AMALIC 



16 



AMIA 



combination with gold or silver for the pur- 

 pose of separation from the ore. 



Amalic acid, (am'al-ic). [Gk. amalos, weak.] 

 =Ci2H 1 4N 4 O 8 =Tetramethyl alloxantin: ob- 

 tained by the action of chlorine on caffeine; 

 a crystalline substance having acid qualities 

 in a small degree. 



Amande de terre, ( a'mang-de-ter / ). [ F. 

 amande, almond; terre, earth.]=Tubers of 

 Cyperus esculentus, used as food. 



Amandine, (a'man-din). [Almond, q.v. ]= 

 Vegetable casein : found in almonds. 



Amandola, (a-raan'do-la> A green variety of 

 marble. 



Amarantaceae, (am-ar-an-ta'se-e). [Gk. amar- 

 antos, never fading.] = Amaranths: herbs, 

 such as globe amaranth, cockscomb, chiefly 

 tropical, which do not soon fade, belong- 

 ing to Chenopodales. 



Amaranthacese, ( arn-ar-an-tha'se-S ). [Gk. 

 amarantos, unfading. ]=Amarantaceae, q.v. 



Amarin, (a'ma-rin)=Benzoline, q.v. 



Amaryllideae, ( am-a-ril-lid'e-e ). [Gk. ama- 

 rysso, I shine.] Herbs with showy flowers: Ex. 

 Daffodil, snowdrop=Aniaryllidacea9, q.v. 



Amaryllidaceae. ( am-a-ril-lid-a'se-S ). [Gk. 

 amarysso, I shine.]=Amaryllids=Narci83us 

 tribe: a group of plants, mostly bulbous and 

 poisonous, such as the daffodil and belladonna 

 lily: chiefly tropical, belonging to Narcissales. 



Amaryllis, ( am-a-ril'lis ). [ Classic. ]= Lily- 

 daffodil : a genus of Amarylleoo (Amaryl- 

 lidacerc). 



Amasatin, (a-mas'a-tin). [.Ammonia and 

 i*aii.] = Ci6Hi4N4O3=Isamide: a product 

 of the action of ammonia upon isatin. 



Amasthenic, (am-as-then'ik). [Gk. hama, to- 

 gether; stenos, compressed.] A. lena: a kind 

 of lens which collects all the actinic rays of 

 light into a focus. 



Amber, (am'ber). [Anbar, the Arabic name.] 

 A fossil mineralised resin, chiefly composed 

 of carbon, found in coal beds, and on the S. 

 shores of the Baltic : it is yellow, transpa- 

 rent, combustible, and becomes highly elec- 

 trified by friction. 



Ambergris, (amT>er-gres). [Ambre-gris, the 

 French name.] A fragrant waxy grey sub- 

 stance found on the surface of the seas and 

 in whales; supposed, therefore, to be excreted 

 by whales: used in perfumery. 



Ambit, (amTrit). [L. ambitus, a circuit.] The 

 perimeter of any space or body. 



Amblonyx, (am-blo'niks). [Gk. amblys, blunt; 

 onyx, claw.]=Aethiopus: a bird, with thick 

 toes, known only by fossil footprints, v. 

 Lithichnozoa. 



Amblygonite, (ara-blig'o-nit). [Gk. amblys, 

 blunt; gonia, angle. ]=Montebrasite: an ob- 

 tuse-angled mineral of greenish colour, found 

 only in Saxony and U.S. until 1870, and 

 then in France, and called Montebrasite= 

 crystallised phosphate of alumina and hthia. 



Amblypterus, (am-blip'tr-us). [Gk. amblys, 

 blunt; pteron,\ving.] A fossil ganoid fish with 

 broad fins, found in carboniferous rocks. 



Amblypus, (am'bli-pus). [Gk. amblys, blunt; 

 pous, foot.] A tortoise-like animal, known 

 only by fossil footmarks. 



Amblyrhynchus, (am-blir-hink'us). [Gk. am- 

 blys, blunt ; rhynchion, snout.] A lizard 

 found only in Galapagos islands, with a short 

 broad head. There are but two species: 

 1. A. cristatus, marine, feeds on sea-weed; 

 the only existing reptile feeding on marine 

 vegetation. 2. A. demarlii, terrestrial, herbi- 

 vorous, and burrowing. 



Amblystegite, (am-blis'tg-jlt) = Hypersthene 

 =bronzite. A bronze - coloured mineral, 

 chiefly silicate of magnesia, coloured by oxide 

 of iron; found also in meteors. 



Amblystoma, (am-blis'to-ma). Gk. amblys, 

 blunt ; stoma, mouth.] A salamandruid 

 animal, resembling the Axolotl, q.v. 



Amblyurus, ( am-bli-u'rus ). [Gk. amblys, 

 blunt; oura, tail.] A fish, fossil remains of 

 which are found in Lias rocks. 



Amboynese, (am-boi'uGs). An Oceanic race, 

 natives of Amboyna. 



Ambreine,(am'brm). [Amber, q.v.^C^H^O: 

 a fatty substance, the chief constituent" of 

 ambergris. 



Ambry, (amTjri). [Armoire, the French 

 name]=Almery: a cupboard found in some 

 old churches; usually in the wall near tho 

 altar. 



Ambulacra! system, (am-bu-lil'kral). [L. am- 

 bulacrum, a garden walk] = Ambulacra: 

 openings in the shells of sea-urchins, and 

 through which the locomotive organs pro- 

 ject, and the vessels radiating from the cen- 

 tral mouth to these cavities. 



Ambulacrum, (am-bu-LVkrum). [L. ambula- 

 crum, a garden walk.] The perforation in 

 the covering of a sea-urchin. 



Ambulatoria, (ara-bii-lu-to'ri-a). [L. ambula- 

 torius, movable.] A group of insectivorous 

 animals, resembling the armadillo, of which 

 the myrmecobius is an example. 



Amentaceae, (a-men-ta'se-e). [Amentum, q.v.} 

 A general name for all plants, mostly forest 

 trees, having amentaceous inflorescence: in- 

 cluding plants (oak, birch, beech, &c.) belong- 

 ing to various orders, as Betulaceae, Coryla- 

 cea?, Salicaceac, &c. 



Amentales, (a-men-tiVlez). [L. amentum, a 

 thong.] A division of tho botanical king- 

 dom, containing plants with ameiitaceous 

 inflorescence, and unisexual flowers with in- 

 complete calyx, such as the birch, willow, 

 &c., forming a division of diclinous exogens. 



Amentum, ( a-mcn'tum ). [L. amentum, a 

 thong.] A catkin, or flower head somewhat 

 resembling a rope. 



Ametabola, (a-met-ab'o-la). [Gk. ametabolos, 

 unchanging.] Insects that have no wings, 

 and do not undergo any complete meta- 

 morphosis. 



Amethenic acid, (a-me-then'ik) C7H 14 p 2 : an 

 oily liquid, having feeble acid properties, ob- 

 tained by the action of potassic dichromato 

 on diamylene. 



Amethyst, ( am'e-thist ). [Amethystos, the 

 Greek name.] A gem, composed of crystal- 

 line silica, usually of a violet-blue colour, 

 owing to iron and manganese. 



Amia, (atn'i-a). A ganoid fish, having a lung- 

 like swim bladder. 



