RUB 



631 



R U L 



mortar; (4.) A gold coin worth 10*., for- 

 merly current in England. 



".ROYAL OAK. In astronomy, a constella- 

 tion in the southern hemisphere. 



ROYAL STITCH. An old operation for 

 the cure of inguinal hernia, consisting in 

 putting a ligature round the neck of the 

 cac till adhesive inflammation is excited. 



ROYALS. A distinctive name given to 

 the first regiment of foot in the British 

 service. 



ROUBLE, OB RUBBLE-STONE. 1. The 

 name given by Kirwan to Greywacke. 

 2. Water- worn stones. 



RUB'BLE-WORK. A rough description of 

 masonry, v/jercin the stones are merely 

 axed on the face, and laid in as regular 

 courses as suits the convenience of the 

 mason. 



RU'EIA. Madder. A genus of plants. 

 Tetrcndriz Monogynia. Name from 

 ruber, red. The dyer's madder (.R. tinc- 

 iorum) is a native of the south of Eu- 

 rope ; the wile, madder (R. peregrind) is 

 a native of Biitain. There are four other 

 exotic species. 



Rtr'BicAN (colour of a horse) is a bay, 

 sorrel, or black, with a light grey or 

 white upon the flanks, but the white or 

 grey not predominant there. 



RUBIN'IC ACID. An acid composed of 

 Cl8 He Os. It is obtained only in com- 

 bination and by a laborious process upon 

 catechuic acid. It is thus named from 

 the red colour of its salts : rubinus from 

 ruber, red. 



RU'BLE. A silver coin of Russia, value 

 3*. 7d. when first struck by Peter ; but 

 that of the coinage of 1805 is only worth 

 3s. 'l\d. Name frorr>. rublyer, to cut, it 

 being the fourth part of the grivna. 



RC'JJRIC, Lat. rubric, from ruber, red. 

 1. In the nj- law, a title or article in 

 certain ancient law-books, so called be- 

 cause written in red letters. 2. Direc- 

 tions printer 1 , in prayer-books. 



RU'BCS. Eramble. A very extensive 

 genus of plants. Icosandria Polygynia. 

 Name from ruber, red, in allusion to the 

 colour of the fruit of some of the species. 

 The raspberry, dewberry, and cloudberry, 

 with 13 other species, are natives of Bri- 

 tain, among the best known of which are 

 the common bramble. Don enumerates 

 56 species in ail. 



RIT'BI, from -5er, red. A transparent 

 red variety of rl.ombohedral corundum, 

 loiind in the alluvia; soil in C3ylcn, 

 and some other orients.! countries, espe- 

 cially Birmah. Ths .la.v.e ruby ha?, nc~v- 

 ever, alrr.osi ceased to be techriccl, as 

 under it are sold minerals wtich diltjr 

 very essentially iu their characters, ard 

 only agree in colour w far as that is chi- 

 r?cter;sC'J iy the unqualified ttrm r:d. 

 Thus the o~-'rt<tl rt tv is a vanet) of 

 c*pphir.T ger.erciiy ot i occluii, al *>*. 'U 



passing to many other shades. When 10 

 carats and upwards it is highly valued, 

 and even under that weight, when fine, 

 it has been valued higher than diamonds 

 of equal weight. The spinelle and balais 

 are also regarded as rubies, and are 

 highly prized, but want the richness of 

 the oriental rubies. The ruby contains 

 about 90 per cent, of alumina. See CO- 

 RUNDUM. 



RUD'DER, Ger. ruder, an oar. The in 

 strument by which a ship is steered : that 

 part of the helm which enters the water, 

 and is attached to the stern-post by 

 higes, on which it turns. 



RUDDER COAT. A covering of tarred 

 canvass put round the rudder-head, to 

 keep out the water by the rudder pole. 



RUDDER PENDANTS. Strong pieces of 

 rope by which the rudder, if unshipped, 

 is held to the ship's quarter. 



RUDDER PERCH. A small fish said to 

 follow the rudders of ships in the warm 

 parts of the Atlantic. 



RUDDER SHOCK. A piece of wood fit- 

 ting between the head of the rudder and 

 the rudder hole, to hold fast the rudder 

 in case of the tiller being removed. 



RU'DENTDRE, from rudens, a. rope. The 

 figure of a rope or staff, carved or plain, 

 with which a third part of the flutings of 

 columns is sometimes filled. 



RC'DIMEMT, Lat. rttdimentttm. I. A. first 

 principle or element : that which is to be 



first learned of a science or art. 2. The 



origin of anything in its first form. 



RUDOL'PHINE TABLES. A celebrated set 

 of astronomical tables, published by Kep- 

 ler, and thus entitled in honour of the 

 Emperor Rodolph. 



RUE. In botany, the common Rue is the 

 Jtuta graveolens, a small shrubby plant, 

 common in gardens. The Goat's-rue is a 

 species of Galega ; and the Wall-rue be- 

 longs to the genus Aspienium. 



RUFF. 1. In ornit>^oy,the Tringa pu<j- 

 nax, Lin., which forms the sub-genus 

 Machetes, Cuv. 11 is about the si/e of a 

 snipe, and takes its popular name from 

 the neck being surrounded with a thick 

 collar or ruff of fe~.lhers, so variously ar- 

 ranged and coJoiit-e-J, and projecting in 

 such fantastic positions, that no two indi- 

 viduals can be found alike. It takes its 

 name from the pugnacious disposition of 

 the males, so Mghly manifested during 

 .he nuptial season that vast numbers of 

 I '.hem ire destroyed in mutual combat. 



i The fs-nale is called reeve. 2. In ichthy- 



logti. -. species cf the Perch, described 

 ' -.y Wt Iton. 



Ruoc'sE, Lat. <~wowt, wrinkled: ar>- 

 | ; lied cc a leaf when r.he veins ar3 t'^ntnar 



I-.har the surfaces V,tween them. c v.'jd 

 -he '-tre- to swell ivto in.c ,'.aUt i <.s. 

 a.i-1. , CV-io r'.uil. 1 

 r "vim migo. or preoept, to N 



