DARWINISM 



DECAGYNIA 



Darwinism, (dar'win-ism). Used by some as 

 a popular name for the theory of evolution: 

 properly the theory of origin of species by 

 natural selection, named from being first ex- 

 pounded in full detail by Mr. Darwin. 



Dasornis, (da-sor'nis) D. Londinensis : an 

 extinct stimthious bird, found in London 

 clay, in the Isle of Sheppy. 



Dasymeter, (da-sim'e-tgr). A modification of 

 the manometer, q.v. 



Dasypoda, (da-sip'o-da). [Gk. dasys, shaggy; 

 pous, footed.] Bee-like insects belonging to 

 Hymenoptera. 



Dasypodidse, (das-i-pod'i-de). [Dasypus, q.v.] 

 Owen's name foi animals such as the arma- 

 dillo, forming a sub-division of Edentata. 



Basyprocta, (das-i-prok'ta). [Gk. dasyproklos, 

 rough bottomed. ]= Agoutis: hare-like ani- 

 mals belonging to Rodentia. 



Dasypus, (das'i-pus). [Gk. dasypous. hairy- 

 footed. ]= Armadillo : an ant-eating burrow- 

 ing quadruped of S. America, belonging to 

 Edentata, having an armour-like covering 

 of bony scales. 



Dasyures, (das-i-u'rez). [Gk. dasys, shaggy: 

 oura, tail.] A sub-division of marsupial 

 animals represented by the Dasyurus. 



Dasyurus, (das-i-u'rus). [Gk. dasys, shagi^y ; 

 oura, tail.] An Australian marsupial car- 

 nivorous quadruped belonging to the divi- 

 sion Sarcophagas. Ursine D.=Tasmanian 

 devil. 



Date, (dat). [Gk. daktylos, finger. ]=Phoenix 

 dactylif era=Date- 

 palm: a tree common 

 in Syria, Arabia, and 

 N. Africa, named from 

 shape of fruit. D. plum 

 =Fruit of Diospyrus 

 Virginiana or Persim- 

 mon tree. D. shells 

 Lithodomus. Indian 

 Z).:=Diospyros lotus. 



Datiscaceae, ( da-tis-ka'- 

 se-e ). [ Datisca, the 

 typical genus. ]=Datis- 

 cads : herbs, sometimes Date-tree, 



trees, with apetalous flowers, belonging to 

 Cucurbitales. 



Datiscin, (da'tis-sin). [Datisca, <?.v.]=C 2 iII ls 

 07 : a crystalline substance obtained from 

 Datisca cannabina, used as a yellow dye. 



Datura, (da-tu'ra). [Datora, the Ai-abic 

 name.]=Thorn-apple, &c. : a plant belong- 

 ing to Solanacese. 



Daturia, (da-tu'ri-a). [Datura, q. v. ] = Atropia, 

 q.v. : found also in Datura stramonium. 



Daucus, (da-u'kus). [Daucum, the Latin 

 n am a.]~ Carrot : a common herb, with edible 

 root, belonging to Apiacefe. 



Davy's safety lamp. [Invented by Sir. II. 

 Davy.] An oil lamp enclosed in a case of 

 fine wire gauze, which cools down the 

 Jieated gas passing out, and so prevents 

 explosion. If the air be inflammable it 

 bucns within the lamp, and so warns the 

 miner of the danger. 



Dayaks. An Oceanic race. 



Day, (da). [Dug, the A.-S, name.] Solar 



day: reckoned from noon to noon. Civil 

 day: reckoned from midnight to midnight. 

 Sidereal day=23h. 56m. 47s., reckoned from 

 the time of some given star being on the 

 meridian, usually the first point of Aries. 



Day's work. The account of a ship's course 

 during 24 hours. 



Day flies=:Ephemeridfe: a sub-division of 

 Orthoptera ; insects which live only a few 

 hours. 



Dead. D. centres.- the two points in the revo- 

 lution of a crank and axle, at which the crank 

 and connecting rod are in a straight line. D. 

 dipping, of brasswork, in nitric acid, to give 

 it a dull appearance. D. eyes: a wooden block, 

 pierced with holes for a lanyard. D. lights: 

 a shutter over the cabin window of a ship. 

 D. nettle='Lamium : an herb belonging to 

 Lamiaceaa. D. oil: a heavy yellow oil, ob- 

 tained from coal naphtha. D. point: the 

 two points in the revolution of a crank which 

 are in a line with the connecting rod. D. 

 reckoning: that portion of a calculation re- 

 specting the position of a ship at sea which 

 is independent of celestial observation. D. 

 wood: timbers forming a kind of backing to 

 the stem and stern of a ship. 



Deadly nightshade=Atropa belladonna, q.v. 



Dead-man's hand=Alcyonium digitatum: an 

 asteroid zoophyte; also called Dead-man's 

 toes. 



Deal, (del). [The A.-S. word.] 1. The timber 

 of the spruce or fir tree. 2. The squared tim- 

 ber of fir trees, about 12 ft. long, 3 in. thick, 

 and 7 in. wide. 



Deal-fish = Trachypterua arcticus; a riband- 

 shaped fish, about 3 ft. loner, and very thin, 

 belonging to Acanthopterygii. 



Death adder=Acanthophis sp. : a viperino 

 snake of Australia. 



Death's-head moth = Acheron tia atropos: a 

 large hairy moth, marked on the back of 

 the thorax with a resemblance to a skull. 



"Death watch, " the call of the beetle Anobium. 



De Blainville's classification of animals, v. 

 Ittainville. 



Deca, (dek'a). [Gk. deka, ten.] A prefix 

 meaning ten. D. gramme=10 grammes= 

 =154^ grains. D. litre=lO litres=G10i cubic 

 inches; also called centistere. D. metre=lQ 

 metres=393f inches, v. Metric system. 



Decagon, (dek'a-gon). [Gk. deka, ten; gonia, 

 corner.] A figure bounded by ten straight 

 lines. 



De Candolle's classification of plants: 

 Vascular plants=Cotyledonous plants. 

 Exogens=Dicotyledous. 

 Thalamiflorse. 

 Calyciflora. 

 Corollifloras. 

 Monochlamydeae. 

 Endogens = Monocotyledons. 

 Phanerogams. 

 Cryptogams. 



Cellular plants=Acotyledong. 

 Foliacese. 

 Aphyllse. 



Decagynia, (dek'a-jin-i-a). [Gk. deka,, ten; 

 gijne, woman.] Plants, having ten pistils, 



