GLOTTIS. [LARYNX.] 

 GLOW-WORM. [LAIIPTRIS.] 



GLUMACEOUS PLANTS are what are more commonly called 

 Graminacea and Cyperacece, to which Juncacttt and a few other 

 orders are occasionally added. They derive their name from the 

 flowers consisting of glumes only. 



OLUMALES. [ExDooENS.] 



QLUMIFER..E, a subdivision of Endogenous Plants, embracing 

 the orders with glumaceous flowers, Cyperacea and (Jraminacca. 

 [ClTKRACE.E; QsUMDUkCUj 



GLUTTON, the vernacular name for the Wolverene. [GuLO.] 



OLYCE'RIA (from y*.vitip6s, sweet), a genus of Plants belonging 

 to the natural order Graminacea; and the tribe Pestucinea. It has 

 unequal acute sub-membranous glumes, the outer palea with 5-7 

 strong prominent distinct and parallel ribs, and a scarious margin, 

 subcylindrical, unarmed; the styles terminal. The species are hand- 

 pome grasses with long stems, and mostly inhabit watery places. 

 The following are the British species of this genus : 



O. aquatica has an erect panicle, repeatedly branched and spreading, 

 rachis semiterete, branches scabrous ; spikelets linear, oblong, of 5-10 

 flowers, outer pale, obtuse ; leaves smooth, with slightly compressed 

 sheaths. The root is creeping ; stem three to six feet high, smooth, 

 and slightly compressed ; sheaths very long ; leaves long, rough on 

 the edges and keel ; ligule short ; panicle large. Branches angular, 

 slender, branched ; outer pale, with the central nerve extending to 

 the summit. 



O. jtuilant has a second panicle, slightly branched, very long ; 

 branches nearly simple, roughUh ; spikelets linear, of 7-12 ; adpressed 

 lanceolate oblong acute flowers, outer pale, nearly thrice as long as 

 broad ; sheaths compressed; stem ascending, rooting below or floating ; 

 sheaths nearly smooth, striated ; leaves pale green, acute ; ligule 

 elongate ; panicle remarkably elongated, often nearly simple. Branches 

 without callosities, ascending, lowermost in pairs ; spikelets 

 adpressed ; outer pale, rather shorter than the inner, with n trian- 

 gular central point ; anthers about five flmes as long as broad, 

 purple, pale yellow when empty. 



O. flicata has a compound panicle; branches compound, nearly 

 smooth, erect when in flower, divaricate with fruit ; spikelets linear, 

 of 7-20 ; oval-oblong rather acute flowers, outer pale, twice as long as 

 broad, sheaths compressed. The sheaths ore rough and furrowed. 

 Leaves glaucone, bluntish, plicate when young ; ligule shorter ; 

 panicle much branched ; branches with callosities at the base, lowermost 

 about in fives ; outer pale, with throe teeth at the end ; anther about 

 three times as long as broad, cream-coloured, fuscous when empty. 



(BaliimtU'ii, Miinwil of Hriluh Botany.) 



(il.YfKKINK. [Awros TiasCE.] 



CI.VCKUIS, a genus of Dorsibranchiate Annelids. It is distin- 

 guished by the form of its head, which terminates in a conical fleshy 

 horn-like point, which is divided at the top into four very 

 tentacles. 



<!I,YCINK. [WlSTAIlIA.] 



(iLYCYMKKIH. [PTMHKAB&] 



GLYCYKIir/.A, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Pabarttr, or Lrgumiaoitr, consisting of herbaceous plants with 

 pinnated leaves, small flowers in axillary spikes, and route running 

 very mush in the soil iu which they grow. The technical character 

 of the genus is given by De Candolle thus :--" Calyx naked, tulmlar, 

 6-elcft, bilabiate; the two upper lobes grow together beyond the 



others. Standard ovate-lanceolate, straight ; keel 2-headed or 

 2 petalled, straight, acute. Stamens diadelphous. Style filiform. 

 Legume ovate or oblong, compressed, 1 -celled, 1-4-seeded." 



(/'. glalira, the common Smooth Liquorice, has ovate rather retuse 

 cadets, somewhat clammy beneath, as well as the branches ; stipules 

 wanting; spikes or racemes of flowers pedunculate, shorter than tho 

 .eaves ; flowers distant ; legumes glabrous, 3- or 4-seedod. I 

 native of the south of Europe from Spain to Tauria, also of ('him, 

 and is cultivated in France, Italy, Germany, and England for the sake 

 of its roots. The flowers are of a pole blue colour. The name 

 Liquorice, according to Du Theis, is said to be a corruption of the 

 F rench word 'reglisse,' which is itself a corruption of (Hycyrhiza. '\'\\<: 

 roots abound in a saccharine mucilaginous matter, which is slightly 

 bitter, and readily soluble in water. A powder, and the well-k 

 common extract, are prepared from it. Tho decoction iu different 

 form) is a common remedy for coughs. 



Common Smooth Liquorice (Olj/ryrhaa glalira). 



The Common Liquorice-Plant is cultivated in many parts 

 of England, especially about Pontcfract, whence the name of 

 Pomfret cakes, applied to a fine preparation of liquorice. Though 

 commonly grown iu tho field it requires very superior culture in 

 order to produce fine roots for sale in the market. The soil in which 

 it ill-lights to grow is rich black mould, but where this cannot be 

 procured a fresh loam will answer tho purpose, provided there is not 

 much wet clay in its composition. It must be at least three feet 

 deep to allow a free passage for the roots, as they are generally 

 ex|>ected to be a yard in length, and as the straight ones are more 

 highly pri/.cd than those which are crooked. On this account tho 

 spade is more useful than the plough in cultivating the ground, and 

 though at first it may be expensive, yet the husbandman will in the 

 end be well repaid for his trouble. 



After the ground is fixed upon it must be well covered with good 

 rotten dung, trenched three feet in depth, and left in this state 

 during the winter to be mellowed by frost. About March, if the 

 weather is fine, the plantation should be formed. Plants are cit In r 

 raited from seeds or, as is more commonly the cose, from a divii>>n 

 of the old roots, which are cut into pieces eight or ten inches long. 

 Choice should be made of those which, as planters term it, have 

 good eyes, that is, buds, and which are more likely to push and grow 

 strong. 



A garden line must then be set for the first row, and holes made 

 with the setting stick about a foot and a half apart ; into whirli thr 

 sets must be dropped and covered about two inches with soil The 

 rows must be at least three feet apart, anil the plants in one row 

 should be alternate with those of the other; this will not only K\VV. 

 them more room, but will have a neat appearance, forming regular 

 rows from whatever part the fielil is vicv. 



"For the first year," says Abercroinby, "you may cultivate a light 



