AMP 



(54 



AMP 



eucfc to the frequpnt coveiing with which 

 the species are invested. 



AMPHICU'ME, ;i kind of figure-stone, 

 anciently used in divination, and called 

 erviylos, on account of its supposed power 

 of exciting love. Name utiqi, both, and 

 eui;, hair. 



AMPHIC'TYONS, council of. In history, 

 an assembly of deputies from the different 

 states of Greece, which met sometimes at 

 Thermopylae but generally at Delphi ; 

 w named because established by king 

 Amphictyon. 



AMPHID'EON, A/Mfidtev, from ctu,$i$ita, 

 to bind round. In anatomy, a name of 

 the os uteri. 



AMFHiDEs'MA.agcnus of bivalve shells 

 belonging to the Tcllinime of Swainson. 

 "N'ame from 'ctftQi and SurfA*, of oita, to 

 bind. 



AMPHIDIARTHRO'SIS, from u,p$t, both, 

 o.ad "oice.$Q%ca<ri? , diarthrosis. A name 

 given to the articulation of the lower 

 jaw with the os teniporis, because it par- 

 takes both of the nature of ginglymus 

 and arthrodia. 



AMPHIGAMOUS PLANTS, the most imper- 

 fect of all plants having no trace what- 

 ever of sexual organs : hence the name 

 from atfAQt, doubtful, and <yeifM>?, mar- 

 riage. 



AMPHI'GENE, Gr. /Mfn and -yivo?. Tra- 

 pezoidal zeolite, or leucite, called also 

 Vesuvian. This mineral occurs in im- 

 bedded grains or crystals in the more 

 ancient lavas. 



AM'PHIHEXAHE'DRAL from a^t and 

 hexahedral. A term applied to crystals 

 v.hich have two hexahedral outlines, 

 when counted in two directions. 



AMPHIMA'CER, from ci[A$i[Actgo{, long 

 on each side. In poetry, a foot of three 

 syllables, the middle one short, and the 

 other two long ; e. g. glntinqre. 



AMPHI'PNEUSTS, the name given by 

 Merrem to a tribe of reptiles, compre- 

 hending such as have both lungs and gills ; 

 from oifMfis, on both sides, and -rv'.ca, to 

 breathe. The tribe comprehends the true 

 amphibia, or perennibranchiate amphi- 

 pods: the third order of Crustacea in 

 Latreille's arrangement, comprehending 

 sv.ch as have subcaudal natatory feet, 

 with sessile eyes. Name from ct/aQif, 

 on both sides, and you;, a foot. 



AMPHIPRO'STYLE, from otiAQi, double, 

 rr^0, before, and trr-yXo;, a column. A 

 temple, or house, having four columns in 

 front and four benind, or two fronts ; but 

 without columns at the sides. 



AMPHISBJE'NA,! from etiMfis ,both ways, 



AMPHISBE'NA, J and /So/va;, to go. A 

 genus of opidian reptiles of South Ame- 

 rica. They feed on insects, and are often 



found in ant-hills, which has given rise 

 to the notion that the large ants are their 

 purveyors. There are two species, both 

 oviparous, and not poisonous. They have 

 the power of moving with cither head or 

 tail foremost : hence the name. 



AMPHI'SCII, ifrom ajMfi, on both 



AM PHISCIAS s, i sides and trxi, a 

 shadow. In geography, the inhabitants 

 of the torrid zone, whose shadows at one 

 part of the year fall on the north, and at 

 another on the south, according as the 

 sun at noon is south or north of their 

 zenith. 



AMPHITHE'ATRE, from etfJt^t, a round, 

 and 8-totrov, a theatre. 1. An elliptical 

 building among the ancients, having seats 

 entirely round, and an arena in the middle 

 where spectacles were exhibited. Some 

 amphitheatres, as the Coliseum at Rome, 

 could accommodate from 50,000 to 60,000 



persons. 2. In gardening, a disposition 



of shrubs, &c. in the form of an amphi- 

 theatre on ?. declivity, or forming such by 

 placing them in the order of their growth. 



AMPHITRI'TE, ctfjuftr^trvi- A genus of 

 Tubicola, of the class annulata, easily re- 

 cognised by the golden-coloured setae, 

 arranged like a crown. Hence named 

 A/Mftr^ryi, or the goddess of the sea. The 

 A. auricoma inhabits the soutli coast of 

 England; its tube is conical, and two 

 inches long ; formed of grains of sand ag- 

 glutinated together by a sort of mucus 

 which exudes through the skin. 



AMPHO'RA. The Roman amphora con- 

 tained 8 congios or 48 sextarii = 7J imp. 

 gallons. The Grecian etf&Qogius ^as 

 equal to 28J gallons. The Venetian am- 

 phoro contained 14 quarts. The capacity 

 of the old ambra of England is not known. 

 The measure takes its name from having 

 two handles ; etfMfi, on both sides, and 

 <pi{*, to carry, ct[*,$o%tos , two-handled. 

 2. The amphora is frequently repre- 

 sented in architectural decoration. It is 

 represented as a vase with two handles. 



AMPLEX'ICAUL, Lat. anipIexicauUs. Clasp- 

 ing (amplexus) , the stem (can/is) : applied to 

 leaves, the bases of which project on each 

 side, so as to clasp the stem with their 

 lobes. 



AMPLZX'CS, Lat. for embracing, from 

 amplecto, to embrace. In natural history, 

 a fossil resembling a coral, found in the 

 Dublin limestone. It is nearly cylindrical, 

 divided into chambers by numerous trans- 

 verse septa, which embrace each other 

 with reflected margins. 



AMPLIA'TION, Lat. ampliatio, enlarge- 

 ment. In Roman late, postponement of a 

 decision, to obtain further evidence. 



AM'PLITUDE, Lat. amplitude, to enlarge, 

 largeness. In astronomy, an arc inter- 

 cepted between the east and w cst point* 



