ASP 



[ 24] 



A U G 



insoluble in water. Fracture conchoidal. 

 Brittle. Feels smooth, but not unctuous. 

 Does not stain the fingers. On the sur- 

 face of the Dead Sea it is found floating 

 in a state of liquidity, but exposure to the 

 air soon renders it hard. It melts easily 

 when heated, and, if pure, burns without 

 leaving any ashes. 



A'SPEROUS. Rough ; uneven. 



ASPIDORHY'NCHUS. The name given to a 

 fossil Sauroid fish from the lime stone 

 of Solenhofen. An example of this is 

 given by Professor Buckland in his Bridge- 

 water Treatise, pi. 27 a, fig. 5. 



ASSA'Y. The operation of determining 

 the proportion of precious metal con- 

 tained in any mineral or metallic com- 

 pound, by analyzing a portion thereof. 



A'STACID. )The craw-fish, or lobster; a 



A'STACITE. S genus of the family Ma- 

 croura ; it is divided into four sections 

 each consisting of many subgenera. The 

 lobster, crab, craw-fish, prawn, ,and 

 shrimp are included. 



A'STACUS. (from doraieog, Gr. astacus, 

 Lat.) The lobster or craw-fish. 



ASTA'COLITE. (from aoraKOQ and XlBoq, 

 Gr.) Fossil or petrified craw-fish, or 

 lobster. 



ASTE'RIA. (asterias, Lat. asterie, Fr.) A 

 variety of sapphire, or bastard opal. 



ASTE'RIA. (from affrrjp, Gr. a star.) The 

 star-fish, or sea-star, a genus of animals, 

 class Vermes, order Mollusca. These 

 animals have their mouth in the centre, 

 and placed downwards ; from their bodies 

 five or more rays, or arms, are given off, 

 furnished with numerous retractile tenta- 

 cula. They have the power of repro- 

 ducing their rays if destroyed. They are 

 all inhabitants of the sea, and they are 

 frequently found fossil, in great perfection, 

 in the chalk. Some remarkably fine 

 impressions have been discovered in flint. 

 The whetstone of Devonshire affords 

 similar remains. Linnaeus has placed 

 them in the order Pedicellata, class Echi- 

 nodermata. 



ASTE'RIATED. Radiated. 



ASTE'RIALITE. (from aarfiQ and XiOoQ, Gr.) 

 Fossilized, petrified, or silicified asterias, 

 or star-fish. 



A'STERITE.^ (astroite, Fr. Espece de ma- 



A'STRITE. Y drepore ou de corps marin, 



A'STROITE.J sur lequel on voit repre- 

 sentee la figure d'une etoile.) Star 

 stone. This name is given to certain 

 varieties of the perfect corundum. 



A'STEROID. (from acrr)p and fldog, Gr.*) 

 The name assigned by Herschel to some 

 newly discovered planets. 



ASTERO'IDAL. Resembling a star-fish. 



ASTEROPHY'.LLITE. (from aarfip and 0uX- 

 Xov, Gr.) A plant discovered in the coal j 

 formation, and thus named from the stel- | 



lated disposition of the leaves around the 

 branches. 



ASTRE'A. A species of madrepore. The 

 appearance of groups of astrea, and other 

 corals, is described as being most beauti- 

 ful when viewed with the animals alive 

 and in activity ; looking down through 

 the clear sea-water, the surface of the 

 rocks appears one living mass, and the 

 polypi present the most vivid hues. 



ASTRI'FEROUS. > Bearing stars ; having 



ASTRI'GEROUS. 5 stars ; carrying stars. 



A'STRITE. See Asterite. 



A'STROITE. See Asterite. 



ATA'CAMITE. Prismatoidal green mala- 

 chite. Native muriate of copper, of a 

 green colour, occurring both massive and 

 crystallized. It consists of oxide of cop- 

 per 76*6, muriatic acid 12 -4, water 11. It 

 has obtained its name from having been 

 found in alluvial sand in the river Lipas, 

 in the desert of Atacama in Peru. It has 

 also been found in some of the Vesuvian 

 lavas. The primitive form is an octoe- 

 dron. It is the Cuivre muriate of Haiiy. 



ATMO'METER. (from drfibg, vapour, and 

 /*erpsw, to measure, Gr.) An instrument 

 contrived by Professor Leslie, for ascer- 

 taining the quantity of moisture exhaled 

 from a damp surface in a given period. 



ATRAME'NTAL. } (from atr amentum, Lat.) 



ATRAME'NTOUS. 5 Black ; ink - coloured ; 

 dark. 



A'TROUS. (from ater, Lat.) Intensely 

 black. 



ATTENUATED, (attenuatus, Lat. attenue, 

 Fr.) Thin; slender; tapering. An epi- 

 thet for a leaf tapering at one or both 

 extremities. 



ATTI'GUOUS. (attiguus, Lat.) Adjoining; 

 hard by. 



ATTRI'TE. (attritus, Lat.) Worn by fric- 

 tion, or rubbing. 



ATTRI'TENESS. The state of being much 

 worn. 



ATTRITION, (attritio, Lat. attrition, Fr. 

 attrizione, It.) 



1. The act of wearing by friction ; abra- 

 sion. 



2. The state of being worn. 



A'TUS. Terminations in atus and itus, show 

 merely the existence of something in ge- 

 neral ; for example, antennatus, provided 

 with antennae ; alatus, winged ; sulcatus, 

 furrowed ; auritus, furnished with ears, or 

 appendages. 



AU'DITORY. (from audio, Lat.) Belong- 

 ing to the parts connected with the sense 

 of hearing, as the auditory canal, the au- 

 ditory nerves, &c. 



ATJ'GITE. (auy), Gr. splendour.) A mi- 

 neral of a dark green, brown, or black 

 colour, found in volcanic rocks. It is the 

 Pyroxene of Haiiy, the Puratoma augit of 

 Mohs, and the augit of Werner. Its frac- 



