ASPHALTIN 



ASTERITE 



sinous substance, usually black, resembling 

 pitch, used for pavements, roofs, &c.; of 

 vegetable origin, and composed chiefly of 

 hydrocarbons. Also called mineral pitch and 

 Jew's pitch ; said to be a compound of petro- 

 lene and asphaltene. > 



Asphaltin, (as-falt'in). [Asphalt, 5.v.]=As- 

 phaltene=C 2 oH32O3: the chief constituent 

 of asphalt; possibly au oxidised form of 

 petrolene. 



Asphaltum=Asphalt, q.v. 



Asphodel, (as'fo-del). [Gk. aspJiodelos, daffo- 

 dil. ]=Asphodelus; also applied to some spe- 

 cies of the Narcissus. A. officinalis=A.sp&- 

 ragus. Sag A. = Narthecium ossifragum. 

 Scotch ^.=Tofieldia palustris. 



Asphodelese, (as-fo-dcle-e). [ Asphodel, 'q.v.] 

 =Onion, &c. : plants forming a division of 

 liliaceae, q.v., having small gaily-coloured 

 flowers: also used as=Liliace8e. 



Asphycta, (as-fik'ta). [Gk. asphyctos, with- 

 out pulse.] Ehrenberg's term for a group of 

 lower animals, including Bryozoa, Echin- 

 oidea, Acalephse, &c. 



Asphyxia, (as-fix'i-a). [Gk. a, not; sphygmos, 

 pulse.] A temporary stoppage of the action 

 of the heart, and consequent accumulation 

 of carbonic acid and absence of oxygen in. the 

 blood, usually producing death: may bo 

 caused by strangulation, drowning, &c. 



Aspic, (as'pik). [Aspis, the Latin name.]= 



Aspidiaria, (as-pid-i-a'ri-a). [Aspidium, q.v.] 

 Plants, known only by fossil remains of 

 stems, having shield -shaped leaf scaurs, 

 found in coal. 



Aspidium, (as-pid'i-um). [Gk. aspis, a shield.] 

 =Shield fern : a fern, belonging to Polypo- 

 diaceae, the involucres of which are shield- 

 shaped. A &aromete=Tartarian lamb. , 



Aspidorhynchus, ( as-pid-o-rin'kus ). [Gk. 

 aspis, shield; rhynchos, beak.] Buckler- 

 beak: a fish, known only by fossil remains 

 found in Secondary rocks, having a beak-like 

 upper jaw. 



Aspidura, (as-pi-du'ra). [Gk. aspis, shield; 

 oura, tail.] A star-fish, known only by fossil 

 remains found in the Muschelkalk of Ger- 

 many, having small shield-like ossicles on 

 the arms. 



Aspirator, (as-pi-ril'tor). [L. aspiro, I breathe.] 

 An apparatus for drawing a stream of gas 

 through a vessel. 



Aspleniopteris, (as-pl5-ni-op'ter-is). [Asple- 

 nium, q.v.', Gk. pteris, fern.] A fern-like 

 plant, resembling the asplenium, known only 

 by fossil remains found in Lias and Oolite 

 rocks. 



Asplenium, (as-plc'ni-um). [Gk. a, not; splen, 

 spleen.] = Spleen-wort : a fern belonging to 

 Polypodiacese, named from having been used 

 as a medicine for the spleen. 



Ass, (as). [L. asinus.] = Asinus = Equus 

 asinus: an animal somewhat resembling the 

 horse, but usually more or less marked by 

 bands of colour, belonging to Equidae, q.v. 



Assafoetida=Asaf(tida, q.v. 



Assai = Euterpe oleracea ; a plant found in 



Ass' s-foot= Colt's foot=Tussilago farfara. 



Assamar, (as'sam-ar). [L. asso, I roast; ama- 

 rus, bitter.3=C 2 4H 1 30i3: a bitter substance 

 obtained from meat, bread, sugar, &c., by 

 roasting them. 



Assaying, (as-sa'ing). [F. assay er, to try.]= 

 Partial analysis; for tho purpose of estimat- 

 ing one constituent, usually a metal, of any 

 compound: usually confined to the analysis 

 of compounds containing silver or gold. 

 A . by dry method='by heat. A. by wet method 

 =by chemical agents. 



Assimilation, (as-sim-i-la'shun). [L. ad, to; 

 similis, like.] The conversion of nutriment 

 into the materials composing the gubstauca 

 of a plant or animal. 



Astacolite, (as-tak'o-lit). [Gk. astakos, cray 

 fish; lithos, stone.] Fossil remains of Crus- 

 taceans resembling tho cray-fish. 



Astacus, (as'ta-kus). [Astakos, the Greek 

 name.] Cray-fish, &c.: Crustacean animala 

 belonging to Macrura, q.v. Originally in- 

 cluded many animala now formed into sepa- 

 rate genera. 



Astarte, (as-taYte). [Classical.] 1. A con- 

 chiferous animal, belonging to Mollusca, 

 known by fossil remains. 2 = Astartea: a 

 plant belonging to Myrtacese. 



Astatic, (a-stat'ik). [Gk. a, not; statikos, fixed 

 by the earth's magnetism.] Not under the 

 influence of any directive action. A. needle.' 

 a magnetised needle so placed that the earth's 

 magnetic influence on it is neutralised. A. 

 system: two magnetised needles, combined 

 so as to neutralise each other, and so remain 

 in any position. 



Aster, (as'ter). [L.' aster, star.} 'An herb, 

 with star-like flowers, belonging to Aster- 

 acese; chiefly American. 



Asteracanthus, ( as-ter-a-kan'thus ). [Gk, 

 aster, star; akantha, thorn.] A fish known 

 only by fin-rays, found in Lias, Oolite, and 

 Wealden rocks, ornamented with star-like 

 tubercles. 



Asteraceae, (as-ter-a'se-C). [Aster," q.v.] ^Com- 

 posites: an extensive and varied group of 

 herbs and shrubs, witli unisexual capitate 

 flowerets, having syngenesious stamens; in- 

 cludes nearly of all known plants, belongs 

 to Campanales. - ^f. 



Asteria, (as-te'ri-a). [Gk, aster, star,]=Astc- 

 rite, q.v. 



Asteriadae, (as-ter-i'a-de)=Asteridea, q.v. 



Asterias, (as-to'ri-as). A genus of star-fishes, 

 belonging to Asteridea. 



Asterid, (as'ter-id). [Gk. aster, etar; eidos, 

 form.]=A star-fish; used especially of the, 

 young condition. 



Asteridea, (as-ter-id'e-a).=Star-fishes: a div> 

 sion of Echinodermata; animals having flat, 

 star-shaped bodies, with a mouth in the 

 centre of one side, and the digestive and 

 reproductive apparatus extending into the 

 arms. 



Astecion and Chara, (as-te'ri-on)=Canes Ven- 

 atici, q.v. 



Asterism, (as'ter-izm). [Gk. aster, star.] A 

 small cluster of stars. 



Asterite, (as'ter-it.J A variety of sapphire or 



