A M B 



[ 



of ambor yield about three ounces 

 of purified succinic acid, 

 AMBERGRIS, (from amber and gris, 

 or grey.) A concretion from the 

 intestines of the physeter macro- 

 eephalus, or spermaceti whale. It 

 was long doubted of what amber- 

 gris consisted; and Todd, in his 

 last edition of Johnson's Dictionary, 

 retains, without any comment or 

 observation, the absurd opinions of 

 former days, stating that "some 

 imagine it to be the excrement of a 

 bird, which, being melted by the 

 heat of the sun, and washed off the 

 shore by the waves, is swallowed 

 by whales, who return it back in 

 the condition we find it." Neu- 

 mann absolutely denies it to be an 

 animal substance, as not yielding 

 in the analysis any one animal 

 principle. He concludes it to be a 

 bitumen issuing out of the earth 

 into the sea ; at first of a viscous 

 consistence, but hardening, by its 

 mixture with some liquid naphtha, 

 into the form in which we find it. 

 It is stated by Sir E. Home that 

 this substance is only found in the 

 unhealthy animal, but whether the 

 cause or the effect of disease is not 

 well ascertained. When the pieces 

 of ambergris are large, they are 

 found to contain beaks of the sepia 

 octopedia, or cuttlefish, the usual 

 food of the spermaceti whale. 

 Ambergris is a solid, opaque, ash- 

 coloured, inflammable substance, 

 variegated like marble, remarkably 

 light, its specific gravity ranging 

 from 780 to 926; rugged, and, 

 when heated, emitting a fragrant 

 odour. It is sometimes found in 

 masses of two hundred pounds 

 weight and upwards. It breaks 

 easily, but cannot be reduced to 

 powder; melts like wax, and is 

 soluble in ether and the volatile 

 oils, and, assisted by heat, in 

 alcohol, ammonia, and the fixed 

 oils. It has been employed in 

 medicine, but is now quite laid 



7 ] A M B 



aside. In consequence of its 

 fragrance, it enters into the com- 

 position of many articles of per- 

 fumery. 



A'MBIT. (ambitus, Lat.) The compass 

 or circuit of anything ; the line 

 that encompasses anything. 

 2. In conchology, the circumfe- 

 rence or outline of the valves. 



AMBLY'GONITE. An earthy mineral, 

 so* named from the Greek, in allu- 

 sion to the obtuse angles of its 

 prism. It occurs in rhombic prisms 

 of 106 10' and 73 50', rough 

 externally, and of a greenish white, 

 or sea-green colour. 



AMBLY'PTERUS. A genus of fishes 

 whose duration was limited to the 

 early periods of geological forma- 

 tions; and which are marked by 

 characters that cease after the de- 

 position of the magnesian limestone. 

 This genus occurs only in strata of 

 the carboniferous order, and presents 

 four species at Saarbriick, in Lor- 

 raine; it is found also in Brazil. 

 The character of the teeth in 

 Amblypterus shews the habit of 

 this genus to have been to feed on 

 decayed sea- weed, and soft animal 

 substances at the bottom of the 

 water; they are all small and 

 numerous, and set close together 

 like a brush. The form of the 

 body, being not calculated for rapid 

 progression, accords with this 

 habit. The vertebral column con- 

 tinues into the upper lobe of the 

 tail, which is much longer than the 

 lower lobe, and is thus adapted to 

 sustain the body in an inclined 

 position, with the head and mouth 

 nearest to the bottom. This re* 

 markable elongation of the superior 

 lobe of the tail is found in every 

 bony fish of strata anterior to, and 

 including, the magnesian limestone. 

 Buckland. 



AMBLYRRHY'NCHUS. (from a^fiXi*?, 

 blunt, and p^x 9 > rhynchus, snout.) 

 The amblyrrhynchus constitutes a 

 genus of lizards, established by 



