K E E 



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LAB 



Gr.) A straw-coloured mineral not long 

 discovered, occurring in thin prismatic 

 concretions, and of a fibrous structure. 

 KEEL. (Kiel, Germ, quille, Fr.) 



1. In conchology, the longitudinal pro- 

 minence in the Argonautse. 



2. In botany, the term keel is applied to 

 two of the petals in papilionaceous flow- 

 ers : the keel is composed of two petals, 

 separate or united, and encloses the in- 

 ternal organs of fructification. 



3. In entomology, a sharp, longitudinal, 

 gradually rising elevation upon the in- 

 ferior surface. 



KEE'LED. Applied to leaves when the back 

 is very prominent longitudinally. 



KERA'TOPHYTE. A name given to the 

 horny zoophyte. 



KE'RATE. (from Kspag, Gr. a horn ; from 

 the minerals placed in this order having a 

 resemblance to horn in their outward 

 aspect.) The name of the third order of 

 earthy and metalliferous minerals. The 

 characters of the genera of this order are 

 as follows : they are not metallic ; have a 

 white streak ; no single distinct cleavage ; 

 hardness = I'O 2'0 ; specific gravity 

 5-5 to 6-5. 



KI'LLAS. A provincial name for a coarse 

 argillaceous schist ; a variety of slate. 

 Mr. Bakewell, in mentioning the killas of 

 Cornwall, says, " perhaps the best desig- 

 nation of the killas rock on this situation 

 is, that of a minutely grained and highly 

 indurated gneiss that had lost its schis- 

 toze character." 



KI'LLINITE. (Thus named from its having 

 been discovered at Killiney, in Ireland, 

 by Dr. Taylor.) A mineral of a pale 

 green colour, occurring in veins of granite 

 at Killiney, near Dublin. 



KI'MMERIDGE CLAY. A blue and greyish- 

 yellow slaty clay of the oolite formation ; 

 a member of the oolite group, thus called 

 from its being found abundantly at Kim- 

 meridge, in the Isle of Purbeck. It is 

 also found at Sunning, near Oxford. It 

 contains gypsum and bituminous slate. 

 It is a marine deposit. Kimmeridge clay 

 forms the base of the Isle of Portland. 



KING-CRAB, (an entomostracan, or shelled 

 insect.) The Limulus polyphemus, known 

 also as the horse-shoe. It is very com- 



mon on the coast of New Jersey. The 

 king-crab is placed by Cuvier amongst 

 the poecilopods. 



KNOB, (knobel, knopf, Germ.) A hard 

 protuberance. In conchology, any part 

 of a shell bluntly rising above the rest. 



KNO'BBED. Containing protuberances or 

 knobs ; set with knobs. 



KOA'LA. An extraordinary quadruped in- 

 habiting the continent of Australia. Cu- 

 vier places the koala in marsupialia, or 

 the fourth order of Mammalia. This ani- 

 mal has a short stout body, short legs, 

 and no tail : it has the five toes, or fin- 

 gers, of the fore-feet divided into two 

 groups, the thumb and index forming one 

 group, and the three remaining toes or 

 fingers the other. On the hind feet the 

 thumb is altogether wanting. Carrying 

 its young for a long period on its back, 

 this separation of the toes of the fore- 

 feet enables it to take firmer hold of the 

 branches of the trees, on which it passes a 

 portion of its time. 



KOTH. A name given by the Spaniards to 

 an earthy slimy substance ejected from the 

 volcanoes of South America. It is of a 

 blackish brown colour, an earthy texture, 

 and is but slightly coherent. The na- 

 tives call it Moya. 



KOU'PHOLITE. (from Kovtyog, light, and 

 Xi9oQ, a stone, Gr.) The prehnite kou- 

 pholite of Brongniart. A mineral, a va- 

 riety of prehnite. It occurs in minute, 

 rhomboidal plates, is of a greenish or pale 

 yellow colour, glistening, and slightly 

 pearly. It has been found in the Py- 

 renees. 



KY'ANITE. (from KVO.VOQ, blue colour, Gr. 

 This is frequently written Cyanite.) The 

 Cyanit of Werner ; the Disthene of Haiiy, 

 and the Sappare of Kirwan. Kyanite 

 occurs both massive and crystallized, the 

 crystals, often very long, are frequently 

 grouped. Its colour, as its name imports, 

 is blue, varying from an intense to a light 

 sky-blue. It is infusible, except under 

 the compound blow-pipe. It consists of 

 alumina 64, silica 34, with a small quan- 

 tity of oxide of iron and a trace of lime. 

 It is found in primary rocks in Scotland 

 and in America. 



LABE'LLUM. (labellum, Lat. a little lip.) 

 A term applied, in botany, to one of the 

 three pieces forming the corolla in orchi- 

 deous plants. The calyx and corolla 

 consist of three pieces each, and one of 

 those forming the latter, differs very much 



in size and form from the other two ; it is 

 called the labellum, and is often spurred. 

 LA'BIAL. (from labium, a lip, Lat. labial, 



Fr. labbiale, It.) Pertaining to the lips. 

 LA'BIATE. > In botany, plants are so called 

 LA'BIATED. $ which have the segments or 



