APPENDIX, ASTRONOMY.

311

The point

NADIR, from the Arabic, and meaning opposite to. of the heavens directly under our feet. NEBULE, from nephos, a fog or cloud. A name given to cloudy clusters of very small stars.

NODES, from nodus, a knot. The two opposite points where a planet's orbit cuts the ecliptic.

Oblique Sphere, is that position of the globe in which the equator and the parallels of latitude cut the horizon obliquely. OCCULTATION, from ob, and celo, to conceal. The obscuration of a star or planet by the interposition of the moon.

ORBIT, from orbis, a circle. The tract or line in which a planet performs its revolution round the sun.

ORRERY OF PLANETARIUM, named after the Earl of Orrery, who first exhibited it. A machine for exhibiting the motions of the heavenly bodies.

PARALLAX, from para, and allasso, to change, is the angle formed at the centre of a heavenly body by two lines drawn from the earth,-one line from its centre, and the other from its surface. PARALLEL SPHERE, from para, and allelōn, each other, is that position of the globe in which the equator is parallel to the horizon. PENUMBRA, from pene, almost, and umbra, a shadow, is a faint shadow surrounding the perfect shadow in an eclipse. PERIGEE, from peri, about, and ge, the earth, is that point of the moon's orbit which is nearest to the earth. PERIHELION, from peri, and h-elios, the sun.

That part of a

planet's orbit which is nearest to the sun. PHASES, from phao, to shine. The different appearances of the planets.

PLANET, from planao, to wander. A body revolving about the sun. POLES, from poleo, to turn. The extremities of the earth's axis. PRECESSION OF THE EQUINOXES, from pre, before, and cedo, to

go. A very slow motion of the equinoctial points, from east to west, amounting to about 50" in a year.

PRIMARY PLANETS, from primus, first. Those which have the sun for their centre.

SATELLITES, OF SECONDARY PLANETS, from satelles, an attendant, revolve about some primary planet.

SIGN, the twelfth part of the zodiac.

TROPICS, from trepo, to turn, are two small circles parallel to the equator, and 23° 28′ from it on each side, The space included

between them is called the torrid zone.

ZENITH, an Arabic term. The point directly over our head. ZODIAC, from zous, living,-hence animals. A belt or girdle in the heavens of 16° in breadth.

ZONES, from zona, a girdle. Five belt-like divisions of the earth, and called the torrid, the north and south temperate, and the north and south frigid zones.

THE specific gravity of a body is its weight compared with the same bulk of water. The body is weighed in air, then weighed in water. The weight in air divided by the difference of the two weights gives the specific gravity.

APPENDIX,-BOTANY.

BOTANY-THE LINNEAN CLASSIFICATION.

313

LINNEUS, the Swedish botanist, founded his classification on the number, situation, and relations of the stamens and pistils. By the stamens he determined his classes, and by the pistils the orders.

distinct from the style.

20. GYNANDRIA, Flowers having stamens united above and united to the style.

21. MONŒCIA, Flowers having stamens and pistils in distinct blossoms on the same plant.

22. DICCIA, Flowers having stamens and pistils in distinct blossoms on different plants.

23. POLYGAMIA, Flowers having stamens and pistils in distinct blossoms, or stamens only and pistils only.

24. CRYPTOGAMIA, Plants not having flowers.

Andria, from aner, a man.

Dynamia, from dunamis, power.

Delphia, from adelphia, bro-Oecia, from oikia, a house.

therhood.

Gyn, from gune, a woman.

Gamia, from games, marriage.
Crypto, from krupto, I hide.

SPECIMEN OF ETYMOLOGICAL QUESTIONING. ON THE ROOTS OF WORDS.

WHAT is the meaning of the word two? Give another word from the same root? twice, twain, &c. To put two together? twine. Very strongly? twist. To undo? untwine, Cloth of twisted cords? twill. Between the lights? twilight, Persons or things? between.

Combat between two? duel, dueller. Root? duo, two. Government of two? duumvirate. Song for two? duet, To fold into two? double. An exact copy? duplicate.

Every two years? biennial (bis). What is an animal of two feet called?_biped. Cut into two parts? bisect. Why is leapyear called Bissextile? (Two days in that year were each called the sixth before the calends of March). Why billion? double million, or a million of millions. To put together? combine. Twice baked? biscuit. By twos? binary. bigamy, &c.

Having two wives?

Another word for place? locality (locus). Relating to place? local. To place together? collocate. To put out of place? dislocate. If the limb be broken? fracture, fractured (frango). To settle in a place? locate. The place settled on ? locality. Confined to the precise place? local;—loco-motive, &c.

Another word relating to place? topical (topos). Description of a place? topography. Imaginary place? Utopia. Difference between Utopia and Eutopia? the latter means a good place (eu). Give instances? eulogy, euphony, evangelist, eucharist.

What root indicates east, rising, and beginning? orior. Give an instance of each? oriental, orient, origin. The earliest inhabitants of a country? aborigines. What is the subject of this figure? the sun. Another word for sun? sol. Derivatives? solar, parasol, &c.

A Saxon word for rising? stigan, I rise. A raised platform? stage. The risings to a platform? stairs. Above a flight of stairs? story. A raised barrier? stile. A raised step? stirrup, stilt. A rising in the eye? stye.

Το

What is the meaning of the word temporal? Living at the same time? contemporary. Time in grammar? tense. yield to the time? temporize. Without time-on the instant? extempore. Lasting but for a short time? temporary,

The science of time? chronology. Root? chronos. A measurer of time? chronometer. Disease lasting a long time? chronic. A time register? chronicle, &c.

APPENDIX,-ETYMOLOGY.

315

Give instances in which the word polis, a city or town, is used? metro-polis, chief city; deca-polis, ten cities: Constantinople, city of Constantine; Necro-polis, city of the dead; Acro-polis, the upper city; police, polity, polite, impolitic, politics.

ON THE PREFIXES AND POSTFIXES.

Another word for writer? scribe. Principal writings? Scriptures. Careless writing? scribble. Account of a place? description. To write in a place? inscribe. Round or about? circumscribe. To write above? superscribe. Below? subscribe. Before? prescribe. Writing afterwards? postscript. Written together? conscript. Against the writings? anti-scriptural. That cannot be written? indescribable, non-descript, &c.

Give

What is the meaning of the prefix con? with or together. Give instances? con-cord, con-gregate, con-verge, con-vocate. In what other forms is it written? co, cog, col, com, cor. instances? co-equal, re-cognize, col-lect, com-press, correspond. Why is it variously written? &c. What other prefixes are varied for the sake of euphony? ad, to, in, not, ab, against, &c.

Mention some of the postfixes used to verbs? ate, en, fy, ish, ize. What is the meaning of all these terminations? to make. Give instances? animate, facilitate; quicken, lengthen; magnify, purify; publish, nourish; fertilize, familiarize.

ON THE SINGle Word.

What is the meaning of the word monarchical? Analyse it? What are the roots? The postfix ? Give other instances of arch, signifying rule or government? heptarchy, hierarchy, patriarch, anarchy, oligarchy. Give other instances of mon, signifying one? monad, monk, monastery, monody, monosyllable, monotony. What is the meaning of the postfix ical? belonging to. Give other instances? historical, optical, poetical.

If by

If the government is by four persons? tetrarchy. seven? heptarchy. If by an indefinite but small number? oligarchy. If by many? polygarchy. If by ecclesiastical persons? hierarchy. The absence of government? anarchy, &c. &c. &c.