WIT 
timents; his imagination must be sprightly 
and agreeable, without any thing of parade 
or vanity in his discourse: but it is not, 
however, essential to the character of a wit, 
to be ever hunting after the brilliant, study- 
ing sprightly turns, and affecting to say no- 
thing but what may strike and surprise. 
WITENA-wof, or WiTENA g-mof, among 
our Saxon ancestors, was a term which 
literally signified the assembly of the wise 
men, and was applied to the great council 
of the nation, of latter days called the par- 
liament. 
WITHERTNGIA, in botany, so named in 
honour of William Withering, M.D. F. R. S. 
a genus of the Tetrandria Monogynia class 
and order. Natural order of Luridae. So- 
laneae, Jussieu. Essential character : corolla 
subcampanulate, with four bumps in the 
tube; calyx very small, indistinctly four- 
toothed; pericarpium two-celled. There 
is only one species ; viz. AF. solanacea, a 
native of South America. 
AVITHERITF-, in mineralogy, a species 
of the genus Barytes: it is commonly of a 
light yellowish grey colour, usually massive, 
but sometimes crystallized : specific gravity 
about 4.3. It melts without addition be- 
fore the blow pipe into a white enamel. It 
dissolves with effervescence in- acids: it 
consists, according to Klaproth, of 
Carbonate of barytes... 
. 98,246 
Carbonate of strontian . 
. 1.703 
Alumina with iron 
.. 0.043 
Carbonate of copper... 
. 0.008 
100.000 
But, according to other cliemists, it con- 
sists of 
Barytes 74.5 
Carbonic acid 25.5 
100.0 
It occurs in veins, heavy spar, lead glance, 
blende, and calamine, and is foun(J in Lan- 
cashire. It is a very active poison ; but com- 
bined with muriatic acid it may be used 
with great caution iii cases of scropluila. 
WITNESS, in law, one who is sworn to 
give evidence in a cause. If a man be sub- 
poenaed as a witness upon a trial, he must 
appear in court on pain of 1001. to be for- 
feited to the king, and 101. together witli 
damages equivalent to the loss sustained by 
the want of his evidence to the party ag- 
grieved. But witnesses ought to have a 
reasonable time, that their attendance upon 
WOO 
the court maybe of as little prejudice to them- 
selves as possible; and the Court of King’s 
Bench held, that notice at two in the after- 
noon to attend the sitting that evening at 
Westminster was too .short a time. 
AVhere a witness cannot be present at a 
trial, he may, by consent of the plaintiff and 
defendant, or by rule of court, be examined 
upon interrogatories at the judge’s cham- 
bers. No witness is bound to appear to 
give evidence in a cause unless his reason- 
able expense be tendered him ; and if he 
appear, till such charge is actually paid him, 
except he both resides and is summoned to 
give evidence within the bills of mortality. 
See Arrest, Evidence, Privilege. 
AFITSENIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Triandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Ensatac. .Irides, Jussieu. 
Essential character: corolla one-petalled, 
cylindrical, six-parted ; stigma emarginate ; 
capsule superior. There is only one spe- 
cies ; viz. W. maura, a native of the Cap* 
of Good Hope. 
WOAD. See Isatis. 
AVOLF. See Cams. 
AVOLFRAM, in mineralogy, is a species 
of stone of an intermediate colour between 
dark-greyish black and brownish black, 
sometimes inclining to velvet black. It 
occurs massive and also crystallized : specific 
gravity somewhere between 6 and 7. It 
decrepitates before the blow-pipe, and is 
infusible even with borax. Specimens have 
been analyzed by several chemists : accord- 
ing to Klaproth and Vauquelin it consists of 
Molybdic acid 
Oxide of iron 
Klaproth. 
.... 21.9 
100.0 
Vauquelin. 
Molybdic acid 
. 67.00 
Oxide of maneanese.. 
. 6.25 
Oxide of iron 
. 18.00 
. 1..50 
. 7.2.5 
100.00 
It oecursin primitive mountains, and in the 
oldest formations.' It is usually accompa- 
nied with tin, and distinguisjied from tin- 
stone by its streak, which is reddish brown, 
whereas that of tin stone is grey. See Tin. 
AFOOD. See Timber. The wood «f 
P p 2 
