VOL] ( 152 ) 



Variety, or Varieties. In Botany, " variety " differs from 

 " species " in points of structure, which are developed only 

 under certain circumstances, arising from climate, cultiva- 

 tion and other influences, and which are not essential to the 

 species. " Varieties " are liable to return to the original 

 form or species or to deviate into others, so that a variety 

 cannot be preserved without much care. " Variety " in a 

 tree, if not apparent in its progeny, may be viewed as an 

 arbor ical " freak " or " sport," figuratively a truant that has 

 returned home. See " Species," " Genera," and " Natural 

 Order." 



Vaulted Ceiling or Ground Ceiling. A ceiling arched or domed 

 in character, a form distinct from the ordinary flat or hori- 

 zontal " ceiling " (which see). 



Vegetable Substances are subject to three fundamental laws : 



(1 ) If they contain more hydrogen than water, they are acid ; 



(2) If less, they are resinous, oily or spirituous; (3) If an 

 equal quantity, they are saccharine, mucilaginous or analo- 

 gous to woody fibre or starch. These laws were discovered 

 by O. Thenard and Gay-Lussac, French chemists. 



Veined Wood, or Marble. Full of veins or veined, streaked, or 

 variegated in pat tern or colour; as a descriptive term, especi- 

 ally in association with wood, it is another or variant term 

 for " figured." 



Veneer. A thin leaf or layer of choice or expensive wood to over- 

 lay an inferior or cheaper kind ; a veneer may be of sawn 

 wood from a " veneer saw " or a knife-cut production from 

 a " rotary" or a moveable bed machine. See " Toothing- 

 plane " and " Knife." Circular saws are used for cutting 

 veneers of sawn wood, and rotary (peeling) scale boards for 

 knife-cut veneers. 



Ventilators. Boards or planks of teak or other indigenous woods, 

 used for making air passages in rice and other grain cargoes 

 exported from BurmpJi. 



Vertical Band Saw. In which the band-wheels are placed over 

 each other so that the saw travels in a vertical direction. 



Viewly. A term occasionally used by importers of wood goods 

 which are well manufactured and in good, bright condition ; 

 one such " is a viewly stock." Dr. Ogilvie in his Imperial 

 Dictionary says it means " lightly, striking to the view, 

 handsome (obsolete or local)." 



Voltmeter. A meter for indicating the strength of an electric 

 current, which is known as the voltage of the current. 



