DEN 



DEN 



facts to be true, as stated by the oppo- 

 site party ; but denies that by the law 

 arising upon those facts any injury is done 

 to the plaintiff, or that the defendant has 

 made out a lawful excuse. As, if the mat- 

 ter of the plaintiff's declaration be insuf- 

 ficient in law, then the defendant de- 

 murs to the declaration ; if, on the other 

 hand, the defendant's excuse or plea be 

 invalid, the plaintiff demurs in law to the 

 plea ; and so in every other part of the 

 proceedings, where either side perceives 

 any material objection in point of law up- 

 on which he may rest his case. 



General demurrer being entered, it 

 cannot be afterwards waved without leave 

 of the court; but a special demurrer ge- 

 nerally may, unless the plaintiff have lost 

 a term, or the assizes, by the defen- 

 dant's demurring. 



And upon either a general or special 

 demurrer, the opposite party avers it to 

 be sufficient, which is called a rejoinder 

 in demurrer, and then the parties are at 

 issue in point of law ; which issue in law, 

 or demurrer, is argued by counsel on 

 both sides ; and if the points be difficult, 

 then it is argued openly by the judges of 

 the court, and if they, or the majority of 

 them, concur in opinion, accordingly 

 judgment is given: but in case of great 

 difficulty, they may adjourn into the Ex- 

 chequer Chamber, where it shall be ar- 

 gued by all the judges. 



DENARIUS, in Roman antiquity, the 

 chief silver coin among the Romans, 

 worth in our money about seven-pence 

 three farthings. As a weight, it was the 

 seventh part of a Roman ounce. 



DENDRITES, or Arborizations. This 

 appellation is given to figures of vegeta- 

 bles which are frequently observed in 

 fossil substances. They are of two kinds ; 

 the one superficial, the other internal. 

 The first are chiefly found on the surface 

 of stones, and between the strata and 

 in the fissures of those of a calcareous na- 

 ture. Stones of a similar kind, when ve- 

 ry compact, sometimes also exhibit inter- 

 nal arborizations ; such are the marbles 

 of Hesse, of Angersburgh in Prussia, and 

 of Baden-Dourlach on the left bank of the 

 Rhine. 



Several of these dendrites bear a stri- 

 king resemblance to the poplar ; while 

 others exhibit the straight stem, pyrami- 

 dal form, and pendent branches of the 

 fir. Some specimens of dendrites, found 

 in Switzerland, represent, in a very sur- 

 prising manner, plantations of willows ; 

 and many of them are so beautiful, as re- 

 ally to appear the work of art. The su- 



VOL. IV. 



perficial dendrites are mostly of a brown, 

 changing gradually to a reddish yellow. 

 The internal dendrites are of a deep 

 black. The most esteemed dendrites 

 are those found in agates ; and more par- 

 ticularly in the sardonyx, cornelian, and 

 other precious stones brought from the 

 East, and which are commonly denomi- 

 nated moka stones. The Oriental agates 

 display the most varied and beautiful 

 forms. Sometimes they exhibit the ap- 

 pearance of terraces covered with differ- 

 ent species of moss, interspersed with 

 plants of the fern tribe, having large 

 leaves, and the outlines exquisitely fi- 

 nished : the colours are likewise extreme- 

 ly brilliant. 



DENEB, an Arabic term, signifying 

 tail, used by astronomers to denote 

 several fixed stars. Thus deneb elecet 

 signifies the bright star in the lion's 

 tail. Deneb adigege, that in the swan's 

 tail, &c. 



DENEKIA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Syngenesia Superflua class and order. 

 Receptacle naked ; calyx imbricate : flo- 

 rets of the ray two-lipped. There is but 

 a single species, found at the Cape. 



DENIZEN, a denizen is an alien born, 

 who has obtained letters patent whereby 

 he is constituted an English subject. A 

 denizen is in a middle state, between an 

 alien and a natural born or naturalized 

 subject, partaking of the nature of both. 

 He may take lands by purchase, or de- 

 rive a title by descent, through his pa- 

 rents or any ancestor, though they be 

 aliens. 



DENOMINATION, a name imposed 

 on any thing, usually expressing some 

 predominant quality. Hence, as the qua- 

 lities and forms of things are either inter- 

 nal or external, denomination becomes, 

 1. Internal, which is that founded on the 

 intrinsic form. Thus, Peter is denomi- 

 nated learned, on account of his learning, 

 which is something internal. 2. Exter- 

 nal denomination, that founded on an ex- 

 ternal form. Thus, a wall is said to be 

 seen and known, from the vision and 

 cognition employed upon it. And thus, 

 Peter is denominated honoured, by rea- 

 son of honour, which is not so much in 

 the person honoured, as in him who ho- 

 nours. 



DENOMINATOR, in arithmetic, a 

 term used in speaking of fractions. The 

 denominator of a fraction is the number 

 below the line, shewing into how many 

 parts the integer is supposed to be di- 

 vided. Thus, in the fraction f , the num- 



X 



