OLI 



OMN 



differences and promoting of crystals, chiefly in basalt; colour be- 



conciling 

 peace. 



OLDENLANDIA, in botany, a genus 

 of the Tetrandria Monogynia class and 

 order. Natural order of 'Stellate. Rubia- 

 ceas, Jussieu. Essential character : ca- 

 lyx fastened to the pericardium with 

 four awl-shaped teeth at top ; corolla one- 

 petalled, four cleft ; capsule inferior, 

 two-celled ; receptacle free, fastened to 

 the partition by the base only. There 

 are sixteen species. 



OLEA, in botany, olive, a genus of 

 the Diandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Natural order of Sepiarix. Jasmineae, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : corolla 

 four-cleft, with sub-ovate segments; 

 drupe one-seeded. There are seven spe- 

 cies, of which the O. longifolia, long-leav- 

 ed European olive, is chiefly cultivated 

 in the south of France, from which they 

 make the best oil. O. latifolia, broad- 

 leaved European olive, is principally cul- 

 tivated in Spain, where the trees grow 

 to a much larger size than the preced- 

 ing ; the fruit is nearly the size of a Pro- 

 vence olive, but of a stronger flavour ; 

 for which reason it is not so grateful to 

 an English palate. The olive seldom be- 

 comes a large tree ; two or three stems 

 frequently rise from the same root, from 

 twenty 

 out branches 

 covered with a greyish bark. 



The olive, in all ages, has been held in 

 peculiar estimation, as the.-bounteous gift 

 of Heaven ; it is still considered as em- 

 blematic of peace and plenty ; the great 

 quantity of oil which it produces in 

 some countries, effectually realizes the 

 latter of these blessings. Unripe olives 

 pickled, especially the Provence and 

 Lucca sorts, are to many persons extreme- 

 ly grateful: ; they are supposed to promote 

 digestion. 



OLERON laws, laws relating to mari- 

 time affairs, and so called, because made 

 when King Richard I. was at the Isle of 

 Oleron, in Aquitaine. 



OLFACTORY nerves, the first pair of 

 the head ; so called from Iheir being the 

 immediate instruments of smelling. 



OLIFIANT gas, a name given by the 

 Dutch chemists to carburated hydrogen, 

 or heavy inflammable gas. See GAS. 



OLIGARCHY, a form of government 

 wherein the administration of affairs is 

 lodged in the hands of a few persons. See 

 GOVERNMENT. 



OLIVE. See OLEA. 



OLIVINE, in mineralogy, a species of 

 the Chrysolite family, found in the form 



to thirty feet in height, putting 

 nches almost their whole length, 



tween asparagus and olive-green ; spe- 

 cific gravity 3.2. It is infusible before 

 the blow-pipe ; but with borax it melts 

 into a dark-green bead. Nitric acid 

 dissolves its iron, and deprives it of co- 

 lour. It is found very abundantly in 

 many parts of Germany ; also in France, 

 Norway, and Sweden, and in our coun- 

 try : according to Klaproth, it cou* 

 tains 



Silica 48 



Magnesia 37 



Lime 0.25 



Oxide of iron . . 12.5 



Loss 



97.75 



. 2.25 



100 



OLYRA, in botany, a genus of the Mo- 

 noecia Triandria class and order. Natu- 

 ral order of Gramina, Gramineac, or Grass- 

 es. Essential character : male, calyx 

 glume one-flowered, awned; corolla 

 glume awnless. Female, calyx glume one- 

 flowered, spreading, ovate ; style bifid ; 

 seed cartilaginous. There are two spe- 

 cies, TO'Z.O. paniculata, and O. pauciflora, 

 both natives of Jamaica. 



OMENTUM, the caivl, in anatomy, 

 a membranaceous part, usually furnish- 

 ed with a large quantity of fat ; being 

 placed under the peritonaeum, and im- 

 mediately above the intestines. See 

 AKATOMY. 



OMNIUM, a term in familiar use 

 among stock-brokers and speculators in 

 the funds, to express the whole of the 

 articles which the subscribers to a loati 

 receive from government. Thus if the 

 subscribers, according to their agree- 

 ment with government, are to have for 

 every hundred pounds advanced a cer- 

 tain sum in 3 per cent, consols, a further 

 sum in 4 per cents, and a proportion of 

 the long annuities, the blank receipts 

 which they receive for making the instal- 

 ments on the several articles, are, when 

 disposed of independent of each other, 

 as the 3 per cent, consols only, called 

 scrip, but when the receipts are sold to- 

 gether as originally received, they ar"e 

 usually called omnium. As the omnium 

 of every loan is the subject of extensive 

 speculations, it generally is liable to con- 

 siderable variations with respect to its 

 current price, sometimes selling at a 

 high premium, at other times at a dis- 



