It H E 
It H A 
TvHAMNUS, the buckthorn, a genus of 
-the monogynia order, in the pentandria class 
of plants; and in the natural method'rank- 
ing under the forty-third order, dumosae. 
r i he calyx is tubulous, with five minute 
scales surrounding the stamina ; there is no 
corolla; the fruit is a berry. There are 
forty-two species ; of which the most remark- 
able are, 1. The catharticus, or common 
purging buckthorn, growing naturally in 
some parts of Britain. This grows to the 
height of 12 or 14 feet, with many irregular 
Branches at the extremities. The leaves are 
oval-lanceolate, finely serrated on the edges, 
their nerves converging together. The flow- 
ers grow in clusters, one in each footstalk, 
white, and in this species divided into four 
segments ; the fruit is a round black berry, 
containing four seeds. The juice of the ber- 
ries is a strong purgative, and is made use 
of for making the common syrup of buck- 
thorn kept in the shops. The bark is eme- 
tic ; the juice of the unripe berries with alum 
dyes yellow ; the ripe ones a fine green ; the 
bark dyes yellow. The green colour yielded 
by the berries, called by the French verde- 
vissie, is much esteemed by miniature-paint- 
ers. Of tliis species there are two varieties, 
viz. the dwarf buckthorn, a shrub of about a 
yard high, of a greenish colour, but of little 
show ; and the long-leaved dwarf buckthorn, 
\vhich is a larger shrub, with leaves some- 
what larger, but in other respects very simi- 
lar to the dwarf buckthorn. 2. The lotus 
lias the leaves, prickles, flowers, and fruit, of 
the zizvphus or jubeb ; only with this differ- 
ence: that the fruit is here round, smaller, 
and more luscious, and at the same time the 
branches, like those of the paliurus, are nei- 
ther so much jointed nor crooked. The 
fruit is in great repute, and tastes somewhat 
like gingerbread. The Arabs call it aneb 
enta el seedra, or the jubeb of the seedra : 
ol which Olavus Celsius had so high an opi- 
nion, that he has described it as the dudaim 
ot the Scriptures. This species is very com- 
mon in the Jereede and other parts of Bom- 
bay ; and lias been supposed by some to be 
the same plant with that celebrated by Ho- 
mer for its enchanting property ; though 
the latter is more generally' supposed to have 
been a species of diospyros. It is proper, 
however, to distinguish between both these 
shrubs and a herb often mentioned by the 
ancients under the name of lotus. They' 
are also different from the Egyptian lotus 
described by Herodotus; for which see 
Nymph.® a. 3. The frangula, or berry- 
bearing alder, is a deciduous shrub, a native 
of England and most of the northern parts 
of Europe, and affords several varieties. 4. 
The alpine, rough-leaved frangula, or berry- 
bearing alder, is also a deciduous shrub, and 
native of the Alps. It differs in no fespect 
from the common sort, except that it has no 
thorns, and that it will grow to be rather 
taller, with tough, large, and double laciniat- 
ed leaves. The smooth-leaved alpine fran- 
gula is a variety of this species, with smooth 
leaves and of a lower growth. 5. The pali- 
urus, or thorn of Christ, is a deciduous shrub 
or tree, a native of Palestine, Spain, Por- 
tugal, and Italy. Itwiil grow to nearly the 
height of 14 feet, and is armed with sharp 
thorns, two of which are situated at each 
joint, one is about half an inch long, straight, 
and upright ; the other is scarcely half that 
VOL. II. 
length, and bent backward ; and between 
them is the bud for next year’s shoot. “ This 
plant (says llanbury) is undoubtedly the sort 
of which the crown of thorns for our Blessed 
Saviour was composed.” 6. The common 
alaternus is an evergreen tree, and native of 
the south of Europe. There are several va- 
rieties of this species; the most remarkable 
of which are the broad-leaved and the jagged- 
leaved alaternus, which have all been con- 
founded with the phillyrea. 7. The insec- 
torius, or narrow-leavecl buckthorn, is an 
evergreen shrub or tree, and native of Spain. 
It grows to the height of ten or twelve feet, 
and sends forth several branches from the 
bottom to the top. They are covered with 
a blackish or dark-coloured bark, and each 
of them is terminated by a long sharp thorn. 
The fruit continues on the trees all winter, 
making a beautiful appearance among the 
narrow clustered leaves at that season. 8. 
The oleoides, or olive-leaved buck horn, is 
an evergreen shrub, and native of Spain, and 
grows to the height of eight or ten feet. It 
sends forth numerous branches, each of which 
is terminated by a long sharp spine. The 
flowers are small, of a whitish-green colour, 
and are succeeded by' round black berries. 
RHAPIS, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the hexandria class of plants -/and 
in the natural method ranking under the 
first order, palm ax The calyx is a mono- 
phyllous trifid spatha ; the corolla monope- 
talous and trifid. There are 2 species, viz. 
I. Flabelliformis, or ground-ratan, a native 
of China; 2. Arundinacea, simple-leaved 
rliapis, a native of Carolina. 
RHEA Americana, the American ostrich, 
in size is very little inferior to the common one; 
the bill is sloped not unlike that of a goose, 
being flat on the top and rounded at the 
end ; the eyes are black, and the lids furnish- 
ed with hairs; the head is rounded, and 
covered with downy feathers ; the neck is 
two feet eight inches long, and feathered 
also ; from the tip of one wing to that of the 
other extended, the length is eight feet ; but 
from the want of continuity of the webs of 
the feathers, and their laxity of texture, the 
bird is unable to raise itself from the 
ground ; it is, however, capable of greatly 
assisting itself by their motion in running, 
which it does very swiftly ; the legs are stout, 
bare of feathers above the knees, and furnish- 
ed with three toes, all placed forwards, each 
having a straight and stout claw as in the 
cassowary ; on the heel is a callous knob, 
serving in place of a back toe; the general 
colour of the plumage is dull grey mixed with 
white, inclining to the latter on the under 
parts ; the tail is very short, and not conspi- 
cuous, being entirely covered with long loose 
and floating feathers, having its origin from 
the lower part of the back and rump, and 
entirely covering it; the bill' and legs are 
brown. 
In respect to manners, it is said to be a 
general feeder, but more fond of flies, which 
it catches with great dexterity', and will also, 
like the common ostrich, swallow bits of iron 
and any other trash offered to it. In com- 
mon with the ostrich of the Old World, it'lays 
a number of eggs, from forty to sixty, in the 
sand, each of them holding a quart ; but it 
differs from that bird in many particulars, es- 
pecially in wanting the callosity of the ster- 
num, and spars on the wing. With these 
K II E 577 
last the common ostrich is known to defend 
iself ; in defect of them, the bird here treat- 
ed of "uses the feet with such address, as to 
become at once a furious and dangerous an- 
tagonist. The female calls its young ones 
together with a kind of whistling note some- 
what similar to that of a man ; when young 
it is very tame, frequently following the first 
creature it meets with. The flesh of this bird 
is said to be very unpalatable. It is found 
ill various parts of South America, from Pa- 
tagonia to Guiana, and is known by the name 
ol choique. 
RHEEDIA, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the polyandria class of plants ; and 
in the natural method ranking with those of 
which the order is doubtful.. The corolla is 
tetrapetalous ; there is no calyx; and the 
fruit is a trispermous berry. There is one 
species, a tree. 
RHETORIC, in the most extensive sense 
ol the word, denotes the art of composition, 
or that which enables us to apply' language or 
speech to the best possible advantage. Ac- 
cording to etymology, which often affords the 
most satisfactory explanation of words, it sig- 
nifies the art of pouring forth a stream of sen- 
timent, and communicating with fluency' our 
feelings and thoughts to others. It is derived 
from the Greek /!«, to speak ; and this again 
from piu, to flow, or run like a river. Homer 
speaking of the eloquence of Nestor, says 
r« xa'i onto rj\a<t<jY)S fx.ihiros yXvxiwv 
Iliad I. line 49. 
“ And out of his mouth flowed an harangue 
sweeter than honey.” 
Taken in this point of view, rhetoric will 
comprehend all polite literature, poetry per- 
haps excepted, the belles-lettres of the 
French, the pathetic and pleasant, of every 
kind; compositions whose aim and end is 
not so much to inform or satisfy the under- 
standing, as to move, incline, and per- 
suade, by addressing the imagination, the 
affections, and, in some measure, sensation 
itself. 
There cannot be a better rule for com- 
position, or one more plain and practical, than 
what is laid down by Cicero : “ We are first 
to consider what is to be said; secondly, how; 
thirdly, in what words ; and, lastly, how it is 
to be ornamented.” We will venture to add, 
as a supplement even to Cicero, how far it 
ought to be ornamented. 
The matter of any composition does not, 
properly speaking, fall under the cognizance 
of rhetoric, any farther than that there is an 
intimate connection between the subject and 
the style; and that the sentiments, whatever 
they are, naturally form, and raise or lower, 
swell or contract, the diction ; on which we 
shall have occasion to make some'observations 
when we speak of style. 
But the second point in Cicero’s rule, 
arrangement or order, is the most important, 
beyond all comparison, in every speqies of 
composition. It is in this, principally, that 
the mind of the author is seen ; the process 
of his thoughts ; the connection of his ideas 
with one another, and with his main design. 
In every composition it is required that 
there should be some plan or object; just as 
in every thing we do or say, there is some 
purpose or intention. All written compo- 
sitions may be divided into discourse or rea- 
soning, poetry, and history, including both 
