40-2 
E L A 
Fig. 6 . The Fafciatus : about three quarters of an 
inch in length. The head is grey ; the eyes black'; the 
antennae lerrated and black, nuiclr fhorter than tie tho¬ 
rax, which is grey, with,two final 1 round black loots on 
the middle, and two fquare ones next the efcutcheon ; 
the e(’cutcJieoi\itfeif is black, furrounded by a patch of 
the fame colour ; the wing cafes are grey, with two waved 
irregular bands eroding them, one near the middle, the 
other near the antis: all the under part of the infect is 
black ; and, when viewed through a mierofeope, appears 
to be powdered, as it were, with grey. The legs are en¬ 
tirely black. Native of Africa and Europe ; and is found 
iikewife in England. 
Fig. 7. The Pidhis: nearly the fize of the preceding. 
The head is yellow-brown; the eyes fmal) and black; 
the antennae deeply ferrated and black, being (horfer than 
the thorax ; the thorax is yellow-brown, with feveral 
black longitudinal (freaks; the efcutcheon is very fmall 
and yellow-brown ; the wing-cafes the fame colour, with 
feveral faint black marks thereon, particularly two fitu- 
ated near the middle, of a triangular fhape, and reaching 
to the (ides: they are a little (Mated, and terminate at 
the anus in four blunt (pines, two to each. All the under 
part of this infetl is of a grey colour. The elaftic fpring 
in this infefl is remarkably large. Native of Africa. 
Fig. 8. The Teffellafus: a native of Europe, and an 
inhabitant of England; the (hells adorned with teffelated 
v. hitidi fpots on a chocolate-coloured ground. Fig. 9. 
The Purpureus : thorax black, with a thin purple down ; 
w ing-cafes or (hells purple, with raifed lines: native of 
Auftria. Fig. 10. The Pulchellus: head and thorax 
black and bronze ; (hells variegated with black, yellow, 
and reddith brown : inhabits England, and is found in 
gardens. Fig. n. The Rufipes, moftly black and po- 
liftied : a native of Saxony. Fig. 12. The Ignitus: a 
curious and beautiful fpecies, from Cayenne. Fig-. 13. 
The Phofphoreus : dark bronze, with two tranfparent 
yellow fpots on the thorax, which appear to give out a 
phofphoric light : it is a native of South America. 
Fig. 14. The Fufcipes : a large fpecies, moftly black; 
wing-cafes (Mate : native .of the Eaft Indies. Fig. 15. 
The Sa.iiguinolentus : thorax and body black ; wing- 
cafes blood-red, with an ovate black fpot in the center : 
inhabits Germany. Fig. 16. The Bipuftulatus ; a fmall 
fpecies, found in the woods of Germany : it is quite 
black, with two flame-coloured puftules on the wing- 
cafes. Fig. 17. The Pulverulentus: head and body 
black, very minutely fpeckled witli greeniih gold ; on the 
wing-cafes a divaricated (Iripeof red : native of America. 
ELA'TERIST, f. One who holds the doClrine of the 
elafticity of the air. 
ELAT'ERIUM, f [Gr.] The elafticity cf 
the air. 
ELATE'RIUM, f. [fAcflrpior, from tXuvvux whatever 
purges the belly ; troches made of the juice of the wild 
cucumber ; and a name for that cucumber itfelf. ] In bo¬ 
tany, a genus of the clafs monoecia, order monandria, na¬ 
tural order cucurbitaceie. The generic characters are— 
I. Male flowers. Calyx :.none. Corolla: one-petalled, 
i.ilver-fhaped ; tube cylindric ; border five-cleft ; divi- 
lions lanceolate, channelled on. the back, the incifures 
furniflied with a toothlet. Stamina: filament fingle, co¬ 
lumnar; anther linear. II. Female flowers. Caly.x and 
corolla as in male. Piftillum : germ inferior, eciiinate ; 
flyle columnar, thickening; ftigma capitate. Pericar- 
pium : capfule inferior, echinate, .leathery, filled with 
.pulp, uniform, one-celled, two-valved, elaflic. Seeds : 
feveral.— EJfential CharaEler. Male: calyx, none; co- 
rolla, falver-fhaped. Female: calyx, none ; corolla, fid- 
Vi.r-(haped ; capfule, inferior, one-celled, two-valved. 
Species. 1. F.laterium Carthagenenfe : leaves cordate, 
angular. This is probably an annual plant ; (ferns round, 
(mooch, herbaceous, diffufed, fcandent, with tendrils 
bifid and lateral; leaves very finely ferrate, fmooth un. 
£ L A 
derneatfi, fomewhat rugged above, petioled, alternate, 
numerous; pedpnc^les of the male flowers axillary, Soli¬ 
tary, many-flowered, fpreading, almolt the length of the 
leaves, racemed or fubumbelled : female peduncle from 
the fame axil, folitary, one-flowered, (Fort : corolla 
white, without feent in the day, but fmelling fweet at 
night ; fruit green, an inch and half long, having but 
little watery pulp, fmelling like cucumber ; when ripe, 
it opens elaftically with a very gentle touch, and difperfes 
its feeds; or, when approaching to maturity, if it be 
held Come time in the hand clofed, it will do the fame ; 
one valve is' cornpofed of the whole (ides and the anterior 
part of the fruit, and is roundifti two-lobed on one 
fide, or like the figure 8 ; the back of the capfule forms 
the other, which is therefore oblong: this on the infide 
at the tip is furniflied with a lanceolate appendix, highly' 
elaflic, furniflied with about eighteen to.othlets, to which 
as many brownifh feeds adhere. Native of Carthagena^ 
in New Spain, covering entire flmibs with its ftalks, and 
flowering in October and November... 
2. Elaterium trifoliatum: leaves ternate, gaflied. 
Capfule kidney-Ihaped, rough with hairs, two-valved,. 
opening with a fpring ; and therefore of this genus. Na¬ 
tive of Virginia. See Momordica. 
E'LATH, or F.i.oth, [lleb. a hind.] A city of Edom, 
(ituated near the Red Sea. It was in being in the days 
of Mofes, Dcut. ii. 8. and during the fitbjedion of the 
Edomites to Judah, was one of Solomon’s principal fea- 
ports. 2 Chrov. viii. 17. 11 was taken from Judah, and de- 
flroyed ; but was rebuilt by Uzzah king of Judah, who 
reftored it to his kingdom : it was again taken from Ju¬ 
dah in the reign of Ahaz, by Rezin king of Syria, through 
the afliflance of Pekah king of Ifrael, and was never af¬ 
terwards regained by the Jews. 2 Kings, xiv. 22. xvi. 6. 
ELA'TlNE,yi rnadeof fir.] In botany, a ge¬ 
nus of the clafs ochuidria, order tetragynia, natural order 
inundatfe, (caryopliyllere, JuJJe) The generic charaiSlers- 
are—Calyx : periantliium four-leaved ; leaflets roundifli, 
flat, (ize of the corolla, permanent. Corolla: petals 
four, ovate, obtufe, feflile, fpreading. Stamina; fila¬ 
ments' eight, length of the corolla; antlierie Ample. 
Piftillum: germ orbicular, globofe-deprefled, large; 
ftyles four, upright, parallel, length of the (hunens ; 
fligmas ftmple. Pericarpium : capfule orbicular, glo¬ 
bofe-deprefled, large, four-celled, four-valved. Seeds : 
feveral, mooned, upright, furrounding the receptacle in 
the manner of a wheel.— E/fential CharaEler. Calyx, four- 
leaved ; petals, four; capfule, four-celled, four-valved,. 
flatted. 
Species. 1. Elatine hydropiper, or oppofite-leaved wa¬ 
ter-wort: leaves oppofite. A very fmall annual aqur/tic 
plant, hardly a fpan in length ; ftems very tender, creep¬ 
ing ; the (hoots eredl, and leafy ; leaves ovate-lanceolate,, 
quite entire, feffile at the joints ; flowers folitary, much 
fmaller than in the fecond fpecies, alternate, on very 
fliort peduncles at the axils of the leaves on the branches, 
and clofe to them on the Hem; petals white, purplilh, 
or rofe-coloured; ftyles none, fligmas very fmall; an¬ 
thers globular: capfules fmaller than in the fecond. 
Native cf Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Silefta, and 
France ; in ditches and wet places : flowering in fummer. 
2. Elatine alfinaftrum, or whorl-leaved water-wort 1 
leaves in whorls. Native of Aboa, Leipfic, 'Silefla, 
Swillerland, near Paris and Montpellier, England ; in 
ditches. Found by Mr. James Sherard on the bogs upon 
the common, by the road from ELtham to Chiflelhurft : 
it flowers in June and July. See Antirrhinum, La- 
tiiyrus, Aphaca, and Veronica. 
ElLA'TION,y; Haughtinefs proceeding from fuccefs,- 
pride of profperity.—'God began to punifh this vain ela¬ 
tion of mind, by withdrawing his favours. Attcrbury. 
ELATI'TES, f. in natural hittory, a kind of blood- 
(tone. 
ELATOS'TEMA, f. in botany: fee Dorstenia. 
ELAT'MA S 
