THE 



TREASURY OF NATURAL HISTORY; 



OR, A POPULAR 



Btcttonarg ol ^mmatefc Jilature. 



AARD-VARK. The name by which the 

 quadruped Orycteropus Capensis is known 

 to the Dutch colonists at the Cape of Good 

 Hope. The following cut, which is copied 

 from Daniell's work on the Animals of 



Southern Africa, will give a good idea of 

 its form. [For an account of its habits, see 

 OKYCTKKOPUS.] 



AARD-WOLF. A name given by the 

 European colonists in the neighbourhood of 

 Algoa Bay, in South Africa, to a carnivorous 

 digitigrade animal, which at first sight might 

 be easily mistaken for a young striped 

 hyaena. It is about the size of a full-grown 

 fox, and in habits and manners somewhat 

 resembles it. [See PEOTELES.] 



ABDOMINALES. An order of fishes in 

 the Linnaean system, consisting of all those 

 species which have the ventral fins placed 

 behind the pectoral, or upon the abdomen, 

 the cartilaginous fishes alone excepted. This 

 arrangement has, however, been departed 

 from by Cuvier as defective; and in its present 

 acceptation the term Abdominals denotes a 

 family or subdivision of Malacopterygious 

 or soft-flnned fishes only, including therein 

 the greater number of the fresh- water species, 

 and such as periodically migrate from the 

 ocean to deposit their spawn. As familiar 

 instances, we may specify the Salmon and 

 Trout. 



ABERDAVTNE. A small migratory 

 Passerine bird, more generally termed the 

 SISKIN [which see]. In Sussex it is known 

 as the Barley-bird, because it is usually a 

 visitant of that county about the barley seed- 

 time. 



ABOU-HANNES. An African bird, sup- 

 posed to be the Ibis reliffiosa, or White Ibi, 

 of the ancient Egyptians. [See IBIS.] 



ABRAMIS. A genus of Malacoptery- 

 gious fishes. [See BREAM.] 



ABRANCHIATA. An order of the An- 

 nelida, composed of animals having no 

 branchial appendages. Of these, the Earth- 

 worm and the Leech are examples. 



ABROCOMA. A genus of small Rodent 

 Animals, native of South America, remark- 

 able for the extraordinary fineness of their 

 fur. They have large ears, small claws, and 

 the tail rather long, and not tufted. Their 

 general aspect is intermediate to that of the 

 Chinchillas and Rats or Voles. 



ACALEPHA. An order of the class Ra~ 

 diata, comprising those animals which float 

 and swim in the water, by alternate contrac- 

 tions and dilatations of the body, although 

 their substance is merely gelatinous, and 

 without any apparent fibres. They are popu- 

 larly named sea-nettles, from their causing, 

 when touched, a disagreeable sensation, like 

 the sting of a nettle: they are also familiarly 

 known as jelly-fishes, sea-blubbers, &c., from 

 the extreme softness of their tissues, which 



FURPLB OCEANIC JELLY-FISH. 

 (.BQOOREA PORPURBA.) 



melt away, as it were, when removed from 

 the water. Their form is circular, and there 

 is only one opening into the body, which 

 serves both for the mouth and vent. Al- 

 though possessed of a certain degree of loco- 

 motive power, the movements of the Aca- 

 lephaa are very feeble ; and they are conse- 

 quently often driven by the winds and rough 

 currents on shore, where they are either 

 beaten to pieces by the waves, or left dry by 

 the tide. The Acalephaa are of various 

 forms : many, indeed, are not yet tho- 

 roughly known ; but the specimens which 



