A X I 



[26] 



BAR 



alumina 18, lime 19, oxide of iron 14, 

 oxide of manganese 4. 

 A'xis. (axis, Lat.) 



1. The line, real or imaginary, that passes 

 through anything on which it may re- 

 volve. 



2. In botany, the imaginary central line 

 of different parts of a plant, round which 

 leaves, or modified leaves, are produced. 

 The stem is also so called, for this reason. 



AXO'TOMOUS. (from a<*>v, and re/ttvw, Gr.) 



A mineralogical term, signifying cleavable 



in one particular direction. 

 A'ZOTE. (from a, priv. and w?}, life, Gr.) 



A constituent part of the atmosphere, 



receiving its name from its fatal effects 



on animal life. It is now usually called 



Nitrogen, which see. 

 A'zoxic. Consisting of azote ; resembling 



azote in its properties ; destructive of life. 

 A'ZURE-STONE. > Names given to the lapis 

 A'ZURITE. 5 lazuli, or lazulite. 



B 



BA'CCA. (bacca, Lat.) A fruit ; a berry. 



BACCI'FEROUS. (from bacca, a berry, and 

 fero, to bear, baccifere, Fr.) Berry- 

 bearing ; that produces berries. 



BA'CULITE. (from baculus, Lat. So named 

 from its resemblance to a straight staff.) 

 A fossil, straight chambered, conical, 

 elongated and symmetrical shell, de- 

 pressed laterally, and divided into nu- 

 merous chambers by transverse, sinuous, 

 and imperfect septa ; the articulations, or 

 sutures, being indented in. the manner of 

 the battlements of a tower. The external 

 chamber is considerably larger than the 

 rest, and capable of containing a con- 

 siderable portion of the animal. The 

 remains of baculites have been hitherto 

 found in the chalk formation only, and 

 the bacuiite appears to have become ex- 

 tinct simultaneously with the last of the 

 ammonites, at the termination of the 

 chalk formation. This fossil may be seen 

 beautifully figured in Professor Buck- 

 land's Bridgewater Treatise, 



BAI'KALITE. A variety of augite, of a 

 whitish, or yellowish white, and pale 

 green colour. 



BA'LANITE. (balanites, Lat.) A fossil 

 belonging to the genus balanus. 



BA'LANUS. (balanus, Lat. /3d\avo, Gr.) 

 A conical multivalve, fixed by its base, 

 and composed of six articulated valves ; 

 the opening being closed by an oper- 

 culum, formed of four valves. The 

 balani are not to be considered among 

 those fossils which are frequently found. 

 Parkinson. 



The recent balanus is observed on 

 rocks and shells at a depth ranging to ten 

 fathoms ; and affixed to bottoms of ships 

 and other floating bodies. De La Beche. 

 Balanus is the only genus of sessile 

 cirrhipedes, the shells of which consist of 

 six principal valves, except Coronula. 

 Sowerby. 



-BA'LASS. > (Called also Spinel and Zeilanit 



BA'LLASS. $ by Werner.) A sub-species of 

 corundum; it is found in crystals of a 

 regular octahedron, composed of two 



four-sided pyramids applied base to base. 

 Colour red. Balass is chiefly found in 

 Ceylon, and the dark and black varieties 

 have obtained the name Ceylanite. It 

 ranks among the precious stones, and 

 when of a certain size is deemed very 

 valuable. 



BALI'STES. The file-fish ; a cartilaginous 

 fish belonging to the fourth class. Pro- 

 fessor Buckland, in his chapter on Ich- 

 thyodorulites, or fossil spines, states that 

 the spines of balistes have not their base, 

 like that of the spines of sharks, simply 

 imbedded in the flesh, and attached to 

 strong muscles ; but articulate with a 

 bone beneath them. The spine of balistes 

 is also kept erect by a second spine be- 

 hind its base, acting like a bolt or wedge, 

 which is simultaneously inserted or with- 

 drawn by the same muscular motion that 

 raises or depresses the spine. 



BA'LKSTONE. A provincial name given 

 to an impure stratified limestone. 



BA'NNER. The upper large petal of a papil- 

 lionaceous flower. 



BA'OBAL. A stone which has obtained its 

 name from its resemblance to the fruit of 

 the baobal tree. - 



BARB. 



1. That which grows in place of a beard. 



2. A sort of pubescence in plants. 

 BA'RBATE. } (from barbatus, Lat.) 

 BA'RBATED. $ Bearded ; awned. 

 BA'RBED. Bearded ; awned. 

 BA'RIUM. The metallic basis of baryta, 



discovered by Sir H. Davy. 



BARK. In botany, the covering of plants, 

 composed of woody fibres, situated above 

 the wood and under the cellular integu- 

 ment, consisting of from one to many 

 layers, according to the age of the plant 

 or branch, an additional layer being pro- 

 duced every year. 



BA'RNACLE. (The Lepas balanus of Lin- 

 naeus. Barnacle, Fr. barnacla, It.) A 

 species of shell-fish, a pedunculated cir- 

 rhipede, frequently found adhering to the 

 bottoms of ships in such prodigious num- 

 bers, and of so great a length, as to ma- 



