V E R 



VERACUNDALORE, a town of Hindooftan, in the 

 Carnatic ; 20 miles S.W. of Bomrauzepollam. 



VERAGILA, a fmall ifland in the gult" of Venice. N. 

 lat. 44° 12'. E. long. 15'' 32'. 



VERAGRI, in Ancient Geography, a people of the 

 Alps, in the Pennine valley. Casfar places them between 

 the Nantuates and the Seduni. 



VERAGUA, in Geography, a province of Mexico, 

 bounded on the N. by the gulf of Mexico, on the E. by 

 the province of Darien, on the S. by the Pacific ocean, and 

 on the W. by Cofla Rica. This coaft was firft difcovered 

 by Columbus, in the year 1503, to whom it was granted, 

 with the title of duke. To the river now called Veragua, 

 he gave the name of " Verdes-aguas," on account of the 

 green colour of its water ; or, according to others, becaufe 

 the Indians called it by that name in their language. But 

 however that may be, it is from this river that the province 

 derives its name. In 1538, the captains Gafper d'Efpinofa 

 and Diego de Alvirez, renewed the difcovery by land ; but, 

 being repulfed by prince Urraca, were obliged to content 

 themfelves with a fettlement in the neighbourhood ; and 

 even here the Spaniards were not able to maintain their 

 ground againft the frequent incurfions of the Indians ; fo 

 that finding the abfolute neceffity of a ftronger fettlement, 

 they built the city Santa Fe, on the fpot where it now 

 ftands. This province, though geographically belonging 

 to North America, is included within the kingdom or terri- 

 tory of Terra Firma. The country is rugged and moun- 

 tainous, but abounding with beautiful and excellent woods, 

 and having vales that afford rich paftures. The monkeys 

 found here are fmall but beautiful, being of a buff-colour, 

 with a white crown ; but too delicate to be removed from 

 their native clime. It is faid to rain here every day in the 

 year ; and the rain is attended with tremendous thunder and 

 Kghtning, and produces ton-ents that defcend with rapidity 

 and violence from the mountains. Its gold-mines are rich, 

 but little wrought, becaufe every article muft be carried on 

 the (boulders of the Indians over fteep mountains. The 

 Doraces, and other favage tribes, live naked in the moun- 

 tains, on roots and fruits ; but feveral have been converted 

 fmce the year 1760 by the Francifcans, who have founded 

 fome Indian villages. The capital of this province is called 

 by the fame name, ^nd alfo St. Jago de Veragua ( which 

 fee) ; it is iituated in a warm and moid climate, abounding 

 in maize, yucca, a root of which bread is made, plantains, 

 and cattle, but principally in fwine. The natives dye their 

 cotton of a rich and permanent purple, with the juice of a 

 fea-fnail found on the coaff of the Pacific, akin to the 

 murex of the ancients ; with which, and fome gold from 

 the mines, they carry on trade with Panama, and the pro- 

 vinces of the kingdom of Guatimala. Here is an elegant 

 hofpital ; and fourteen villages are fubjeft to the jurifdiftion 

 of this town, which is ruled by a governor. 



VERAL, a river of Spain, which runs into the Aragon. 



VERALA, in yfncicnt Geography, a town of Hifpania 

 Citerior, between Calaguris and Tnfium. 



VERAMALLY, in Geography, a town of Hindooftan, 

 in the Carnatic ; 18 miles S. of Tritchinopoly. 



VERANO Ave, or Ave de Verano, in Ornithology, the 

 name by which the Portuguefe in the Brazils call a large bird 

 of the thrufh kind, approaching to the fize of a fmall pigeon, 

 remarkable for its loid noife ; and more commonly known 

 by its American name guiratianga. 



VERANOCA, m Ancient Geography, a town of Afia, 

 in Phoenicia. 



VERAPATCHY, in Geography, a town of Hindooftan, 

 jn the Myfore ; zo miles W.N.W. of Dindigul. 



VERA-PAZ, a province of Mexico, m the domain of 



V E R 



Guatimala, bounded on the N. by the province of Cliiaps, 

 on the E. by the bay and province of Honduras, on the S. 

 by Guatimala, and on the W. by Soconufco ; about 120 

 miles in length, and 74 in breadth. In one part of the 

 country the air is healthy, in the other not. The country is 

 fubjeft to earthquakes, thunder, and nine months' rain. 

 The foil is mountainous, yielding little corn, but abound- 

 ing in forefts of cedar, 8cc. in which are many wild beafts. 

 The principal commodities are drugs, cocoa, cotton, wool, 

 honey, &c. 



Vera-Paz, or CoBAN, a town of Mexico, and capital 

 of the province of Vera-Paz, fituated on a river whioh runs 

 to the bay of Honduras; 600 miles S.E. of Mexico. N. 

 lat. 15° 50'. W. long. 91° 14'. 



VERATO, a town of Naples, in the province of 

 Otranto ; 4 miles S. of Aleffano. 



VERATRUM, in Botany, which fome derive from vere 

 atrum, truly black, becaufe the root is, externally at lead, 

 of that colour ; may more fafely be left among thofe ancient 

 names whofe origin is unknowji. It occurs in Lucretius 

 and Pliny, indicating fome very aftive or poifcnous plant ; 

 and is generally fuppofed fynonimous with the iXXs/Sopo; 

 X!i/xo,- of Diofcorides, itfelf rather doubtful, and whofe par- 

 ticular defignation is a contradidlion to the above etymology. 

 Whatever difficulties may attend the determination of the 

 ancient Veratrum, this name is now univerfally applied to 

 the genus we are about to defcribe, one of whofe original 

 fpecies having nearly white, and the other as nearly black, 

 flowers, the Englifti appellations, of White and Black Hel- 

 lebore, fuit them fo well, as to efface all memory of old un- 

 certainties Linn. Gen. 540. Schreb. 715. Willd. Sp. 



Pl. V. 4. 895. Mart. Mill. Did. v. 4. Ait. Hort. Kew. 

 v. 5. 425. Purlh 242. Juff. 47. Tourn. t. 145. La- 

 marck Illuftr. t. 843. Gsrtn. t. 18. — Clafs and order, 

 Polygamia Monoecia, or more properly Hexandria Trigynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Coronarix, Linn. Junci, Juff. Melanthaccit, 

 Brown. 



Gen. Ch. CaJ. none, unlefs the corolla be taken for 

 fuch. Cor. Petals fix, elliptic-oblong, feflile, thinner at 

 the margin towards the bafe, and finely ferrated or fringed 

 in that part, permanent. Stam. Filaments fix, inferted into 

 the bafe of the petals, awl-lliaped, converging round the 

 germens, fpreading at the fummit ; anthers quadrangular, 

 verfatile, attached by the back. Pijl. Germens three, fu- 

 perior, oblong, compreffed, ereft, combined, terminating in 

 three very (hort ftyles, with fimple fpreading ftigmas. Pcric. 

 Capfules three, oblong, ereft, compreffed, of one cell and 

 one valve, burfting at their inner margins by which they are 

 originally connefted. Seeds feveral, obliquely imbricated, 

 inferted into each margin of the capfule, oblong, com- 

 preffed, winged at each end ; the wing at the lower part 

 rounded. Several flowers, on the fame plant, have only 

 flight rudiments of a piftil. 



Eff. Ch. Calyx none. Petals fix, permanent, feffile, 

 equal, bearing the ftamens. Styles permanent. Capfules 

 three, burfting at the inner edge. Seeds numerous, com- 

 preffed, imbricated, winged at each end. Some flowers 

 male. 



Obf. This genus has been thought too near Melan- 

 THIUM, fee that article. The capfules of the latter are 

 fingle, of three cells, and in fome fpecies the cells burft 

 externally, but this is not the cafe with M.Jibiricum, whofe 

 cells burft at the inner angle only. The fubjedl wants re- 

 vifion. The habit of Melanthium, for the moft part an Afri- 

 can genus, is very unlike Veratrum, the leaves being flender, 

 and injlorefcence more fimple. The corolla is more coloured, 

 with elongated claws ; and though permanent, has lefs of 

 the coriaceous nature of a calyx. Helonias, (fee that ar- 

 ticle,) 



