M T I
AFF
more earth and lefs cryftal ; the natural confeqiicnce" of which muft be, that being of a more loofe and rare tex- ture, it is in drying more apt to ftirink than fiich maffes, as arc compofed of a harder and purer matter. The central nu- cleus in this fpecies is alfo furrounded with a whitifh cruft, of a more loofe texture, and more fubjecr. to ftirink in dry- ing than even the nucleus itfelf ; and being compofed of more earth and lefs cryftal, is alfo more friable and foffc The outer circles of this Irene, are of a greatly harder fubfhncc. When- ever the earthy matter in the nucleus, and firft cruft of this pebble, a little exceeds its juft proporiion, the confequence will be, that the ftone will become an retit.es. For the nu- cleus fhrinking and contracting itfelf to a final] iize on the evaporation of its fluid matter, mult feparate itfelf from its firft cruft, and that alfo fhrinking, muft be drawn backward toward the other crufts ; whence the cavity will become larger between that and the nucleus, and confequently,
- he nucleus will rattle in it when the ftone is fhaken. The
pebble in this ftate having been afterwards rolled about by waters, the nucleus has by rolling, broken to pieces all the inner cruft, and is ufually found in the hollow of the ftonej buried in a large quantity of a whitifh powder. 1 hefe eagle ftones are not uncommon in our gravel-pits, but being, by their hollownefs rendered lefs ftrong than the folid pebbles we frequently find them broken j but on trying fe- veral of the whole pebbles of the fame outer appearance, it is not uncommon to meet with a whole one. V. Hill's Hift. of Foff. p- 517.
In the fandy plain of Bhar bela ma, in Egypt, the Mtites is found two or three inches below the furface of the ground, and in mines or quarries, about half a mile diftant from each 'other. F. Sicard relates the manner wherein the fand is here metamorphofed into ftones. It is probable the earth emits a metalic, or petrifying fume, which ferments with the fand it meets with, and in this fermentation forms it into roundifh mattes, (till gathering more and more fand, till by degrees it hardens, and turns black by the heat of the fun. Nouv. Mem. dcsMiff. T. 2. p. 75. Jour. desScav. T. 62. p. 679. feq. Langius explains the procefs fomewhat more minutely. The whole matter, he obferves, does not become ftony at once, hut that next the furface firft; either becaufe the ftony juice does not reach to the center, or is not ftrong enough to pe- trify the whole. While the internal parts are hardening, they ftirink, and by this means occafion a cavity, and thus arifes the geodes. If the petrifying juice, after having hard- ened the fuperficial parts, infmuate to the centre, there is formed a nucleus, which fhrinking likewife in the petri- faction, leaves a cavity, or vacancy between the two, and this is the JEtites. Lang. Hift. 'Lapid. Figurat. Helvet. p. 1 17. feq. Act. Erud. Lipf. an. 1709. p. 21. feq. The JEtites according to Sicard, while in its mine under ground, has three qualities. 1. It is foft and brittle as an egg. 2. It yields no found. 3. It is of a light violet, yel- low, or afh-colour. After continuing a while in the open air, it turns hard as coral, the internal matter dries and fhrtnks into lefs compafs, fo that when fhaken it rattles ; and its light colour turns to a deep brown, or dark. See further concerning the hiftory of the Mtites in Mercat. Metalloth. arm. 9. c. 22. Nicholf. Lapid. P. 3. c. 54. p. 184. feq. Plin. Hift. Nat. T. 2. I. 36. c. 2r. Hardouin. Not. ad loc.
Other particulars concerning the Mtite s are alfo found in Bibl. Germ. T.5. p. 113. Jour des Scav. T. 31. p. 385. Concern- ing its formation, in P/ott. Nat. Hift. Stafford, c. 4. §. 11. The noife it yields, in Mercat. ubi fupra, & Lands, not. ad loc. Extraordinary kinds and figures of it, male, female, florid, angular, ridged, orbicular, amygdalate, oval, chalcedo- nian, flinty, gfa, m Grew, Muf. Reg. Societ. P. 3. Sec. 1. c. 5. p. 297. feq. Woodw. Hift. Engl. Foft". T. 2. p. 69. h 102.
The Mtites is alfo known by the names Eidocium, Echites, Erodiahs, Aquileius, & Lapis pragnans ; Tome rank it under the clafs of precious ftones, to which it has no title. Some think it may come properly enough under that of figured ftones. V. Fabric. Bibl. Graec. T. 4. 1. 4. c . 29. p. 327. The Mtites kind differs from the bezoar mineral, in that the coats or crufts of the latter are clofe and without any cavity within them ; whereas thofe of the former are loofe, and hollow within. See Bezoar.
Pliny and others make the geodes a fpecies of it, but the more exa£t diftinguifti between the two ; limiting the Mtites to that which has another within it, and the geodes, to that which in lieu of a ftone, has a foft matter within it. See Geodes.
Dr. Woodward places the diftinguifhing characreriftie of the Mutes, in that it confifts of feveral crufts, which have in them a cavity with matter in it, loofe and moveable ; either firft folid and ftony called a callimus, which makes the &*" properly fo called ; or fecondly loofe, as fand, ockre, chalk, or earth, which makes the geodes ; or thirdly, liquid, r 1 )™ " lakes the ^hydros. V. JVoodw. Nat. Hift. Engl. FofT. T. 1. p. 2 3 s,
ltk " f r al enou S h > fa ? s a modern virtuofo, for ftones, efpeci-
ally thofe of a globular or oval form, ro have coat upon coat ; and
Suppt, Vol. I,
thofe coats fornetimes very different from one another, fome of them foft, Ibme hard ; nay fornetimes,' after a long (pace of time, one of thefe coats will f'hrink from another, after the man- ner of a kernel,-, when the fliell grows dry ; and then if the encloied iubftance continue foft, and marly, the ftone is called a geodes, if ftony, it makes on of thofe rattling ftones called Mtites. There/by, ap. Phil. Tranf. N° 277. p. 107I. OfcJ NA-6W/, Sal Mince, a name given by fome authors to the fal amioniac, which is found on the furface and fides of the open- ings of Mtna, and other burning mountains after their erup- tions j and fornetimes, on the furface of the ferrugineous matter which they throw out. This fa-It makes a very va- rious appearance in many cafes ;." it is fornetimes found in large and thick cakes, fornetimes only in form of a thin powder, fcattered over the furface of the earth and ftones. Some of this fait is yellow, fome white, and fome greenifli. This fait is a concrete of nitre, fulphur, and vitriol, burnt and fubh'med together ; Borelli found once, a vaft quantity of this fait on mount Muia, and tried many experiments on it, particularly, as to its explofive effects. It is a generally received opinion, that fal armoniac pro- perly added to gun-powder,- will greatly aflift its explofion ; from this common opinion that author conceived, the Sal Mines might have greatly affifted in the explofions and conflagra- tions of that mountain, and in the fluxing or melting the fabulous and other verifiable matter into the flags, which we findj on the eruptions, thrown out in great abundance. For a trial of the effects of this fait, he added fome of it to pulverifed fulphur and nitre^ but he found to his amazement,' that it was fo far from being kindled by the fire; that it manifeftly prevented the accenfion of the brimftone, and fait petre, which were even extinguifhed by it, as if water had been thrown upon them. The fame was the effeer. where powdered charcoal was added, and hence he concludes, that this fait is fo far from occafioning the cxplofions of that mountain, that it decs not cxift in it, but is formed during the burning. Phil. Tranf. N°. 100.
^TOLARCHA, in antiquity, the prince or chief of the na- tion of the ^tolians. V, Mifc. Lipf. T. 5. p. 184, Liv. 34* 23.
APDELLES, in ichthyology, a name given by the Cretans to the fifh called at Rome, don%elUna and %igurella. It is the Julis of authors, and* according to the artedian fyftem, is a fpecies of the Labrus. Artedl diftinguifhes it from the others, by the name of the Palmar Labrus, with variegated fides, and two large teeth in the upper jaw.
APFATOMIA, in antient laws, a kind of donation made by thrufting a Wand into the perfon'3 bofom, to whom it was made. V. Du Cange, Gloll". Lat. T. i.p. 98. The word is aKowrhtcn Aafatomia, Adfatimus, rljfatimia, &c.
AFFECTIO Bovina is a difeafe incident to cattle, occafioned by a little worm, bred between the flefh and the fkin ; which Works its way over all parts of the body. Le Clerc, Hift. de la Medic, p. 777. Jour, des Scav. T. 75. p. 647. See Worm.
Dr. Friend charges M. Le Clerc with confounding the Af~ feclio Bovina with the Vena Medinmfis, which ^ttius, and Albucafis exprefsly diftinguifh \ But the charge does not feem well grounded b . — [ a Friend, Hift. Phyf. P. 1. p. rj., b V. Bibl. Ant. Mod. T. 27. p. 405.]
AFFETTUOSO, or Con Affetto, in the Italian mufic, is ufed to denote that kind of mufic, which muft be performed in a very tender, moving, and affecting manner ; and for that reafon rather flow than faft. Broffi. Dicr., Muf. in voc.
AFFINITY, Affinitas,— {Cycl.) among civilians, ftands diftin- guifhed from kinfliip, Cognatio, or Confanguinity^ Confan- guinitas, as thefe arife from blood ; from Neceffitudo, which arifes from offices, from Gentilitas, which arifes from being of the fame family, and furname. Calv. Lex. Jur. p. 52. Affinity does not found any real kinfliip, it is no more than a kind of fiction, introduced on account of the clofe relation between hufband, and wife". It is even faid to ceafe, when the caufe of it ceafes ; hence a woman who is not capable of being a witnefs for her hufband's brother, during his life time, is allowed for a witnefs, when a wi- dow, by reafon the Affinity is diffolved. Yet with regard to the contracting marriage, Affinity is not diffolved by death, tho* it he in every thing elfe \ — £ a Berger. Difq. de Matrirm Comprivign. b Calv. Lex. Jur p. 53.] There is no proper Affinity between the kindred of the two married perfons, nor between the kindred of thofe, who are in the fecond or third degree of Affinity, nor even between the hufband and the wife, Hartung. exercit. p. 53. & Calv, Lex. Jur. p. 52.
There are no peculiar lines or degrees of Affinity, but it is reckoned after the fame manner as cotifanguinity ; confe- quently, differently in the civil, from what it is in the ca- non law. Whatever line or degree of confanguinity, the kindred of one of the parties married are in, the.y are in the fame line and degree of Affinity to the other. And again, in whatever line or degree of Affinity perfons are, in the firft kind j they are in the fame in the fecond and third kinds of Affinity. Hence arife what we may call a direct and a colla- teral, an afcendir.g and a defcending line of Affinity-
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