W H E 



numbers of thefe wheel-animals. Thefe are of a different 

 fpecies from the former ; and when the water dries away, 

 they contraft their bodies into a globular or oval figure, and 

 are then of a reddifh colour, and remain mixed with the dirt, 

 growing together in a lump as hard as clay. This, when- 

 ever it is put in water, in half an hour's time difcovers the 

 animals' living again, and as briflc as ever ; and they have 

 been found to be living in this manner, after the matter had 

 been kept dry twenty months. 



It fhould feem from this, that as the water dries up, their 

 pores become (hut in the manner of thofe of fuch animals 

 as remain torpid for the winter ; and that when they find 

 water come on again from rain, they then unfold them- 

 felves, and live and feed as long as it lafts. Baker's Mi- 

 crofcope. 



WHEEL-Baromeier. See Barometer. 



WiiEEL-Boats denote a fort of boats with wheels, to be 

 ufed alternately on the water and upon inclined planes or 

 rail-ways. 



WHEEL-Fire, among Chemtfls, a fire ufed for calcining 

 metallic fubftances ; properly called ignii rolx. 



It is a fire which only encompaffes the crucible, coppel, 

 or melting-pot, around the fides, without touching it in 

 any part. 



WiiEEL-ShapeJ, in Botany, a term exclufively appropriated 

 to the corolla. See Rotata. 



WHEELER, among Brickmaiers. See Brick. 



Wheeler, in Geography, a river of Wales, which runs 

 into the Clyde, 3 miles N. of Denbigh. 



WHEELING, a poft-town of Virginia, at the union 

 of Wheehng Creek with the Ohio ; 54 miles S.W. of Pittf- 

 burgh. — Alfo, a townfhip of Ohio, in the county of Bel- 

 mont, with 656 inhabitants. 



Wheeling Creek, a river of Virginia, which runs into 

 the Ohio, N. lat. 39° 56'. W. long. 80° 45'. 



Wheeling Planks are ftout planks which the navi- 

 gators or workmen upon a canal make ufe of to wheel 

 upon. 



WHEELOCK, in Geography, a townftiip of Vermont, 

 in the county of Caledonia, containing 963 inhabitants ; 60 



miles N. of Windfor Alfo, a river of Chefhire, which 



runs into the Dane. 



WHEELWRIGHT Gut, a creek on the north-weft 

 coaft of the ifland of St. Chriftopher, with a bar before its 

 entrance. 



WHEEZING and Blowing, in Animals, a fort of af- 

 feftion in the breathing, efpecially in horfes, in which they 

 draw their breath with difficulty and noife. 



The generality of people make this and purfinefs, in 

 horfes, the fame diftemper ; but the more judicious al- 

 ways diilinguidi it, as wholly different from that. Pur- 

 finefs proceeds always from a fluffing or oppreffion of the 

 lungs ; but this wlieezing is only owing to the naiTOw- 

 nefs of the paffage between the bones and griftles of the 

 nofe. 



The horfes that are moft of all afRided with this diftem- 

 per do not want wind ; for notwithftanding that they wheeze 

 exceffively when they are exercifed, yet all the time their 

 flanks are not moved, but kept in the fame condition that 

 they were when the creature ftood ftill. The dealers call 

 this fort of horfes blowers, and though there is no real 

 harm in the thing, it is a difagreeable quahty, and few 

 people will choofe them that have much fervice for them. 



There are fome horfes which have a natural defeft in their 

 breathing, which makes it at all times attended with fome 

 difficulty, but not with the wheezing before mentioned ; 

 thefe are called thick-winded horfes. 



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People who are careful in the buying of horfes, will pur- 

 chafe neither of thefe kinds ; but there is this caution to 

 be obferved in regard to this defeft, that it often feems to 

 be in horfes where it really is not. When a horfe has been 

 kept a long time in the liable without exercife, he will at 

 the firft riding be out of breath, and fetch it in a difficult 

 and painful manner, though he be neither a blower nor 

 thick-winded ; but all this will go off with a little exercife. 



There are fome temporary wheezers and blowers among 

 horfes : thefe at times rattle, and make a great noife through 

 their nofes in taking breath ; but the complaint goes off and 

 returns. This is only occafioned by a great quantity of 

 phlegm, for their flanks do not redouble with it at the 

 worft of times, nor have they any cough with it ; fo that 

 there is no danger of their being purfy. 



It is probable, that in thefe cafes there is, for the moft 

 part, fome fort of fpafm or conftriftion in the chefts of 

 the animals, as they are much relieved in moft inftances by 

 the ufe of warm mafhes, and by having their fodder made 

 moift. 



How far remedies that remove fpafm might be ufeful 

 has not yet been fully tried, either in thefe or other forts 

 of animals. 



WHELDY-AHAD Lake, in Geography, a lake of 

 North America. N. lat. 61° 40'. W. long. 103° 30'. 



WHELERA, in Botany, was fo named by Schreber, 

 in memory of the celebrated Englifh traveller and botanift, 

 fir George Wheler, Bart. F.R.S. who died in 1724, aged 

 74. His " Journey into Greece," however faulty in the 

 plates, is a book of the firft authority. — Schreb. Gen. 725. 

 — Clafs and order, Polygamia Alonacia, Schreb. ; rather 

 Pentandria Monogyn'ta. Nat. Ord. Sapotn, Juff. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, in five 

 deep, roundifh, ereft, permanent fegments, ftiorter than 

 the corolla. Cor. of one petal, bell-fhaped, fpreading, in 

 five deep, ovate, acute fegments. Neftary fomewhat pit- 

 cher-(haped, in the bottom of the flower. Stam. Fila- 

 ments five, awl-fhaped, rather longer than the corolla ; an- 

 thers roundifh. There are five other iilaments, alternate 

 with the former, and fimilar to them, but ftiorter, and 

 deftitute of anthers. Pijl. Germen fuperior, conical, vil- 

 lous ; ftyle thread-ftiaped, twice the length of the corolla ; 

 ftigma fimple. Perk. Drupa roundifti. Seed. Nut large, 

 ovate, of one, two, or three cells. 



Some flowers, on the fame plant, want the piftil, others 

 the ftaraens. 



This is Schreber's generic defcription, from which we 

 learn, without difficulty, the natural order of the plant. 

 But it is one of thofe genera, like his Villaria, (fee that 

 article,) which cannot be determined without an examination 

 of the author's herbarium. Such alfo are his Meyera, al- 

 ready defcribed ; his Wolfia, and Xystris, which will 

 occur hereafter. We truft fome botanift, who may have 

 the opportunity of clearing up thefe, the only important 

 obfcurities in Schreber's claffical work, will favour the 

 world with an explanation of them. Spartina is in the 

 fame predicament, except that profeffor Schrader appears to 

 be acquainted with it. See that article. 



WHELKS, Bucc'ina, in Natural Hijlory. See Shells, 

 and Trumpet -W(?//. 



WHELPS. See Hound. 



Whelps, in a Ship. See Capstan. 



WHENNUIA, in Geography, a fmall ifland among 

 thofe called the Society iflands, near Otaha. 



WHERLICOTES, a fort of open chariots, of the an- 

 cient Britons' invention, ufed by perfons of quality before 

 the invention of coaches. 



WHERN, 



