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future. 351 



the greater part of which are omnivorous, 

 though some are exclusively granivorous, 

 2. Dentirostres, or tooth-billed birds ; which 

 are characterized by a tooth or notch near 

 the extremity of the upper mandible : these 

 feed on insects, small birds, &c. 3. Tenui- 

 rostres, or slender-billed birds : these have a 

 long slender bill, adapted for sucking up 

 vegetable juices, &c. ; and to this group be- 

 long also many whose principal food consists 

 of insects. 4. Fissirostres, or gaping-billed 

 birds ; in which the beak is very much flat- 

 tened, in order to afford them greater facility 

 for capturing insects when on the wing, as is 

 seen in the swallow and others of that kind. 



INTESTINALIA. The name given to 

 those invertebrate animals, or worms, which 

 are known to inhabit the intestinal canal. 

 They have been divided into five orders ; 

 viz. 1. Ncmatoitlea (Round-worms) ; 2. 

 Acanthoccphala ( Hooked- worms) ; 3. Tre- 

 watoda (Fluke-worms) ; 4. Ccstoidea (Tape- 

 worms) ; 5. Cystica (Hydatids). 



IRIDINA. A genus of Conchifera, con- 

 sisting of one species only, the Iridina exotica, 

 which is found in the Nile, and iu many 

 other rivers of warm climates. The shell is 

 equivalve and inequilateral ; teetli very 

 small and numerous ; inside very iridescent 

 and of a red cast ; ligament external ; the 

 hinge lamina crenulated in its whole length. 

 It is used by the natives of Egypt as spoons 

 in measuring oil, butter, and different kinds 

 of provisions. 



ISOC ARDIA. A genus of Conchifera, the 

 shells of which are remarkable for the beauti- 

 ful curvature of the diverging umbones. 



ISOPODA. The name of an order of 

 aquatic Crustacea, many of which are para- 

 sitic upon other animals, very frequently 

 upon larger Crustacea. 



Iin,US, or JTJLUS. The Julidce are a 

 family of Myriapoda, very nearly allied to 

 the Centipedes (Scolopendrac) ; but their 

 body, instead of being flattened, as in that 

 genus, is nearly cylindrical. Each of the 

 numerous segments of the body is furnished 

 with two pair of feet or legs, which are 

 scarcely large or strong enough to support 

 its weight ; so that the animal, instead of 

 appearing to walk, seems to have a sort of 

 undulatory motion, like a serpent or worm. 

 They roll themselves up in a spiral form ; 

 and the firmness of the rings of the body 

 enables them to resist considerable pressure. 

 The eyes of the lulidce are composed of nu- 



UMUP.) 



merous hexagonal convexities, as in the 

 greater part of the insect tribes ; and the 

 mouth resembles that of the larvae of many 

 insects by being furnished with a pair of 

 denticulated jaws ; by means of which they 

 are enabled to divide with facility the por- 

 tions of decaying vegetable matter on which 



they usually feed. Some are found under 

 stones, others in the earth, and some inhabit 

 nuts. The most common species is the 

 lulus sabulosuf, about an inch and a quarter 

 in length : its colour is a polished brownish 

 black, with whitish legs : it is oviparous, 

 and the young, when first hatched, have 

 only three pair of legs, which are situated 

 near the head ; the remainder being gra- 

 dually acquired till the number is complete, 

 which usually amounts to a hundred and 

 twenty on each side. In its young or grow- 

 ing state, it is of a pale colour, with a dark 

 red spot on each side of every segment ; and 

 in this state it may sometimes be found in 

 the soft mould of hollow trees. The largest 

 species known is the lulus Indus, or lulus 

 maximus, which in its conformation re- 

 sembles the species above described, but is 

 from six to seven inches long. This is found 

 in South America and the warmer parts of 

 Asia, inhabiting woods and other retired 

 places. The lululfz have no poisonous or- 



gans, and are perfectly innoxious to man : 

 indeed, by their consuming vegetable sub- 

 stances that are in a state of decomposition, 



they may be considered beneficial. Mr. New- 

 port, F.R.S., has made them and the Scolo- 

 pcndridae a special object of study, and has 

 published the results in the Linnaean Tran- 

 sactions. In the British Museum there is 

 a very extensive collection of these interest- 

 ing Myriapoda. [See CUILOGNATHA.] 



JABIRU. A large aquatic bird, allied to 

 the stork, three species of which are known, 

 respectively inhabiting America, Western 

 Africa, and Australasia. It is the Mycterin 

 of Liuntcus. It is somewhat larger than the 

 swan ; the head is large ; the neck thick ; 



si-.) 



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