BURSARIA BURSERACE.E. 



647 



rays in the gill-flaps, and a strong spine .placed in 

 front of the dorsal fin. The etyloid bones of the 

 shoulders are produced and reversed, till they are 

 attached by their extremities to the interspicuous 

 rays of the anal fin. The species are very numerous, 

 and they have been differently varied by different 

 authors. They are the genus Ampharanthus of Black, 

 the Antrogastri of Houthryn, and in part the Sheutis 

 of Linnaeus. 



BURS ARIA. A genus of the Linnsean class 

 Infusoria. It is found in wet places, where stagnant 

 water has for some time imbibed the infusion of 

 animal or vegetable matter. It is not visible to the 

 naked eye ; but when examined under a powerful 

 microscope, it appears a transparent membrane, 

 excavated in the centre, with four ladnite on the 

 margins, of which the two lateral ones are equal and 

 short, the anterior and posterior unequal arid longer. 

 They are mostly found in the months of July and 

 August, in damp woody situations, near the Limnea. 

 The liursnrifi himndmdla is the only species described. 



Under the article INFUSORIA, these wonderful 

 proofs of Almighty wisdom will be more fully de- 

 scribed. 



BURSATELLA (Leach). A genus of molluscous 

 animals established by Dr. Leach. It is very large, 

 and inhabits the Indian seas. There is no trace of 

 shell, and the animal is thus described : the body 

 sub-globular, the lower part offering an oval-formed 

 space, circumscribed by thick lips, indicating the foot, 

 the upper part with a thick edged oval slit, symmetrical 

 and formed 1 by a complete union of the swimming 

 appendages of the mantle, communicating with a 

 cavity in which are found a very large free branchia 

 and aflus, four divided and branched tentacules, be- 

 sides two buccal appendages. The B. Leachu, here 



figured, is the only species known ; it is classed by 

 de Blainville, in the Paracephalophora, third order 

 Monopleurobrauchiata, second family Aplysiacea. 



BURSERA (Jacquin). Called after J. Burser, a 

 botanist. There are two species, both lofty trees ; 

 one is common in the West Indies, which is called 

 S. gummifera, from the great quantity of balsamic 

 gum exuded by it ; the other species is found in the 

 East Indies. They belong to the natural order 

 TerebinthacecE. 



BURSERACE^E. Balm of Gilead tribe. A 



natural order of dicotyledonous plants, containing 

 eleven known genera, and upwards of forty species. 

 The Burseracece are closely allied to the Anacardiacea, 

 or cashew tribe, but differ from them in their com- 

 pound ovary and pinnated leaves. By many authors 

 they are considered as a section of the Tcrebinthacea. 

 The essential characters of the order are : flowers 

 hermaphrodite, sometimes unisexual ; calyx, having 

 from two to five divisions, persistent ; petals varying 

 from three to five, inserted below the calycine disk ; 

 stamens twice, rarely four times, the number of the 

 petals ; ovary two to five-celled, superior sessile ; 

 fruit, a drupe ; seeds without albumen. 



The plants included in the order are trees or 

 shrubs, with alternate unequally pinnated leaves, and 

 axillary or terminal flowers growing in racemes or 

 panicles. They are natives solely of the tropical 

 regions of Asia, Africa, and America, and are pro- 

 pagated by cuttings, layers, and seeds. 



Most of the genera of this important order furnish 

 fragrant balsamic resin, possessing more or less stimu- 

 lating properties. 



The genera are : Bursera, Boswellia, Bahamo- 

 dcndron, Icicn, Canarium, ColopJwnia, Protium, Hed- 

 wigia, Sorindei'i, Garusa, and Marignia. 



Bursera, named after Joachim Burser, formerly 

 Professor of Botany at Sara, in Naples, is the genus 

 whence the order has been designated. Bursera 

 panirulata, or Colophoma Mauritiana, called Bois de 

 Colophane, in the Isle of France, yields, by incision, 

 a copious limpid oily fluid, having an odour of tur- 

 pentine, which, by drying, acquires a butyraceons 

 consistence, and has somewhat the appearance of 

 camphor. Like camphor, it burns with a vivid flame, 

 and leaves no residuum. Bursera gnmw'fera is a 

 large lofty West Indian tree, with a fine leafy head, 

 and a smooth trunk, covered with a thin brown or 

 greyish epidermis, which peels off in shreds like the 

 European birch ; hence the tree is sometimes called 

 Jamaica Birch-tree. It yields a resin called chibou, 

 having an odour like turpentine. The balsamic fluid 

 produced from this tree is used in America as an 

 external application to wounds in the same way as 

 the balsams of the East. The root, which is said to 

 be bitter and tonic, and to resemble the Quassia 

 simaruba in its properties, has been prescribed with 

 success in various fluxes. Hedges are made of this 

 plant by the Spanish residents in South America. 

 Bursera acuminata yields a yellow concrete essential 

 oil, which is not put to any particular use. 



Boswel/ia, another genus of this order, has been 

 named in honour of Dr. John Boswell, of Edinburgh. 

 Boswellia serrata, of Roxburgh, Libanus t/iurifera, of 

 Colebrooke, yields the gum resin called olibanum. 

 This substance was formerly supposed to be the 

 product of the Junipcrus Lycia. It is said to ooze 

 spontaneously from the bark, and is collected in 

 Arabia, and brought from Mecca to Cairo, whence it 

 is imported into Europe. It is also procured from 

 the East Indies. In commerce it occurs in the form 

 of grains of different sizes, of a red or yellow colour, 

 having a peculiar aromatic odour, and a bitterish 

 pungent taste. With spirit it forms a transparent 

 solution ; but when triturated with water, it forms a 

 milky fluid. It is inflammable, and is said to be the 

 true frankincense of the ancients. It is still used as 

 incense in Roman Catholic churches. It possesses 

 stimulant, astringent, and diaphoretic properties, and 

 was formerly prescribed in affections of the head and 



