18 



at Batumi 



ANGUILLA. [See EEL.] 



ANHINGA, or WHITE-BELLIED DARTER. 

 (PJotus anJtinga.) A very elegant species of 

 the Colymbidce, or Diver family, common 

 in some parts of Brazil. Its body is about 

 the size of a tame duck's, but its length, 

 from the tip of the beak to that of the tail, 

 is nearly three feet. It has a long, slender 

 bill, yellowish at the base ; a small head ; 

 the neck long, round, and slender, and co- 

 vered with soft downy feathers of a rufous 

 grey colour ; while those on the breast, belly, 

 and thighs are of a silvery whiteness. The 

 plumage at the beginning of the back is 

 brown, each feather having an oblong spot 

 of whitish yellow in the centre, so that it 

 appears speckled : the rest of the back is 

 black ; and the tail consists of shining black 

 feathers tipped with grey. The legs are re- 

 markably short, the thighs feathered, and 

 the claws very sharp and crooked. The 

 Anhinga builds its nest on trees, on which 

 it roosts at night and when not on the 

 water, being very rarely seen on the ground. 

 It feeds upon fish, which it catches most 

 dexterously, darting upon them with great 

 rapidity. 



These birds delight to sit in little com- 

 munities, on the dry limbs of trees, hanging 

 over still waters, with their wings and tails 

 expanded. When any one approaches, they 

 will drop off the limb into the water as if 

 dead, and for a minute or two are not seen ; 

 when on a sudden, at a great distance, their 

 long slender heads and necks only appear, 

 so that whilst swimming they greatly re- 

 semble snakes, no other part of them being 

 visible, except occasionally the tip of the 

 tail. 



ANI. [See CROTOPHAGA.] 



ANIMAL, FLOWER. A name given to 

 one species of Actinia, the animal bearing 

 some resemblance to a flower with a radiated 

 disc ; its tentacula being disposed in regular 

 circles, and tinged with a beautiful variety 

 of bright lively colours, as the marigold, 

 anemone, &c. [See ACTINIA.] 



ANIMALCULE, or ANIMALCULES. 

 A term applied to minute animals of various 

 orders, many of which can only be seen by 

 the aid of a microscope. [See INFUSORIA.] 



ANNELIDA. A division of the class 

 Vermcs, comprising species which may be 

 characterized as possessing an elongated 

 body, divided into numerous segments, 

 marked by transverse lines, and generally 

 furnished with a series of bristly appendages 

 which serve as legs. Many of the Annelida 

 are red blooded, and have a complete appa- 

 ratus for circulation and respiration. Some 

 live in fresh, others in salt water ; and others, 

 like the Hair-worm, are amphibious. In some 

 the bristly appendages are implanted on 

 fleshy tubercles ; in others they are only 

 represented by a few short stiff hairs ; while 

 in other instances, as in the Leech, there is no 

 trace of any members or appendages to the 

 body. The bristles are usually sharp, and 

 sometimes barbed, serving not only to attach 

 the animals to soft substances, and to hold 



firmly on to rocks and other solid surfaces, 

 but to aid their movements through the 

 water. When there are no locomotive ap- 

 pendages, the extremities of the body are 

 usually furnished with suckers. 



ANNULATA SEDENTARIA. A tribe 

 of soft, elongated, and worm-shaped animals, 

 inhabiting a tube which they never quit. 

 The body has either transverse segments or 

 wrinkles ; the head, eyes, and antennae are 

 furnished with retractile knobs, in lateral 

 rows. They are usually attached to marine 

 substances, and the greater part of them are 

 carnivorous. 



ANOA. (Anoa depressicornis.') A rumi- 

 nating animal of Sumatra, at present but 

 imperfectly known to naturalists ; by some 

 considered a small species of wild buffalo, 

 and by others a kind of antelope. The 

 living animal has not been brought to this 

 country, but several skulls and horns are 

 deposited in the British Museum, and in 

 that of the Zoological Society. The horns 

 are wrinkled, but perfectly erect and straight, 

 and the head is long and narrow. 



ANOBIUM. A genus of Coleopterous in- 

 sects, some of M'hich inhabit the interior of 

 our houses, where they do much injury in 

 their larva state by gnawing furniture, books, 

 &c., which they pierce with little round 

 holes : others feed upon wafers, preserved 

 specimens of natural history, c. The curi- 

 ous sound made by one of these has given it 

 the name of DEATH-WATCH [which see]. 



ANODONTA. A fresh- water Molluscous 

 animal, inhabiting a thin, inequiyalve, in- 

 equilateral shell ; hinge straight, with either 

 no teeth or mere rudiments ; shell transverse ; 

 ligament external. The valves are thin, 

 large, and pearly ; and from their shape 

 and lightness they are used in France for 

 skimming milk. The Anodonta is found in 

 every quarter of the world. 



ANOLIS. A genus of reptiles peculiar to 

 America, and supplying the place that is 

 occupied by_ the chameleons in the OldWorld. 

 Cuvier distinguishes them from the Iguanas, 

 by their having teeth in the palate of the 

 mouth as well as in the maxillary bones. 

 The Anolis is a small, slender, active animal ; 

 frequenting woods and rocky places ; and 

 running, leaping, and climbing with singular 

 agility. It is furnished with a loose skin or 

 bag beneath its throat, which, when inflated, 

 frequently changes its colour : in short, 

 whenever these creatures are under the ex- 



