OCR Text |
Show 76 GLOSSARY. 0l'AT.JZED Woon. Wood petrified by l)iliceous earth, and acquiring a structure similar to the simple mineral called opal. 0PHIDious REPTILES. Vertebrated animals, such as snakes and ser-pents. Etym., o(/>tr:, ophis,. a serpe~t. . OnoANIC REMAINS. The remams of ammals and plants; orgamzed bodies, found in a fossil state. OnTHOCERATA. An extinct genus of the order of Molluscous Animals, called Cephalopoda, that inhabited a long chambered, conical shell, like a straight horn. Etym., opfJoc; orthos, straight, and KEpac, ceras, horn. OssEous BRECCIA. The cemented mass of fragments of bones of extinct animals found in caverns and fissures. Osseus is a Latin adjective, signifying bony. OuTLIERS. When a portion of a stratum occurs at some distance, detached from the general mass of the formation to which it belongs, some practical mineral surveyors call it an outlier, and the term is adopted in geological language. OvATE. The shape of an egg. Elym., ovum, egg. OviPOSlTING. The laying of eggs. OXYGEN. One of the constituent parts of the air of the atmosphere; that part which supports life. For a fur~her explanation of the word, consult elementary works on chemistry. OxiDE. The combination of a metal with oxygen ; rust is oxide of iron. PACHYDERl\lATA. An order of quadrupeds, including the elephant, rhinoceros, horse. pig, &c., distinguished by having thick skins. Etym. 7raxvr:, pachus, thick, and OEpp.a, derma, skin or hide. PAcliYDERliiATOUS. Belonging to pachydermata. PAL.IEOTIIERJUM, PALEOTHERE. A fossil extinct quadruped, belonging to the order pachydcrmata, resembling a pig or tapir, but of great size. Elym. 7raA.awr:, palaios, ancient, and e,Jpwv, therion, wild bea~t. PELAGIAN, PEI.AGIC. Belonging to the deep sea. Etyrn. pelagus, sea. PEPERINO. An Italian name for a particular kind of volcanic rock, formed, like tuff, by the cementing together of volcanic sand, cinders, or scorire, &c. PETJtOLEUM. A liquid mineral pitch, so called because it is seen to ooze like oil out of the rock. Etym. petra, rock, and oleum, oil. PuANFJROGAMIC PLANTS. A name given by Linnreus to ~hose plants GLOSSARY. 7i in wl1ich the .reproductive organs are apparent. Etym. q)avEpoc, phaneros' evident, and yaflo~, gamos, marriage. PHvsrcs. The dc~artment of science, which treats of the properties of .natural boches, laws of motion, &c., sometimes called Natural philosophy and mechanical philosophy. Etym. t~~vr:tr: physis nature. • ' • PnYTOLOGY, PnYTOI.OGICAL. The department of science which relates to plants-synonymous with botany and botanical. Elyrn. ¢vrov, phyton, plant, and Xoyoc, logos, discourse. PHYTOPHAGous. ~lant eating. Etym. <fvrov, phyton, plant, and cpayEw, phagezn, to eat. PrsLIAR, a misprint for .PisTIA, in vol. ii. p. 98, lst ed., p. 102, 2d ed. T!1e plant m:nttoned by Malte.Brun is probably the Pistia stratwtes, a floatmg plant, related to English duck-weed, but very much larger. PrsoLrrE. A stone possessing a structure like an agglutination of pease. Etym. 7rtuov, pison, pea, and A.dJoc, lithos, stone. PIT CoAl.. Ordinary coal; called so because it is obtained by sinking pits in the ground. PrTcn ST.ONE. A rock ~fan uniform .texture, belonging to the unstrahfied and volcamc classes, wluch has an unctuous appearance, like indurated pitch. PLAsTic Cr.Av. One of the be~s of the Eocene tertiary period (~:~ee Table II. E, p. 390.) It Is so called because it is used for making pottery. Etym. 1rA.auuw, plasso, to form or fashion. PLESJos~uRus. .A fossil extinct .amp~ibious animal, resembling the saunan, or hzard and crocodile tribe. Etym. 7rA.quwv, plesion, near to, and O"avpa, saura, a lizard. PLIOCENE. See explanation of this term, vol. iii. p. 53. PLUTONIC RocKs. For an explanation of this term, see vol. iii. p.353. PoLYPARI.A. CoRALs. A numerous class ofinvertebrated animals, belongmg to the great division called Radiata. PoRPHYRY. An unstratified Ol' igneous rock. The term is as old as .Pliny,. and. was applied to. a reJ. rock with small angular white bodies diffused through It, which are crystallized felspar, b~·ought from ~gypt. Th.e ter~ is hence applied to every speCies o.f unstratified rock, m whtch detached crystals of felspar are diffused through a base of other mineral composition. Elym. 7ropcpvpa, porphyra, purple. PoRTLAND LIMESTONE, PoRTLAND BEos. A series oflimestone strata belonging to the upper part of the Oolite group (see Tabl~ n: |