373 



GEBIRGE -GELATINE. 



GEBERS. See Guebers. 



GEBIRGE, a German word, the collective noun 

 of Berg (mountain), signifying a chain or family of 

 mountains, appears in many geographical names, as 

 Rictengebirge (mountains of giants), Erzgebirge (ore 

 mountains). 



GECKO ; the local name of a small species of 

 lizard, very common in the Levant, where it is sup- 

 posed to poison persons who eat of provisions over 

 which it has crawled. A peculiar acrid mucus is 

 secreted by glands on the under surface of the toes, 

 which is said to possess a slight blistering pro- 

 perty when applied to the skin, and to be otherwise 

 poisonous. There is, in reality, little foundation for 

 the fears which are entertained of this little reptile, 

 whose chief occupation is hunting flies, mosquitoes, 

 and other troublesome insects, which constitute its 

 proper food. The soles, or rather the inferior sur- 

 face of the toes, is divided into a kind of lamellae, 

 by means of which the animal is enabled to exhaust 

 the air under the foot, and thus adhere forcibly to 

 any flat surface on which it may be placed. In this 

 manner, it courses over perpendicular walls, and 

 walks hi perfect safety inverted on a ceiling. Much 

 variation in the disposition of these curious suck- 

 ers is observable, and has afforded M. Cuvier 

 characters for several very good divisions of the 

 genus. The pupil of the eye is very large, dilating 

 and contracting in the same manner as those of 

 the feline race among quadrupeds. The teeth 

 are extremely small, and close set in the jaws. 

 On the inferior surface of the thighs of some 

 species are ranges of pores, and the skin of all 

 the species is covered with rough scales and tuber- 

 cles. Many of them are decorated with the most 

 beautiful colours, as the G. inunguis, ocellatug, and 

 cepedii. G. Mauritanica, the common species of the 

 south of France, &c. , is of a deep gray colour ; the 

 head rough ; the body covered with tubercles arrang- 

 ed in clusters ; scales under the tail similar to those 

 underneath the belly. The appearance of this 

 animal is disgusting. During the day. it lies hid in 

 ilamp and obscure places, sallying forth in the even- 

 ing to prey upon insects, which it pursues with great 

 rapidity, uttering from time to time a short, sharp 

 chirp. In Italy, the gecko is called terrentola, in 

 Provence, tarente, and by the Romans it was called 

 stellio, a name now appropriated to another genus of 

 iizan.s. The gecko of the Levant and Egypt, the 

 lacerta gecko of Linne, is smooth, reddish gray, dotted 

 with brown ; scales and tubercles very small. At 

 Cairo, this animal is generally seen crawling over 

 walls and ceilings at dusk, and, during the day, lies 

 hid behind furniture, and in dark, retired places. 

 The natives call it abou burs (father of the leper.) 

 Other species are described, inhabiting Madagascar, 

 which have the sides of the tail crested or fringed, 

 as, for instance, the G. fimbriatus, or famo-cantrata 

 of the natives of that island, where it is much dread- 

 ed, but without reason. 



GEDDES, ALEXANDER, a Roman Catholic divine, 

 was born in the county of Banff, Scotland, in 1737. 

 At the age of twenty-one, he was sent to the Scot- 

 tish college at Paris, and, returning to Scotland in 

 1764, officiated as priest among the Catholics in 

 Angus. In 1779, the university of Aberdeen granted 

 him the degree of LL.D. He was the first Catholic, 

 since the reformation, to whom it had been assigned. 

 About this time, he repaired to London, with a view 

 of obtaining facilities for his scheme of a new English 

 translation of the Old and New Testament. In con- 

 sequence of the known opinions of doctor Geddes in 

 regard to the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures, 

 and the divine mission of Moses, his work met with 

 much censure, and his own immediate superiors sus- 



pended him. In 1797, he published the second 

 volume of his translation, which, displaying equal 

 latitude, produced similar censures from both Cai.ho- 

 lics and Protestants. He was in the midst of a 

 translation of the Psalms, when he died in 1802, aftei 

 a very painful illness. This learned, but eccentric 

 divine wrote many tracts, of more or less power, in 

 vindication of his peculiar notions and opinions, as 

 well as some indifferent verses. Dr Geddes' disposi- 

 tion was truly philanthropic and benevolent, and his 

 wit and vivacity contributed greatly to the delight of 

 the social parties in which he mixed. He was a 

 uniform advocate for uncontrolled freedom of opinion 

 and of discussion. He extended his good will to all 

 sects, and was disposed to grant to others every 

 privilege which he claimed for himself. See Good's 

 Life of Geddes. 



GEDIKE, FREDERIC ; a German scholar who did 

 much for the advancement of education. He was 

 born in 1754, at Boberow, a village near Lentzen, in 

 Brandenburg. In 1771, he went to the university of 

 Frankfort, and, in 1779, became rector of a gymna- 

 sium in Berlin. He was transferred to another 

 gymnasium of the same city, where lie died in 1803. 

 His zeal to promote education was untiring, and the 

 north of Germany is deeply indebted to him for his 

 services. His Readers and Chrestomathias in several 

 languages have long been considered the best. His 

 works on education contain many useful ideas. 



GEHENNA. See Tophet. 



GEHLER, JOHN SAMUEL TRAUGOTT ; a German 

 mathematician, was born at Gorlitz, November 1, 

 1751, where his father was burgomaster. He was 

 educated in the gymnasium there, and studied natural 

 science and mathematics, and afterwards law at 

 Leipsic. In 1774, he delivered private lectures on 

 mathematics ; in 1777, he received a doctorate of 

 law ; in 1783, he was made a counsellor at Leipsic 

 and, in 1786, a member of the supreme court. He 

 died October 16, 1795. Of his many learned trea- 

 tises, we mention especially his Dissert. Historic* 

 Logarithm. Naturalium Primordia (Leipsic, 1776). 

 The Physikalische fForterbuch (Dictionary of Na- 

 tural Philosophy), a work which is a model in its kind 

 (17871795, 5 vols.), bears Gehler's name. Of 

 this dictionary, Brandes, Gmelin, Pfaff, Homer, and 

 Muncke (under the superintendence of the latter) 

 have lately published a new edition, adapted to the 

 present state of the science. It is a work of uncom- 

 mon excellence. 



GEISTICS (from the Greek y, the earth) ; a 

 name applied, by the Germans, to that part of physi- 

 cal geography, which relates to the knowledge ot 

 the solid land. It comprises the following divisions : 

 1. nesological, or the geography of islands, which 

 treats of islands and peninsulas, their extent, situa- 

 tion, and origin ; whether formed by the influence of 

 fire or water ; separated from the main land, or only 

 projections of coral cliffs : 2. orological, or the 

 geography of mountains, giving an account of the 

 elevations, both in the sea and on land, their extent, 

 connexion, and difference (as consisting of ice and 

 snow, glaciers, volcanoes, or filled with caves), &c. : 

 3. oryctological, describing mountains with reference 

 to their formation, age, and component parts: 4. 

 planological geography, relating to the plains, valleys, 

 and gentle slopes : 5. thetical geography, which 

 treats of the interior of the earth, fissures, caverns, 

 strata, veins, &c. 



GELATINE, in chemistry, is one of the constitu- 

 ent parts of animal substances, and may be obtained 

 by repeatedly washing the fresh skin of an animal in 

 cold water, afterwards boiling it, and reducing it ti> a 

 small quantity by slow evaporation, and allowing it 

 to cool. It then assumes the form of jelly, and 



