NEE 



[ 178 



NEW 



secretes and contains the honey, (an al- 

 most universal fluid in flowers) and is 

 either a part of the corolla, or an organ 

 distinct from it, and variously formed, as 

 the monks'-hood, black hellebore, &c. ; 

 or it is a tubular elongation of the calyx, 

 or of a petal ; or, an assemblage of 

 glands. In monopetalous flowers, the 

 honey is contained in the tube which, 

 probably, secretes it. The secretion of 

 honey is not exclusively confined to the 

 flower ; in some of the liliaceous tribe 

 it exudes from the flower- stalk, and in 

 the passion- flower it is secreted by glands 

 situated in the peduncle. 



NEE'DLE ORE. The Nadelerz of Werner. 

 Colour steel-grey. Amorphous, or in 

 acicular hexaedral prisms, which are oc- 

 casionally invested with a yellowish or 

 greenish crust. Fracture uneven and 

 metallic. Specific gravity 6'8. Consti- 

 tuents, bismuth 43*6, lead 24*50, copper 

 12-12, sulphur 11-60, nickel 1'58, tellu- 

 rium 1-32. It occurs in a gold-mine near 

 Schlangenberg, in Siberia. 



NEE'DLE STONE. A variety of zoolite, of a 

 yellowish-white colour, found in Ice- 

 land. 



NEMATU'RA. A genus of shells belonging 

 to the family Turbinacea. Two species 

 are known as recent, and one has been 

 found fossil. 



NE'PHELINE. (from vetyiXr), a cloud, Gr.) 

 The Sommite of Jameson ; Nephelin of 

 Werner. A mineral found only in the 

 cavities of lava at Mount Somma, from 

 which circumstance it has been called 

 Sommite. Occurs generally in small, 

 regular, six-sided prisms, associated with 

 mica, hornblende, and idiocrase. Specific 

 gravity 3-27. Colour greyish-white, or 

 greenish-grey. It is translucent, and 

 sometimes transparent. Before the blow- 

 pipe it fuses, with difficulty, into a trans- 

 parent glass. Its constituents are silex 

 46, alumine 49, lime 2, oxide of iron 1. 



NE'PHRITE. (from veQpiTrjQ, ab vtQpog, a 

 kidney, Gr.) A mineral, formerly worn 

 from an absurd notion that diseases of the 

 kidney were relieved by so doing. It is 

 a subspecies of jade, possessing the hard- 

 ness of quartz, combined with a peculiar 

 tenacity which renders it difficult either 

 to break, cut, or polish. It is unctuous 

 to the touch ; fracture splintery and dull ; 

 translucent. Colours green, grey, and 

 white. Specific gravity from 2'9 to 3'1. 

 Constituents, silex 53*80, lime 12-75, 

 soda 10-80, potash 8'50, alumine 1-55, 

 oxide of iron 5-0, oxide of manganese 2-0, 

 water 2'30. Nephrite is brought from 

 India, China, and Persia ; it is found 

 also, in primary rocks, in Germany and 

 Egypt. It is worked into handles for 

 sabres, knives, daggers, &c. 



NEPTU'NIAN. (from Neptunus, the fabled 

 deity of the ocean.) Pertaining to the 

 ocean. 



NEPTU'NIAN THE'ORY. That theory which 

 attempted to prove that all the formations 

 have been precipitated from water, or 

 from a chaotic fluid. 



NE'PTUNISTS. The supporters of the Nep- 

 tunian theory ; they were opposed by the 

 Vulcanists. 



NERITA'CEA. A family of Trachelipods, 

 including the genera Natica, Nerita, Ne- 

 ritina, Navicella, and Janthina. 



NERITI'NA. A genus of fresh-water uni- 

 valves, belonging to the family Neritacea. 

 Shell thin, semiglobose, obliquely oval, 

 smooth, flattish in front ; spire short ; 

 aperture semicircular ; outer lip thin ; 

 columellar lip broad, flat, denticulated. 

 Differs from Nerita in the minuteness of 

 the denticulation of the columella. 

 Sowerby. 



Dr. Mantell describes a species, found, 

 in the state of casts, in the Tilgate grit, 

 which he has named Neritina Fittoni, in 

 honour of Dr. Fitton. 



NERI'TA. A genus of marine univalves 

 included in the family Neritacea. The 

 Nerita is a littoral shell, creeping on rocks 

 and sea-weeds. A semi-globose univalve, 

 depressed beneath, and having no umbi- 

 licus ; aperture entire and semicircular. 

 The aperture is generally large in compa- 

 rison with the shell, but it is furnished 

 with an operculum which completely 

 closes it. 



Of the fossil species, one, Nerita Conoi- 

 dea, is remarkable, both on account of its 

 form and the magnitude which it some- 

 times possesses. Parkinson states that 

 he is not acquainted with any shells of 

 this genus among our English fossils ; 

 Dr. Mantell mentions one species from 

 the diluvium of Sussex. Lamarck par- 

 ticularizes three species as being found in 

 France. 



NEURO'PTERA. (from vtvpov, a nerve, and 

 Trrt/oov, a wing, Gr.) Nerve-winged in- 

 sects. Neuroptera, in Cuvier's arrange- 

 ment, constitutes the eighth order of In- 

 secta. The Neuroptera have four mem- 

 branous wings, usually reticulated by 

 numerous nervures, but having no sting, 

 or ovipositor. The Neuroptera are mostly 

 bold, rapacious, and sanguinary ; perpe- 

 tually chasing and devouring other insects. 

 The libellula, or dragon-fly, is a familiar 

 example. 



NEURO'PTEROUS. Belonging to the order 

 of Neuroptera. 



NEW RED SANDSTONE. A series of brick- 

 red strata lying immediately above the 

 coal measures ; sometimes called varie- 

 gated sandstone, in consequence of the 

 occurrence of spots and stripes of a 



