A U R 



on the other, of which the foremoft one was fituated near 

 the fide of the breaft. 



The more we confider the nature and manners of this 

 animal, fays Dr. Shaw, the more reafon we fliall find to coin- 

 cidc with profeffor Guldeniladt in opinion, that the jackal is 

 the real ori^io of the dog (unlefs, indeed, we allow the wild 

 dogs of Africa to be the dog in a ftate of naturel. M. Gul- 

 denftadt very properly obterves, that the natale folum of the 

 wolf does not feem to fit it for the fuppofed origin of the 

 dog, fince it is generally confined to the frigid zone; its fize 

 is alfo againft the fuppofition; for the naturalfize of any 

 fpecies of animal appears to be between that of the large and 

 fmall varieties. The fox is ftill more unlike the dog, as to 

 fome particulars in the ftrufture of the intellines; the native 

 countryof the jackal, which is properly Afia Minor, is the land 

 where we ihoiild naturally fuppofc the primaeval domtftic 

 dog to have originated, 'fhe jackal, according to M. Gul- 

 deniladt, has a natural propenfity to follow mankind, iniiead 

 of Hying from him, like the wolf and the fox. The whelp, 

 he adds, is very readily tamed, and vi-hen grown up, alTiimee 

 all the habits of the domeftic dog. That thejackal and do^ 

 readily intermix, appears from various teftimonies, according 

 to Buffon. M. Guldenftadt cannot confider the recurvale 

 tail as a fpecific character of the dog, but thinks it may have 

 originated from cicuration. The generel colour of the 

 jackals, which this author has feen, is a dirty fulvous, 

 rather blacker on the back, and ycUowifh-white beneath; on 

 each knee in general a black patch, and the tip of the tail 

 of the fame colour. 



Aureus, \n Antiquity, the Roman gold coin, equivalent 

 to 25 denarii, or ico feilerces. Suet, in Oth. civ. Tacit. 

 Hilt. lib. i. Beverin. de Ponder, p. 33, feq. 



In Modern and Middle Age Writers, it is called fo/i Jus, or 

 f'Aidus aureus. 



The aureus, according to Arbuthnot, generally weighed 

 double the denarius; whence it mull have been worth, ac- 

 cording to the ftrlt proportion of coinage mentioned by 

 Pliny, 1 1. 43. 3id. fterhng. — According to the proportion 

 that now obtains among us, 1l.os.9d. Plin. lib. xxxiii. c.3. 

 Arbuth. tab. 25. — Ainfworth, however, makes the aurei 

 (denarii) of the higher empire, weigh only 'i\se penny- 

 weights; and under the lower empire, little more than half 

 fo much. 



The weight of the aureus was gradually diminiHied by the 

 emperors. The confular aureus weighed at a mean 126 troy 

 grains, 40 of them being contained in the Roman pound; 

 the imperial aureus, being 45 to the pound, weighed 112 

 grains; and the folidus, being 72 to the pound, weighed 70 

 grains. Alexander Scverus coined pieces of one-half and 

 one-third of the aureus, calltd femilTes and tremifTes; whence 

 the aureus came to be called folidus, as being their integer. 

 Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixi. part ii. art. 42. See Coin, and De- 

 narius. 



AURIA, Vincent, in Biography, an Italian hitlorian, 

 was born at Palermo in 1625, devoted himfelf to the pro- 

 feffion of the law, and was admitted doftor of laws at Cata- 

 nia, in 1652. He afterwards rclinquilhed this employment, 

 andpoflrefiliig a hberal fortune, dedicated his time to literature. 

 His works were chiefly Italian, and partly Latin, on fubjefts 

 of hillory and antiquities. Thofe la highell elHmation are 

 ' An Hillory of the Great Men in Sicily," 4to., Palermo, 

 1704; and "An Hiftory of the Viceroys of Sicily," fol. 

 Palermo, 1697. Nouv. Did. Hill. 



AURICELLA, m Emomology, a fpecies of Phal,€na 

 {Tinea) found in France. It is fnovvy-white, with tellaceous 

 llreaks on the wings, and a projecting tuft of hairs on the 

 firtl joint of the antcnnx. 



A U R 



AURTCH, in Geography, a town of Germany, in the 

 circle of Weftphalia, and county of Eaft Frielland, ttii mile* 

 north-eaft of Embden. It n cncompafftd with forclls that 

 abound with game. N. lat. 53° 28'. E. long. 6^ 50.' 



AURICHALCEpS, m Entomology, afpecics of Sca- 

 Rabeus, of a bi-affy-opake colour, wing-cafes pointed and 

 fpotted with white. Fabricius. Inhabits the Eall Indies. 



AuRicHALCEUs, a fpccics of Ckrambvx {CalliJium. 

 Fabr.), of a fmall fi/.c. It is bralTy-brown and (liining; 

 thorax depreded; antenna; and legs black. Dcgcer. 



AuRicHAi.cEus, a Ipecies of CARABusthat inhabits Den- 

 mark. It is of a ycllowiih colour, and braffy above. MiilL 

 Zool. Dan. 



AURICHALCUM. See Orichalci;m. 

 AURICI,E, Auricula, in AnLtl'.my, the externa] car, 

 or that part of the ear which is promiiient from the head. 

 The word is a diminution of amis, ear; for the defcription 

 of this part, fee Ear. 



Auricle, is alfo applied, by the Enghfh anatomiils, to 

 denote thofe cavities of the heart into which the veins pour 

 their blood; but foreign anatomiitscall thefe cavities venou» 

 finufes, and apply the word auricle to thofe httle procedes 

 of the general cavity which refemble an animal's car in 

 fhape. See Heart. 



AURICOLLIS, in Ornithology, a fpecies of Mota- 

 Cilla. Colour above olive, beneath orange; belly yellow- 

 i(h; vent whitilh; greater wing-coverts, and middle tail- 

 feathers a(h-colour; lateral ones white within, without and 

 at the lips black. Inhabits Canada. Gmelin. 



AURICOMA, in Entomology, a fpecies of Phaljena 

 (Noelua), with wings of a greyi(h-brown colour; upper 

 pair marked with black, in llreaks and characters; Ics an. 

 nulated with white at the tip. Gmcl. &c. 



AURICULA Leporis, in Botany. See Buphthal- 

 MUM, and Bufleurum. 



Auricula Muris. Sec Arenaria, Cerastium, Hie- 

 racium, Myosotis, and Silene. 



Auricula Urft. See Arctia, Primula, Dodeca- 

 theon, and Verbascum. 



Auricula, in Conchology, a fpecies of Cardium, with a 

 white and very pellucid (hell, that is found on the fhores of 

 Arabia and Egypt. It is heart-lhaptd and fub-rhombic; 

 ribs twenty-four on each fide; the grooves very finely cre- 

 nulated; beaks remote. Forlk. About two inches and 

 a quarter in length, and one inch and three quarters i« 

 breadth. 



Auricula, p. fpecies of Patella, with a fubrotund 

 (hell, radiated with furrows and ilrise; apex recurved; 

 internal cavity ear-fhaped. Inhabits the ihores of the 

 idands of Borneo, Santa Cruz, and St. Thomas. Thii 

 fhell is fnowy-whitc, with the crown fometimes encircled 

 with violet; fometimes radiated with black; brown within; 

 border white or yellow; and the vertex brown. Gmellii, 

 &c. 



Auricula, in Gardening, a well-known beautiful plant 

 of the flower kind. This is confidered in the Linnxaa 

 fyflem as a fpecies of primula. See Primula. 



The varieties of this plant arc extremely numerous, at 

 every year produces a great number of flowers, different in 

 fliape, Cze, and colour; in the leaves alfo there is often great 

 variety, fo that the experienced florill is frequently capable 

 of dillinguifliing the particular foits by that means. The 

 charaflers of a good auricula are, that the ftcms of the 

 flowers be lofty and llrong ; the foolllalks of the fingle 

 flowers fliort, with the umbtls regular and clofe ; the neck 

 of each flower (hort, and the flowers large, regular, and 

 fprcading, but not inclinable to cup ; the colours veiy bright 

 3 A 2 aad 



