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Show 74 GLOSSARY. MESOTYP.E. A simple mineral, white, and needle-shaped, one of the Zeolite family, frequently met with in the trap rocks. METAJ\IORPIIIC RocKs. For an explanation of this term, see vol. iii. p. 374. MicA. A simple mineral, having a shining silvery surface, and capable of being split into very thin elastic leaves or scales. It is often called talc in common life, but mineralogists apply the term talc to a different mineral. The brilliant scales in granite are mica. Etym., mico, to shine. MICA-SI.ATE, MICA-ScmsT, MicAcEous ScHisTus. One of the lowest of the stratified rocks, belonging to the primary class, which is characterized by being composed of a large proportion of mica, united with quartz. MIOCENE. See an explanation of this term, vol. iii. p. 54. MoLASSI·:. A provincial name for a soft, green sandstone, associated with marl and conglomerates, belonging to the Miocene tertiary period, extensively developed in the lower country of Switzerland. See vol. iii. p. 212. MoLLuscJE, Molluscous Animals. Animals, such as shell-fish, which, being devoid of bones, have soft bodies. Etym., mollis, soft. MoNITOR. An animal of the saurian or lizard tribe, species of which are found in both the fossil and recent state. MoNoCO'I'YU.:DoNous. A grand division of the vegetable kingdom, founded on the plant having only one cotyledon, Ol' seed-lobe. Etym., povor;, monos, single. Moscnus. The quadruped resembling the chamois or mountaingoat, from which the perfume musk is obtained. MouNTAIN LIMESTONE. A series of limestone strata, of which the geological position is immediately below the coal measures, and with which they also sometimes alternate. See Table II. L, p. 393. MovA. A term applied in South America to mud poured out from volcanos during eruptions. MuRIATE 0.11 SoDA. The scientific name for common culinary salt, because it is composed of muriatic acid and the alkali soda. MusACEJE. A family of tropical monocotyledonous plants, including the banana and plantains. MuscnELKALK. A limestone which, in geological position, be· longs to the red sandstone group. This formation has not yet been found in England, and the German name is adopted by English geologists. The word means shell-limestone: muschel, shell, and kalk~tein, limestone. See Table II. K, p. 392. NAPHTHA. A very thin, volatile, inflammable, and fluid mineral GLOSSARY. 75 substan~e, of which there are springs in many countries, particularly m volcanic districts. NENUPHA.a. A yellow water-lily. NEw R. Eo SANDSTONE · A sen·e s o f san d y, arg1. llaceous, and often calcareou~ ~trata, the predominant colour of which is brick-red but contamm. g portion s wh 1 · c 1 f . ' 1 are o a greemsh grey. These ~ccur often In spots and stripes, so that the series has some-times ~een called th~ v~riegated sandstone. The European format10n so called lies m a geological position immediately above the coal-measures. See Table II K 392 • • t p. . NODULE. A rounded Irregular-shaped lump or mass Et d' · nutl·v e o f nodus, kllot. · ym., um- NORMAL Gao ups, Groups of certain rocks taken as a rule or standard. Etym. norma, rule or pattern. NucLEus. A solid central piece, around which other matter is collected. The word is Latin for kernel. N UMllfULITEs. An extinct genu~ of th~ Order of Molluscous animals, ~ailed Cephalopoda, of a tlun lentiCular shape, internally divided mto sm~ll chambers. E~ym., nummus, Latin for money, and ~tOot;;, lzthos, stone, from Its resemblance to a coin, OnsiDIAN. A volca11ic product, or species of lava, very like COI\lmon green bottle-glass, which is almost black in larcre masses but semi-transparent in thin fracrments. Pumic~-ston ·' b 'd' · . o e IS o s1 Ian m a f~otl1y state; produced most probably by water that was contamed in or had access to the melted stone, and converted into steam. There ate ve1·y often portions in a mass of solid obsidian, which are partially converted into pumice. OoY~IAN DELUGE, A genera1 inundation of fabulous history, which Js ~upposed to have taken place in the reign of Ocryges in Attica, whose death is fixed in Blair's Chronological Tables in the year 1764 before Chri~t. OLD .REo SANDSTONE. A stratified rock belonging to the CarbonIferous group. See Table L, p. 393. OLIVINE. An ol.ive-.coloured, semi-transparent, simple mineral, very often occurnng m the forms of grains and of crystals in basalt and lava. OoLITE, Oolitic. A limestone, forming a characteristic feature of a ~oup of the secondary strata. See Table I I. H, p. 391. It ls so named, because it is composed of rounded particles, like the roe or eggs of a fish. Etym. wov, oon, egg, and "At0o!;, litltos stone. ' |