AMP 
body are placed like net-work, with large inter- 
ftices; and the tail is fpotted with brown, terminat- 
ing in a bony point. 
AMOGLOSSUS. The claffical name of a 
peculiar kind of flat-filh fomewhat refembling the 
foal, and known in feveral parts of England by the 
title of the lantern. It's body is very flender, pel- 
lucid, and white; it never exceeds three inches in 
length; and is extremely fmooth, being covered 
with a great number of veiy thin fcales, which fall 
off on touching them. 
AMORE. A genus of fifh, of which there 
are three fpecies ; the Amore Pixuma, the Amore 
Guacu, and the Amore Tinga. 
The Amore Pixuma has a very broad head, and 
a large mouth, but is deftitute of teeth. It's body 
is oblong; it's back and fides are of a duiky iron 
colour; it's belly is white and protuberant; it's 
Ikifi is loft ; and it is furnifhed v/ith feven fins, ex- 
clufive of the tail, which is rounded at the end. 
The Amore Guacu is of an oblong figure, like 
the former, and grows to about fix inches in 
length. The head is thick, the gills are large, and 
the mouth is furnifhed with fmall teeth; the eyes 
are fmall, the pupils being large, and the irides of 
a yellowifh hue. This filh has likewife feven fins, 
befides the tail, which is long, and rounded at the 
end. It is covered with pretty large fcales, and is of 
a rufty iron colour, but fomewhat paler on the belly 
than in any other part. 
The Amore Tinga is of the fame fliape with the 
Amore Guacu, but is much fmaller, and covered 
with whitifh fcales, ftudded with brown fpots. The 
tail is brown, and waved with different fhades of 
that colour. 
All the three Ipecies are efteemed wholefome 
food, though the firft generally obtains the prefe- 
rence. They are natives of the American feas, and 
very numerous on the Brazilian coafts. 
AMPELIS. In the Linnsean fyftem, the name 
of a genus of birds of the order of pafferes; the 
diftinguifhing charaCteriftics of which are, that 
the tongue is furnifhed with a furrounding rim 
or margin, and that the beak is of a convex and 
ftraight figure. This genus has feven fpecies. 
The word Ampelis is alfo uled by fome natural- 
ifts to fignify a bird of the magpye-kind, called by 
others the garrulus Bohemicus. 
_ AMPHIBIA. The third clafs of animals, whofe 
diftinguifhing charafteriftics, are, according to 
Linnaeus, that they have either naked or fcaly 
bodies; that they are deftitute of grinders, or 
dentes molares, the other teeth being fliarp and 
pointed; and that they are without radiated fins. 
The heart has but one ventricle, and they refpire 
through their lungs. 
This clafs isfubdivided into three orders; name- 
ly, reptiles, ferpents, and the fwimming amphibia, 
comprehending twenty-four genera and two hun- 
dred and eighty-nine fpecies. 
AMPHISB^NA. The name of a genus of 
ferpents in the Linnsean fyftem. The Amphifbiena, 
or the double-headed ferpent, is remarkable for 
moving either backwardsorforwards withequal fa- 
cility; and from hence it has been thought to have 
two heads. This error in part originated from the 
thicknefs of the tail; which, at a diftance, may 
eafily be miftaken for another head : on a miore 
minute infpeftion, however, the error becomes ap- 
parent, and the animal is found to be formed ac- 
cording to the ufual courfe of nature. Both ex- 
tremities are nearly of an equal thicknefs; the co- 
A M Z 
lour of the fkin refembles that of the earth, and is 
rough, hard, and covered with various fpots. Some 
have affirmed that it's bite is dangerous ; but this 
is evidently a miftaken opinion, as it is deftitute of 
the fangs, and confequently wants the means of 
preparing the venom. Indeed, this animal is only 
formidable from it's fimilitude to the viper. 
Linnfeus enumerates two fpecies of Amphif- 
b^na; v/hich he diftinguiflies by the names of 
the fuliginous, and the white, both natives of 
AMPHISBiENA AQUATICA. A name 
given by feveral naturalifts to that long and flender 
infe6l called the feta aquatica, and verm.is fetarius. 
It receives the name of Amphifbsna from it's pe- 
culiar property of having both a progrefiive and 
retrogi-ade motion, which it performs with equal 
celerity. It's ufual length is four or five inches, and 
it's thicknefs about that of a fine horfe-hair. 
The ingenious Lifter, in profecuting his en- 
quiries into the hiftory of a very different fort of 
infe6t, difcovered the origin of this worm. Dil- 
fefling one of t!ie common black-beetles dug up in 
a garden, he perceived tv/o of thefe hair-worms, or 
Amphifbaena, in it's belly; and, repeating his experi- 
ments, he found that the black-beetle ufually con- 
tained two or three of thefe little animals, which 
crawl out im.mediately on opening the body. The 
creatures, v/hen put into water, fwim about very 
nimbly for a confiilerable time : but often thruft 
their heads above the fluid, as if defirous of ef- 
caping; fometimes fattening with their mouths on 
the fides of the veffels in which they are immergedj 
and drav/ing their whole bodies after them. 
The Amphift>asna Aquatica is commonly found 
in the v/ater, as it's name imports; but it is fre- 
quently met with in the earth, and fometimes on the 
leaves of trees and fhrubs in hedges and gardens. 
AMPHITRITE. A fmall naked fea infed, of 
an oblong figure, with only one tentaculum which 
is like a piece of fine thread. There are feveral 
fpecies of the Amphitrite ; fome of which are mar- 
ginated, and varioufly indented, fo as to refemble 
quills. 
AMPHODONTA. Such animals as are fur- 
nifhed with teeth in both jaws. 
AMPULLACE^ CONCHA. A name by 
which fome naturalifts have expreffed a genus of 
fhells, called by others conchse globofse and dolia, 
and by the Fi-ench naturalifts tonnes. See Do- 
LIUM. 
AMYGDALA. The name of a fpecies of 
echinus marinus, of the genus of briffoides, 
AMZELL. A name applied to a bird of the 
merula or blackbird Icind, of which there are three 
fpecies; viz. the Ring or RockAmzell, or merula 
terquata; the merula montana, or Common Am- 
zell ; and the merula rofea, or Rofe-coloured Am- 
zell. 
The Ring Amzell is very little larger than the 
blackbird. It's back is of a dufky blackifh brown; 
it's throat and breaft are beautifully variegated with 
fpots and ftreaks of v/hite; and the lower part of 
the throat is adorned with a fine v/hite ring, whence 
the bird obtains it's name. This ring is of a lunated 
fhape, the points terminating at the fides of the 
neck. The wings and tail are of a blackifh hue; 
but fomewhat varied with a greyifli white in the 
female. This bird is common about the Peak in 
Derbyfliire, and is there called the rock ouzel. 
Tiie Common Amzell differs from this laft, in 
not having any ring about it's neck; that part being 
F variegated 
