



[26] 



A K 



having three muscular impressions ; 

 the hinge plain, having no appear- 

 ance of a tooth. 



A'NOGENS. A class of plants compris- 

 ing two orders, the Hepaticse, or 

 liver- worts, and the musci, or 

 mosses. 



ANO'MIA. A genus of molluscous bi- 

 valve. The anomiaa are inhabitants 

 of every sea, and are found ad- 

 hering to foreign bodies by means 

 of an operculum, or valve. Recent 

 and fossil. 



ANO'MITE. A fossil shell of the genus 

 Anomia. 



ANOMOBHOMBOI'DA. | (from avopoios, 



ANOMOEHOM'BOID. ) irregular, and 

 pofjifioeiSris, of a rhomboidal figure.) 

 A genus of pellucid, crystalline 

 spars, of no determinate, regular, 

 external form, but always frac- 

 turing into regular rhomboidal 

 masses. Of this genus there are 

 five known species, all possessing, 

 in some degree, the double refrac- 

 tion of the island crystal. 



ANOPLOTHE'EE. } (from oi/oTrXos, 



ANOPLOTHE'EITJM. j unarmed, and 

 Oypiov, a wild beast. ) A fossil ex- 

 tinct quadruped, belonging to the 

 order Pachydermata, resembling a 

 pig. Five species of Anoplotherium. 

 have been found in the gypsum of 

 the neighbourhood of Paris. The 

 largest (Anaplotherium commune) 

 being of the size of a dwarf ass, 

 with a thick tail, equal in length 

 to its body, and resembling that of 

 an otter ; its probable use was to 

 assist the animal in swimming. 

 The posterior molar teeth in the 

 genus Anoplotherium resemble 

 those of the rhinoceros ; their feet 

 are terminated by two large toes, 

 like the ruminating animals, whilst 

 the composition of their tarsus is 

 like that of the camel. The place 

 of this genus stands, in one respect, 

 between the rhinoceros and the 

 horse ; and in another, between the 

 hippopotamus, the hog, and the 

 camel. Auckland. 



Cuvier has shown that the struc- 

 ture of the hind foot alone is 

 sufficient to prove, that the Anoplo- 

 therium was of a species at present 

 unknown. He divides the genus 

 into three sub-genera, namely, the 

 anoplotheria, properly so called, the 

 xiphodons, and the dichobunes. 



The anoplotherium possesses two 

 characters distinguishing it from 

 all other animals ; feet with two 

 toes, in which the bones of the 

 metacarpus and metatarsus remain 

 distinct, and are not soldered to- 

 gether as in the ruminantia ; and 

 teeth in a continued series, without 

 any intervening gap. Griffiths. 



Professor Owen says "the anoplo- 

 therium appears to have been one 

 of the earliest forms of hoofed 

 quadrupeds introduced upon the 

 surface of this earth, and that the 

 ancient herbivore presents, in com- 

 parison with living species, no 

 indications of an inferior or rudi- 

 mental character in any known 

 part of its organization, and that, 

 with regard to its dentition, it not 

 only possessed incisors and canines 

 in both jaws, but that those teeth 

 were so equally developed, that they 

 formed one unbroken series with the 

 premolars and true molars, which 

 character is now manifested only 

 in the human species." 



ANOPLOTHE'EIAN. Relating to the 

 an oplo there. The Xiphodon is a 

 long and slender anoplotherian 

 animal. Owen. 



ANOPLOTHE'EIOID. (from anoplotherium 

 and eto9, Gr.) Resembling the 

 anoplotherium. The animal be- 

 longed to that group of the Anop- 

 lotherioid family which includes 

 the genera dichobune and xiphodon 

 of Cuvier. Owen. 



ANO'ETHITE. The mineral to which 

 this name is given is thus called 

 from the absence of right angles in 

 its fracture, which circumstance 

 serves to distinguish it. It is a 

 variety of felspar, and has been 



