X Y L 



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Z A M 



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XYLO'PHAGI. (from t-Xoi>, wood, 



to eat, Gr.) A family of coleopterous 

 insects, comprising several genera. 



XI'PHIAS. (i0iae, from i$0, a sword, 

 Gr.) The sword-fish. 



XI'PHOID. (from ('0oc, a sword, and tioc, 

 form.) Resembling a sword : a term ap- 

 plied to the cartilage placed at the lower 

 extremity of the sternum or breast-bone. 



YA'NOLITE. The name given by Lamethe- 

 ric to the Axinite of Haiiy and the Thum- 

 merstone of Kirwan. See Axinite. 



YE'NITE. So named from Jena. Called 

 also Lievrite. It is found in the Isle of 

 Elba and in Norway. A mineral of a 

 black or blackish-green colour, occurring 

 crystallized and massive. It is opaque ; 

 scratches glass ; gives sparks with steel. 

 Specific gravity from 3'8 to 4. Longitu- 

 dinal fracture foliated ; cross fracture 

 conchoidal or uneven : lustre resinous. 

 Before the blow-pipe it fuses into a dull, 

 opaque, black globule, strongly attracted 

 by the magnet. It consists of silex 30'0, 

 lime 12'5, oxide of iron 57'5. 



Y'TTRIA. A name given by Ekeberg to a 

 new earth discovered by Gadolin, in 1797, 



in the quarry of Ytterby in Sweden. It 

 has also been named Gadolinite, after 

 Gadolin. See Gadolinite. 



Y'TTRIUM. The name given by Ekeberg to 

 a metal forming the basis of Yttria. In 

 that mineral it is combined with the oxides 

 of iron and manganese, and a small portion 

 of lime, and silica. When separated from 

 these substances, it has the appearance 

 of a fine white powder, without either 

 taste or smell. It is infusible, and is in- 

 soluble in water. 



YTTROTA'NTALITE. The name given by 

 Brochant to Ittrious oxide of Columbium. 

 Yttrotantalite, like Yttria, is found in the 

 quarry of Ytterby in Sweden. It is of a 

 dark grey colour ; shining, metallic lus- 

 tre ; found in reniform masses. 



ZA'FFRE. An impure oxide of cobalt, ob- 

 tained by roasting the ore of cobalt, by 

 which process the arsenic and sulphur 

 contained in the ore are driven off. Zaf- 

 fre melted with silex and potash, and 

 reduced to powder, constitutes the article 

 known under the name of powder blue. 



ZA'MIA. For the following description of 

 this genus of plants, I am indebted to the 

 kindness of Mr. William Munday, of 

 Worthing, who has obligingly extracted 

 and forwarded it to me : 



" Zamia, in botany, a genus of the 

 class Appendix palmae, Dioecia, order Po- 

 lyandria, natural order of Palmse, Filices 

 (Juss). Generic character: Male, calyx; 

 ament strobile-shaped, ovate, obtuse ; 

 scales horizontal, pellate, obovate, very 

 blunt, one-flowered, thickened at the top, 

 permanent. Corolla none. Stamina : 

 filaments none. Anthers subglobular, 

 clustered, accumulated in the lower sur- 

 face of the scales, sessile, two-valved, 

 opening above by a longitudinal cleft. 

 Pollen, farinaceous. Female, calyx ; 

 ament strobile- shaped, larger, ovate, im- 

 bricate ; scales pedicelled, pellate, angu- 



lar, finally distant, permanent. Corolla 

 none. Pistil : germs two, irregular, an- 

 gular, inserted into the margin under the 

 pelta of the scales, solitary on each side, 

 nodding. Style none. Stigma obtuse, 

 obscurely cloven at the side. Pericarp : 

 berries to each scale two ovate, barked at 

 the base, fleshy, one-celled. Seed one in 

 each berry, ovate. Essential character: 

 Male, ament strobile-shaped, scales co- 

 vered with pollen underneath. Female, 

 ament strobile-shaped, with scales at each 

 margin ; berry solitary." 



"1. Z. furfuracea, or broad-leaved 

 zamia. Leaflets wedge-shaped, straight, 

 very smooth from the middle to the tip, 

 serrate, scurfy underneath; stipe spiny, 

 stem thick, seldom rising more than two 

 feet high. It was discovered by Dr. 

 Houstoun in the sands near Vera Cruz in 

 America. 



"2. Z. integrifolia, or dwarf zamia. 

 Leaflets mostly quite entire, bluntish, 

 awnless, straight, shining ; stipe unarmed. 

 The spadix is divided into florets after the 

 manner of the fruit of the cypress. Na- 

 tive of EasJ; Florida. 



