U R T 
516 
the muzzle, as far as beyond the eyes, is blackish-brown, 
and covered with hard shining hair; over the forehead, 
down the sides of the head between the eyes and ears, runs 
a whitish or ash-coloured band or fillet; the top of the head 
and whole length of the back are black-brown, the colour 
widening somewhat over the sides as it passes on, and again 
lessening or contracting towards the tail; or the description 
might be given in other words, by saying, that the colour 
of the body is a fine glossy black-brown, with a ferruginous 
tinge along the sides, so as to form a broad lateral zone; but 
it is to be observed, that the animal varies considerably in 
colour; sometimes appearing black, with a subferruginous 
lateral band; and at other times of a chesnut-colour; the 
feet are black. Agreeably to its name, it has the character 
of being very voracious, preying indiscriminately both on 
fresh food and carrion. One of these animals would eat 
thirteen pounds of flesh in a day, without being satisfied. 
It attacks deer, birds, field-mice, &c., and even sometimes 
the larger cattle; and is said to sit on the branches of trees, 
and suddenly to spring down on such animals as happen to 
pass beneath ; tearing them, and sucking the blood, till they 
fall down through faintness, when it begins to devour the 
spoil. In winter, it seeks out and catches ptarmigans under 
the snow. What it cannot devour at once it is said to hide 
under ground, or in the cavity of some tree. It is said to be 
an animal of uncommon fierceness and strength; and will 
sometimes dispute the prey both with the wolf and bear. It 
is also extremely fetid. It breeds once a year, and brings 
from two to four young at a litter. The fur is much used for 
muffs, linings, &c. Those skins are said to be preferred 
which have least of the ferruginous tinge; and for this reason 
the Siberian variety, which is blacker than the rest, is most 
esteemed.—The glutton is a native of the most northern 
parts of Europe and Asia, and is found in Sweden, Norway, 
Lapland, and Siberia, as well as in some of the Alpine 
regions, and in the forests of Poland and Courland, and in 
the northern parts of America. 
9. Ursus Indicus.—The badger white above and black 
beneath, first described by Pennant from a specimen brought 
from India, and in the possession of the late Mr. John 
Hunter. It had five toes on each foot, with long, straight 
claws; the head small, the nose pointed, with scarcely any 
appearance of external ears; the colour of the nose, and face 
a little beyond the eyes, black; the crown, upper part of 
the neck, back, and upper part of the tail, white, inclining 
to greyish; the legs, thighs, breast, belly, sides, and under 
part of the tail, black. Its food is flesh, and its disposition 
lively and playful. Dr. Shaw observes, that this animal 
seems to be nearly allied to the genus viverra; and particu¬ 
larly to the species viverra mellivora and viverra capensis. 
URSWICH, Great, a township of England, in the 
county of Lancaster; 3 miles south-west-by-south of Ulver- 
ston. Population 590. 
URSWICH, Little, a hamlet of the above county, half 
a mile distant from the foregoing. 
URTICA [of Pliny, ab urendo, from its stinging when 
touched], in Botany, a genus of- the class monoecia, order 
tetrandria, natural order of scabrida?, urticae (Juss.J — 
Generic Character. Male flowers.—Calyx: perianth four¬ 
leaved; leaflets roundish, concave, obtuse. Corolla: petals 
none; nectary in the centre of the flower, cup-shaped, 
entire, narrow below, very small. Stamina: filaments four, 
awl-shaped, length of the calyx, spreading, each within 
each calyx leaf. Anthers two-celled. Female flowers 
either on the same or a distinct plant.—Calyx: perianth 
tvvo-valved, ovate, concave, erect, permanent. Corolla: 
none. Pistil: germ ovate. Style none. Stigma villose. 
Pericarp none. Calyx converging. Seed one, ovate, blunt, 
compressed, shining — Essential Character. Male : calyx 
four-leaved. Corolla none. Nectary (rudiment of a germ) 
central, cup-shaped. Female: calyx two-leaved. Corolla 
none. Seed one, superior, shining. 
I.—Opposite leaved. 
1. Urtica pilulifera, or roman nettle—Leaves opposite, 
ovate, serrate; female flowers in round balls or heads. 
U R U 
Stem from eighteen inches to two feet in height.—Native 
of the South of Europe, the east coast of England, and 
about Tunis in Barbary. 
2. Urtica balearica.—Leaves opposite, cordate, serrate; 
female flowers in round heads.—It was discovered in the 
Balearic Islands (Majorca and Minorca). 
3. Urtica dodartii, or pellitory-leaved nettle. — Leaves 
opposite, ovate, almost quite entire; female flowers in round 
heads. Root annual.—Native of the South of Europe. 
4. Urtica pumila, or dwarf nettle.—Leaves opposite, 
ovate; racemes two-parted very short. Root fibrous.— 
Native of Canada, in watery places. 
5. Urtica grandifolia, or great-leaved nettle.—Leaves 
opposite, ovate; stipules cordate, undivided; racemes 
panicled length of the leaves.—Native of the West Indies, 
in shady moist places. 
6. Urtica verticillata, or whorled nettle.—Leaves opposite, 
ovate, serrate; flowers numerous, axillary, sessile. 
7. Urtica reticulata, or netted-leaved nettle.—Leaves op¬ 
posite, oblong, acute, netted underneath ; stipules ovate, en¬ 
tire ; racemes panicled ; leaves shorter.—Native of Jamaica. 
8. Urtica urens, or small nettle.—Leaves opposite, elliptic, 
three or five-nerved, racemes almost simple.—Native of 
Europe, Siberia and Barbary. 
9. Urtica laxa, or loose-stalked nettle.—Leaves opposite, 
ovate, acuminate, serrate; flowers dioecious; males pedun- 
cled, crowded; females in racemes; stem lax.—Native of 
Hispaniola. 
10. Urtica betuleefolia, or birch-leaved nettle.—Leaves 
opposite, cordate-roundish, serrate; stipules entire; flowers 
in racemes; stem prostrate ascending.—Native of Hispaniola. 
11. Urtica diffusa, or diffused nettle.—Leaves opposite, 
ovate, acutely serrate, hispid; stipules rolled back; racemes 
panicled longer than the leaf; stems procumbent.—Native 
of Jamaica. 
12. Urtica rufa.—Entirely hirsute; leaves opposite, ob¬ 
long, serrate; stipules roundish, permanent; racemes ter¬ 
minating; stem suffrutescent branched.—Native of Jamaica. 
13. Urtica dioica, or great nettle.—Leaves opposite, 
cordate; racemes very much branching in pairs, mostly 
dioecious. Root perennial, creeping, tough, yellowish, 
sending down from the joints some pretty large fibres.—The 
great common stinging-nettle grows all over Europe, in 
Barbary, Siberia and Japan, in hedges, neglected fields, 
gardens and pastures, flowering from June to September. 
There are abo in this genus— 
Urtica caudata. Urtica membranacea. Urtica rugosa. 
Urtica repens. Urtica cannabina, or hemp-leaved nettle. 
Urtica gracilis, or slender-stalked nettle. Urtica alienata. 
Urtica nudicaulis, or naked-stalked nettle. Urtica stoloni- 
fera. Urtica parietaria. Urtica ciliata. Urtica radicans. 
Urtica ciliaris. Urtica nummularifolia. Urtica depressa. 
Urtica herniarioides. Urtica serrulata. Urtica lucida. Urtica 
microphylla. Urtica trianthemoides. Urtica cuneifolia. 
Urtica spicata. Urtica macrophylla. Urtica rhombea. 
Urtica virgata. Urtica ferox. Urtica lappulacea. Urtica 
sessiliflora. Urtica elata. Urtica aestuans. Urtica argentea. 
Urtica ruderalis. Urtica heferophylla. Urtica capitata. 
Urtica divaricata. Urtica Canadensis, or Canada nettle. 
Urtica hirsuta. Urtica interrupta. Urtica nivea, or Chinese 
or white-leaved nettle. Urtica baccifera. Urtica Capensis. 
Urtica frutescens. Urtica stimulans. Urtica Japonica. 
Urtica muralis. Urtica villosa. 
Propagation and Culture. —These may all be propa¬ 
gated by seeds, or parting the roots. 
URU, a river of the Caraccas, which enters the Apure. 
URUANI, a small river of the Caraccas, in the province 
of Cumana, which runs south, and enters the Cuyuni by the 
north side. 
URUBAMBA, a town of Peru, in a district of the same 
name, situated on the shore of the river Quillabamba or 
Urubamba, to the north of Cuzco, in lat. 13. 16. S. long. 
71. 31. W. 
URUBAMBA, a river of Peru, in the province of Aban- 
cay, sometimes called the Vilcamamayo or Quillabamba. 
URUBAQUARA, 
