G U M ARABIC T R E K G Y M N O P L E U R U S. 



693 



claws large and very much crooked. Altogether, its ap- 

 pearance was peculiar, though abundantly expressive 

 of ferocity, but where it came from was unknown ; 

 and we have not heard that any living 1 specimen has 

 been seen. There have also been found, in some of 

 those ancient charnel-houses of Europe which contain 

 the bones, or partly the bones, of animals not now- 

 found in that, quarter of the world, along with those 

 of others which are extinct everywhere, certain bones 

 which have been referred to the gluttons, and from 

 which one might conclude that, at some period of 

 European history, they were much more plentiful in 

 species and in individuals than they are now ; and 

 there seems to be some sort of evidence of this in 

 the fact of their remnant being driven, as it were, 

 to the verge of the extreme north. 



On a portion of zoology that offers so many diffi- 

 culties, and respecting which the accounts are so 

 imperfect, and so much at variance with each other, 

 it might not be wise to hazard any very positive con- 

 clusion. But, from all the evidence, it should seem 

 that there are three distinct families of those animals, 

 each taking a type from a particular locality, and 

 differing entirely from the others. First, there is the 

 northern one, consisting of onlv the common glutton, 

 and its coloured varieties, at least we know of none 

 else. Secondly, there are the South American spe- 

 cies, which seem to partake of the general character 

 of the mammalia of that quarter of the world, in 

 being different from all the rest. It is possible that 

 the typical animals to which these are allied are the 

 genus J\Icphitis of Cnvier, which are so remarkable 

 for the off'ensiveness of the smell which they give out 

 when disturbed. Thirdly, the eastern animals, which 

 have for their best known type the Civets, which are 

 also furnished with a scenlcd secretion, but which, to 

 some at least, is considered agreeable. More inform- 

 ation is wanted, however, before we can accurately 

 arrange these extraordinary animals. 



GUM ARABIC TREE is the Acacia Arabica of 

 Willdcnow. A native of the East Indies. 



GUM CISTUS is the Cist us ladaniferus of Lin- 

 naeus. A flowering shrub, long one of the ornaments 

 of our gardens. It belongs to the natural order 

 Cistinete. 



GUM SUCCORY is the Chondrilla juncea of 

 Linuaius. A herbaceous perennial, native of Europe, 

 belonging to Compositee. 



GUM TREE is the Eucalyptus robusta of Smith. 

 A timber tree indigenous in New Holland, and 

 belonging to the natural order ]\hjrlacc(E. 



GUSTA VI A (Linn.fns). A genus of plants named 

 in honour of Gustavus III., king of Sweden, the patron 

 of his learned subject Linnaeus. Class and order 

 Diadelpliia Poli/andria, and natural order Myrtacece. 

 Generic character : calyx superior, turbinated, whole, 

 or very obtusely toothed ; petals four, six, or eight, 

 large and ovate ; stamens shorter than the petals, 

 united at the base ; anthers oblong and erect ; style 

 filiform ; stigma simple ; seed vessel leathery, round- 

 ish, from three to six-celled, and without valves. 

 There is only one species described. It succeeds in 

 our stoves, and is propagated by cuttings rooted in 

 strong 1 heat. 



GUTTIFER JE. A natural order containing about 

 a dozen genera, many of which are highly interesting 

 plants. They are trees or shrubs found in the hottest 

 parts of the world ; the leaves are opposite, leathery, 

 entire, with short petioles, a strong midrib and often 



with parallel costula: extending to the margin, and 

 without stipules. 



The inflorescence is in general axillary and race- 

 mose, but sometimes terminal and paniculate, or 

 crowded and lateral. The calyx is from two to six 

 sepaled, often persistent, roundish, membranaceous, 

 frequently irregular and coloured ; petals from four 

 to six, rarely more; stamens numerous, indefinite, and 

 inserted below the germen ; the germen is superior 

 and free ; style none or very short, and the stigma 



| peltate and radiate with the style cleft. The fruit is 



j dry or succulent, either baccate, capsular, or drupa- 

 ceous, and one or many celled, one or many seeded. 

 Among them is the mangosteen, considered one of the 

 most delicious of fruits. The flowers of all the order 

 being showy, the foliage good, and the properties 

 interesting, every species deserves cultivation. 



GYMNADENIA (Richard). A genus of hardy 

 herbaceous plants, belonging to the natural order 

 Orc/ridcce. They were formerly included in the genera 

 of orc/iis and sati/rium, by Linnaeus, but separated by 

 Richard and Sprengel. When cultivated they are 

 kept in shady borders of bog-earth. 



GYMNA'RCHUS. A genus of soft-finned fishes 

 without ventral fins, belonging to the eel-shaped fa- 

 mily, but having little resemblance to the common 

 eels. The generic characters are, the body elongated 

 and scaly, the gills with but little opening, as in the 

 genus Gymnotus ; but there is all along the back a 



i soft rayed fin, contrary to the gymnoti, and, unlike 

 them also, there is no fin between the vent and the 



' tail, and the tail terminates in a point. The head is 

 conical and without scales, the month small, and fur- 

 nished with a single row of trenchant teeth in each 

 jaw. There is but one known species, G. Niloticus, 

 which is, as its name imports, a native of the Nile, 

 but nothing is known of its habits. 



GY3V1NEMA (R. Brown). Climbing ornamental 

 plants from the East Indies, formerly called Asclepias, 

 Asclepiadeee. 



GYMNOCLADUS (Lambert). An ornamental 

 shrub or tree, a native of Canada. It belongs to 

 LeguminoscE, and is increased by cuttings of its roots. 

 GYMNOPLEURU.S, (Illiger). A genus of 

 coleopterous insects, belonging to the section Penta- 

 mcra, sub-section Lamellicorncs, and family Scara- 

 beeidcB ; distinguished by having the body depressed, 

 the elytra deeply notched, or sinuated, near the 

 shoulders, the middle legs widely apart, the four pos- 

 terior tibia ciliated with small spines, and the last 



| joint of the tarsi as long as all the remainder toge- 

 ther ; the thorax has an impression on each side. The 

 type of this genus, of which there are numerous spe- 

 cies, is the Atcuchus pilularius of Fabricius, which has 

 obtained its specific name from the curious manner in 

 which the eggs are deposited, and which is thus 

 described by Catesby, as observed in a North Ame- 

 rican species, known by the name of the tumble-dung 

 beetle ; like our dung beetles, Geofrupes, these in- 

 sects bury their eggs in dung, but the latter form the 

 mass in which they are enclosed into small balls. " I 

 have attentively admired their industry," he proceeds, 

 " and mutual assisting of each other in rolling their 

 globular balls from the place where they made them 

 to that of their interment, which is usually the dis- 

 tance of some yards, more or less. This they per- 

 form breech foremost, by raising their hind parts and 

 forcing along the ball with their hind feet. Two or 

 three of them are sometimes engaged ia trundling 



