Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 06.djvu/483

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NELSON RIVER 4il NEOPHYTE City "Star" during the last few years of his life. NELSON RIVER, a stream issuing from the N. end of Lake Winnipeg in Canada, and, after a N. E. course of 400 miles through Keewatin, falling into Hudson Bay. It discharges an enormous quantity of water, and is navigable for 127 miles from its mouth, though only about 70 or 80 miles for large steamers. NELSONVILLE, a town of Ohio in Athens co., 62 miles S. E. of Columbus. It is situated on the Hocking River and on the Hocking Valley railroad. The town is the center of an important coal mining industry. It has manufactories of brick, sewer pipe, mining implements, car wheels, etc. Pop., (19101 6,082; (1920) 6,440. NELUMBIUM, the typical and only genus of the order Nelumbiacese. The species are remarkable for the beauty of their flowers. N. speciosum has mag- nificent flowers, magenta or white. NEMEA, in ancient geography, a deep and well-watered valley of Argolis in the Peloponnesus, between Cleonae and Phlius. It possessed a sacred grove, with a magnificent temple of Zeus, and was celebrated for the games called the Nemean Games, one of the great national festivals of the Greeks. NEMEAN GAMES, in Greek antiqui- ties, public games or festivals celebrated at Nemea, most probably triennially, in the Athenian month Boedromion (the modern August) . The Ar gives were the judges at these games, which comprised boxing and athletic contests, as well as chariot- races ; and the conquerors were crowned with olive. NEMESIS, in Greek mythology, one of the infernal deities, daughter of Nox. She was the goddess of vengeance, al- ways prepared to punish impiety, and at the same time liberally to reward the good and virtuous. NEMI, LAKE OF, an extinct crater, 20 miles S. of Rome, accounted for its beauty the gem of the Alban Mountains. There was here a famous temple of Diana, portions of which have been recently excavated. NEMOPHILA, a genus of Hydro- phyllacese, with pinnatifid leaves and conspicuous flowers. Several species are found in the United States, chiefly in California. The best known is N. in- signis, which has brilliant blue flowers with a white center. It is prized in gardens as a border plant. NEMOURS (nuh-mor'), an ancient town in the French department of Seine- et-Marne, 40 miles S. E. of Paris. It gave a ducal title to the second son of Louis Philippe. NENNIUS, the reputed author of a "History of the Britons," evidently of Cymric origin. It gives the mythical ac- count of the origin of the Britons, the Roman occupation, the settlement of the Saxons, and closes with the 12 victorious battles of King Arthur. The writer has preserved valuable fragments of earlier treatises which have been lost. NEO-CELT, a term used to describe the revival among scholars and writers of the Celtic spirit, and the Celtic past and also the Celtic literary revival in Ireland in the last years of the 19th century. Scholars and translators of Gaelic literature and Anglo-Celtic poets, dramatists, and story-writers caught the ancient celtic manner, while Irish as a spoken tongue was cultivated by the Gaelic League. In English the Neo- Celtic movement finds its best expression in the poems of W. B. Yeats and Fiona McLeod (William Sharp), and in the dramas of John Synge, and work of the scholars and translators Kuno Meyer, Douglas Hyde, and Lady Gregory. NEOLITHIC, in archaeology, a term applied to the more recent of the two periods into which the stone age has been subdivided, as opposed to palaeo- lithic. During this period there is found no trace of the knovledge of any metal excepting gold, which it would seem had sometimes been used for ornaments. The neolithic stone implements are finely shaped and polished, and are found in connection with the remains of extinct animals. NEON, a primary element existing in air. It was discovered by Ramsay and Travers, of England, who, in July, 1898, separated it from argon while experi- menting with liquid air. Neon is a gas having a density of 14.67, and like argon, it is characterized by inertness. NEOPHYTE, a term applied in the primitive Church to the newly baptized. They wore white garments at their bap- tism, and for eight days after. The Council of Nice (325 A. D.) ordered that ne.ophytes should not be admitted to holy orders till their constancy had been in some measure proved. The term is still used by Roman missionaries for their converts from the heathen. A special use of the word was to denote one who, not having passed through the inferior grades, was, in view of I Tim. iii : 6, con-