AMP 



[21 ] 



AMP 



neither hair, mammae, feathers, nor 

 radiated fins : they are oviparous 

 or viviparous, and are divided into 

 reptiles and serpents ; or reptilia 

 pedata, and serpentes apodes, the 

 former being furnished with teeth, 

 and the latter being destitute of 

 them. The amphibia possess the ex- 

 traordinary property of reproducing 

 parts, such as their legs, tails, &c., 

 if destroyed. 



AMpniBioLi'THirs. (from a/ufa'pio*? and 

 X/0os, Gr.) Fossil amphibia. The 

 amphibiolithi form a very large 

 and important class of fossils. 



AMPHI'BIOTJS. (a^fa'pios, Gr. amphilie, 

 Fr. anfibo, It.) That partakes of 

 two natures, being able to live 

 either in the air or in the water. 



A'MPHIBOLE. (aytt0t'/3*o<?, Gr.) The 

 name given by Haiiy, and the 

 French, to hornblende : for particu- 

 lars see Hornblende. 



AMPHI'BOLITE. Any rock whose basis 

 is amphibole or hornblende. 



AMPHIDE'SMA. (from ampJio, both and 

 desmos, ligament.) A genus of 

 bivalve shells belonging to the 

 family mactucea ; it is equivalve, 

 oval or rounded, nearly equilateral ; 

 hinge with one or two cardinal 

 teeth in each valve, and two 

 elongated lateral teeth distinct in 

 one valve, nearly obselete in the 

 other ; ligament separated from the 

 cartilage, which is elongated and 

 placed obliquely in an excavation 

 of the hinge. The separation of 

 the cartilage and ligament have 

 given origin to the name, which 

 signifies double ligament, an arrange- 

 ment of parts which distinguishes 

 it from Tellina. The recent species 

 are few, but upwards of twelve are 

 enumerated fossil in the British 

 Isles, viz., four in the crag, one in 

 the greensand, one in the coral 

 rag, one in the cornbrash, one in 

 the inferior oolite, and four in the 

 carboniferous rocks ; but we may 

 be allowed to express some doubt 

 as to the correctness of all these 

 identifications. Lycett. 



AMPHIPNE'USTA. The second order of 

 the class Arachnida, comprising 

 the spiders. 



A'MPHIGENE. (from a/ufa and ryeVo?, 

 Gr.) Trapezoidal zeolite, or leucite. 

 This mineral, also called Yesuvian, 

 occurs in embedded grains or crys- 

 tals, in the more ancient lavas, and 

 is found mixed with garnet, horn- 

 blende, quartz, &c. in the ejected 

 masses of old volcanoes. 



A'MPHITHEBE. | The name assign- 



AMPSITHE'KITJM. j ed by Professor 

 Owen to a fossil genus of insectivora 

 found in the Stonesfield slate. This 

 genus differs from Didelphys, both 

 in the number and size of its 

 teeth, being smaller in size, and in 

 the lower jaw thirty two in number, 



A'MPHISB^NA. (from afKpl <$ and fiai'vw, 

 Gr. to walk both ways.) The name 

 given to a genus of serpents, natives 

 of South America. 



A'MPHITJRITE. A genus of Tubicola, 

 of the division Articulata. 



AMPHO'DELITE. An earthy mineral 

 described by Nordenskiold and 

 occurring in the limestone of Fin- 

 land. Its form is crystalline, 

 resembling that of felspar. Its 

 colour is a light red; fracture 

 uneven and splintery and posses- 

 sing two cleavages which meet at 

 an angle of 94 19'. Specific 

 gravity 2-76. Hardness 4*4. 



AMMPLEXICATJ'LENT. (from amplexus 

 and caulis, Lat.) Stem- clasping ; 

 embracing the stem. 



AMPLE'XTJS. A singularly - formed 

 fossil, resembling a coral or mad- 

 repore, found in the Dublin lime- 

 stone: it is described as being 

 nearly cylindrical, divided into 

 chambers by numerous transverse 

 septa, which embrace each other 

 with reflected margins. Sowerby. 



AMPULLA'EIA. (from ampulla, Lat.) 

 A ventricose, subglobose, univalve, 

 with an umbilicated base ; tho 

 opening oblong and entire, with no 

 thickening on the left lip. The 

 ampullaria is a river shell of warm 

 climates. Its spire, which always 



