340 



NYMPH OAT. 



ing colour of which, as its name imports, is ashen 

 grey. It is, however, very much mottled by other 

 colours. It is about the size of a jackdaw, or rather, 

 perhaps, a little larger. The spots which mark it are 

 chiefly black and white ; and it differs from the 

 Javanese species in having the bill and feet black. 



Such are a few of the particulars known respecting 

 one of the most singular families of the feathered 

 tribes. 



NYMPH. A name sometimes given to the pupa 

 state of various insects. See INSECT, CHRYSALIS. 



NYMPH^EACE^E. A natural order containing 

 four genera, viz., Nclumbium, Euryale, Nymphcea, and 

 Nuphar. They are all aquatics, and some of them 

 bear very splendid flowers. They occur in almost 

 every pool, canal, or slow-running stream over all 

 India and China ; and the hardy nuphar is common 

 in all similar situations in Europe. 



N'elumbium and NympJuza are the normal genera 

 and types of the order. These, although essentially 

 distinct, are in many particulars so much alike, that 

 they were formerly considered but one species of one 

 and the same genus. Collectively considered, the 

 Nelumbiancc are aquatic Ranuncul'mtE with prostrate 

 stems, which extend themselves in the mud, peltate, 

 or cordate fleshy leaves, which mostly float on the 

 wutQr, sepals, petals, and stamens passing into each 

 other, embryo excluded or without the albumen, but 

 inclosed in a membranous sac. The inflorescence is 

 solitary ; the peduncles long, varying in length with 

 the depth of the water, round, and ebracteate. The 

 flowers are large and showy, regular and united. 



The Pythagorean bean is supposed to have been 

 the fruit of Nclumbium spcciosum, or the water lotus, 

 formerly a native of Egypt and other warm regions 

 in Africa and Asia, but not now to be found in the 

 Nile, its most celebrated habitat of antiquity. It was 

 called Cj/amus by the ancients, and its present generic 

 name is an alteration of the Cingalese word Nclumbo. 



The creeping jointed subaqueous stem or rhizoma, 

 as well as the seeds, are eatable, and they are said 

 to be both savoury and wholesome. In China the 

 plant is called Lien-faa ; and peeled seeds and slices 

 of the rhizoma, with the kernels of apricots and wal- 

 nuts, alternated with layers of ice, were frequently 

 presented to the British ambassador and his suite, at 

 breakfasts given by some of the principal mandarins. 



The seeds of the N. rubra and N. lotus are eatable. 

 The odorata and alba have been occasionally em- 

 ployed medicinally as astringents, but their use is 

 almost obsolete, being seldom resorted to as styptics, 

 and only occasionally chewed by singers to relieve 

 relaxation of the uvula and soft palate, give firmness 

 to the vocal organs, and clear the voice. 



The tropical species are cultivated and flowered in 

 our stoves, planted in tubs of muddy soil, and kept 

 flooded with water during the growing season, but 

 kept drier while dormant. They are raised from 

 imported seeds, or by dividing the root. 



NYMPH ALID^E (Swainson). A family of diur- 

 nal butterflies, comprising those species which have 

 the fore legs rudimental, the pupa only suspended by 

 the tail, and not girt round the body ; the caterpillar 

 cylindric, spinose, and with two short anal spines ; 

 and the antennas with a distinct club, and not hooked 

 at the tip. These butterflies arc distinguished by 

 their strength of body and powerful nerves of the 

 wings, giving great rapidity of flight. Their colours 

 are generally brilliant and variegated, often orna- 



mented with beautiful eye-like marks, or spotted with 

 silver on the under side. The species are exceed- 

 ingly numerous, especially in extra European coun- 

 tries, and their size generally far exceeds that of the 

 Hcsperiidce or Lycctnides, although often smaller than 

 the Papilionidcc. The genera are Cethosia, Argynnis, 

 Melitcca, Vanessa, Cynthia, Nymphalis, Libythea, 

 Biblis, Melanitis, Morpho, Pavonia, Brassolis, Eiirne- 

 nia, E(iryb\a,Hipparchia, Fabricius (Satyrus.Latreille), 

 Apatura and Limenit.es, those marked in italics con- 

 taining British species. See the articles BUTTERFLY, 

 LEPIDOPTERA, and DIUIINA. 



NYMPH ON (Fabricius). A remarkable genus 

 of apterous insects, belonging to the class Arachnida 

 and order Podosomata of Leach (Aporobranchia of 

 Latreille) having the body small and linear, the legs 

 very long, with a pair of antennal claws, and two 

 palpi. These are extraordinary marine animals re- 

 sembling spiders, bui having only four pairs of legs ; 

 they are found amongst various aquatic plants under 

 stones, &c. They appear to be destitute of any up- 

 pearance of breathing pores, whence Latreille's name 

 Aporobranchia. The females are furnished with an 

 additional pair of short filamentous processes to which 

 the eggs arc attached. There are several British 

 species, but their characters have not yet been satis- 

 factorily determined. Dr. Leach has figured two 

 species, N. gracilc and femoratum, in the Zoological 

 Miscellany. 



NYSS A (Linnaeus). A genus of North American 

 trees, belonging to Santalacca. The fruit of N. can- 

 dicans are preserved and used instead of olives. N. 

 denticitlata is a lofty tree of great beauty. In British 

 collections they answer the purpose of large shrubs, 

 and grow best in damp situations. They are increased 

 by layers. 



OAK is the Quercus robur of Linnaeus, the British 

 oak. Of this most important genus of forest trees, 

 there are sixty-one species and twenty-two varieties, 

 named in our books. There are two, but very nearly 

 allied, sorts met with in woods : one with the acorns 

 sitting close upon the twig on which they grow, hence 

 called Q. sessiltflcra ; the other bearing its fruit on 

 footstalks, hence called pcditnculata. The latter has 

 been raised to the dignity of a species by modern 

 botanists, and it is said that the timber of the one is 

 much more valuable than that of the other; but which 

 is the superior, remains to be ascertained. While 

 botanists assert that the pedunculata is the true 

 British sort, an eminent builder denies that it is so, 

 and has proved, in the course of his long experience, 

 that the robxr, or sessile-fruited one, of Linnaeus, is 

 the true nava? oak. See QUERCCS. 



OAK APPLE. The excrescences often ob- 

 served growing upon the leaves and young stems of 

 oaks, and which, when gilt, form so prominent a part 

 of the decorations of the " Royal-oak day," are thus 

 named, and are caused by the wounds made by seve- 

 ral species of gall-flies when in the act of depositing 

 their eggs. See CYNIPID.E. 



OAT is the Arena saliva of Linnseus, one of our 

 most useful agricultural plants. For the principal 

 part of the food of the labouring classes in the north- 

 ern parts of Britain, and for the food of horses in the 

 south, one-fifth of the whole arable land in the three 

 kingdoms is annually sown with this grain. Oats 

 are generally sown on newly reclaimed land, or in 

 regular rotations, usually follow wheat. The seed 



