URTICACEJE 



337 



VARIABLE STARS 



Urticaceae, ( er'ti-ka'se-e ). [Urtica, $..]= 

 Nettle-worts: herbs, shrubs, and trees, with 

 rough stinging leaves, and light spongy wood, 

 belonging to Urtinales. 



Urticales, (er-ti-ki'lez). [Urtica, q.v.] Plants, 

 with monochlaiuydeous flowers, forming a 

 division of Diclinous Exogens. 



Usnea, (ns'ne-n). A lichen, yielding a yel- 

 low dye -stuff. U. florida = lizard-like 

 lichen. 



Usnic acid, (us'nik). [Usnea, g.v.]=CoHifiO7: 

 a yellow dye-stuff, found in usnea and other 

 lichens. 



Uterogestation, (u-ter-O-jes-ta'shun). [Uterus, 

 q.v. ; L. gesto, I carry. ] Pregnancy : tbe 



period of foetal life between conception and 



birth. 

 Uterus, (u'ter-us). [The Latin word.] Womb: 



the part of the female generative organ in 



which the foetus is contained during gestation. 

 "Utricle, (u'tri-kl). [L. utriculus, small bottle.] 



=A bottle-shaped cell or bladder; any small 



I>:r4-*haped cell. 

 Utricularia, (Q-tri-ku-l:Vri-a). [Utricle, q.v.] 



A plant belonging to Lentibulariaceco. 

 Tlvula, (ii'vu-la). [L. uva, grape.] A prolonga- 

 tion of the soft palate at the back of the mouth. 

 XTwarowite, (u'war-6-wlt). [M. Uwarow, a 



Russian.] Chrome garnet: a greeii variety 



of garnet. 



V. 



Vaagmaer, (vag'mer) = Deal fish = Trachy- 



pterus bogmarus. 

 vaccination, (vaks-in-a'shun). [L. vaceinus, 



from a cow.] To inoculate with vaccine 



lymph, to produce cow pox as a preventive 



o'f small pox. cf. Inoculation. 

 Vacciniaceae, (vaks-in-i-a'se-e). [Vaccinintn, 



the typical genus.]=Cr;inoerries: shrubs and 



trees belonging to Cinchonales. 

 Vaccinic acid, (vaks-in'ik). [L. vacca, cow.] 



rrCgHijC^: an acid found in butter. 

 Vacuoles, (vak'ii-olz). [L. vacuv.s, empty.] 



Spaces full of water, as found in singes. 

 Vagina, (va-jl'na). [L. vagina, sheath.) 1. A 



general term for a sheath in animal and 



vegetable organisms. 2. The passage lead- 

 ing from the uterus to the outeide of the 



body. 



Vala! No. 131 of the Minor Planets. 

 Valentinite, (val-en'ti-nit). A mineral, chiefly 



oxide of antimony. 

 Valeral, (val'e-ral). [Valeric, $.i;.]=C 5 H 10 O= 



Valeric aldehyd: a pungent acrid liquid, the 



vapour of which is inflammable. 

 Valerates, (val'er-ats). [Valeric, q.v.] Com- 

 pounds of valeric acid and bases. 

 Valerene, (val'er-gn). [Valeric, g.v.]=Bor- 



neene, q.v. 

 Valeriana, (val-er-i-a'na). [L. valeo, I am 



strong. ]= Valerian: a plant, the type of 



Valerianaceae. 

 ValerianaceaB, (val-t'-ri-an-a'se-e). [Valeriana, 



q. v.]= Valerian- worts : herbs belonging to 



Campanales. 

 Valerianella, ( val-5-ri-a-nel'la ). [Valeriana, 



q.v.] An herb belonging to Valerianaceae. 



V. oh'oria=Lamb's succory. 

 Valerianic acid= Valeric acid, q.v. 

 Valeric acid, (val'er-ik). [Valerian a. ]=C 5 H] p 2 



=Tetrylformicacid=Phocenicacid= An acrid 



oily liquid obtained from valerian root, and 



by oxidation of fousel oil, oleic acid, &c. 

 Valerol, (val'e-rol). [Valeric, q.v.]=C 6 H l(> O: 



a crystalline substance found in essence of 



valerian. 

 Valeryl, (val'e-ril). [Valeric, q.v.] The radicle 



of the valerianic group. 

 Valerylene = CsHg : a hydrocarbon of the 



acetylene series. 



Valley of the Alps, A crater in the Moon, 

 75 miles long, 6 wide. 



Valve, (valv). [L. valvoe, folding doors.] 

 Generally: any movable partition which serves 

 to regulate tHe passing of a fluid along a 

 passage. Safety V.: one kept closed by a 

 weight until the pressure of the steam 

 becomes great enough to be dangerous. 



Valyl, (val'il)=C 8 H 18 =Dibutyl, q.v. 



Vampire, (vam'pir). [The French word.] V. 

 la t = Vam pi r us spec- 

 trum, belongs to 

 Cheiroptera. 



Van Beneden's clas- 

 sification, v. Bene- 

 den. 



Vanadiates. ( van - 

 a'di-ats). [Vanadic, 

 q.v.] Compounds of 

 vanadic acid and 

 bases. 



Vanadic, (van'a-dik). [Vanadium, q.v.] Re- 

 lating to vanadium. V. anhydride=\zQ: a, 

 crystalline substance. 



Vanadium, (van-a'di-um). [Vanadis=Freia, 

 the Scandinavian goddess. ]=V: a very rare 

 metal, first obtained from the mineral vana- 

 dinite: acts upon glass and porcelain. 



Vanadyl, ( van'a-dil ). [ Vanadium, q.v. ]= 

 Oxide of Vanadium. 



Vanellus, (van-el'lus). V. crigtatu* = Bath- 

 bird=Peewit=Lap-wing: a bird belonging 

 to Charadriadae. 



Vanessa, (va-nes'sa). A butterfly. V. cardui 

 =Paiuted lady. V. Io = Peacock butter- 

 fly- 

 Vanilla, ( van-il'la ). [ Baynilla, the native 

 name.] A climbing plant belonging to Orchi- 

 daceaj, found wild in tropical America. 



Vanishing Fraction, v. Fraction. 



Vapour, (va'per). [L. vapor, steam.] The 

 gaseous condition of liquids that can be eva- 

 porated without decomposition. 



Varanus, (va-ra'nus). [Ouaran, Arabic name.] 

 = Monitor: a large reptile found in Old 

 World only. 



Variable stars. Stars, the apparent magni- 

 tude of which is variable ; e.g., TJ Argus, 

 o Ceti, S Cancri, /3 Persei, &c. 

 v 



