A U L
aufpicia. This anfwered to the Auguratorium in the city. Struv. Synt; Ant. Rom. p. 275. Augurale is alfo ufed, in Seneca, for the enfign or badge of
an augur, as the lituus. Senec. de Tranquill. c. 12. AUGURATORIUM, a building on the palatine mount, where public auguries were taken. Struv, Synt. Ant. Rom. c 6. p. 272.
This is alfo called Auguraculum, and arx. AUGUST, in refpect of chronology, denotes the eighth month of the Julian year.
This was called, in the ancient Roman calendar, Sextilis, as being the fixth from March, from which the Romans be- gan their computation. The emperor Auguftus changed the name, and gave it his own ; not that it was the month in which he was born, but becaufe it had been fortunate to him* J>y feveral vi&ories which he had gained in it. Macrob. Saturn. 1. X. c. 12. Struv. Antiq. Rom. Synt. c. 8. p. 348. Our Saxon anceftors called it Weod-monath, that is, weed- month, by reafon of the plenty thereof in this feafon. Spelm, GIofT. p. 420. a. August is alfo ufed, in middle-age writers, for a power, or Jicence, of going out of a city in harveft-time to reap, &c. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 390. AUGUST ATICUM, in middle-age writers* denotes a largefs, or donative, of an emperor, to the people* or foldiery. Du Cange, loc. cit. AUGUSTEUM Marmor, in the natural hiftory of the an- tients, a name given to the common green and white marble, fo frequent in ufe with us for tables, &c. and called by our artificers Egyptian marble. The Romans however made a diftinclion between the differences of this marble, in regard to the difpofition of its veins, for thofe pieces of it which had the white matter difpofed into a fort of arches, were called the Auguftan marble, while thofe which had the white in a more diffufed and lefs regular form, were called the Tiberian marble. But theft are too flight diftindtions $ for the fame block of marble, nay fometimes the eompafs of the fame table, affords us both the Auguftan and Tiberian kind. Hill's Hift. of Foffils, p. 482. AVIGNON Berry, a name given, by fome, to the Lytium
fruit. SeeLyciuM. AVIS, bird, in zoology. See Bird.
Avis Longa, a name given by Nieremberg to the Hoitlallotl of the Americans, a bird very remarkable for the fwiftnefs of its running. Avis Trivca, a name under which Nieremberg hasdefcribed an American bird, of the fize of a thrufh, brown and black on the back, and yellow under the belly, it imitates the human voice, and is called, by the natives, ceoan. See the article Ceoan. AVIS Pennipulckra, the name of an American bird, deferibed by Nieremberg, and called by the Indians ghtetzaltototl. It is of the fize ot a pigeon, and is all over its body of the more beautiful colours of the peacock. It has a creft of very ele- gant feathers on its head, and its beak is crooked and yellow, Its legs alfo are yellowifh. Ray's Ornithol. p. 302. There are, befide this fpecies, three or four others, which he defcribes under this general name, giving their Indian names Tzanatl, Hoitzitzillin, Tzimtziati, and Totoquejlal, which fee under the feveral terms. Mr. Ray has, however, rang'd all thefe under the number of birds the accounts of which he .is either dubious about, or fufpicious of the truth of. Avis Scica, a name given by Nieremberg to the Hoaclli, or Tabaclli, a -large bird, common on the lakes of Mexico. See
HoACTLI.
Avis TropUorum, the name of a bird, commonly called alfo, in Englifh, the tropic bird. It is of the fize of the common duck. Its beak is red, about two fingers breadth long, fome- what crooked, and lharp at the point. It has on each fide of the head a long white line, extended from the angles of the beak. Its belly is white, as is alfo its back, but this is beau- tifully variegated with oblong black ftreaks. Its wings are very long, and their feathers partly black and partly white. Its legs are white, its feet black, and the toes all connefted together by a membrane, and its tail, fo far as is yet known, feems extreamly Angular, _ appearing to confift of only two Jong feathers. Ray's Ornithol. p. 250. It is only found about the Tropics, and thence has Its name. See Tab. of Birds, N°. 52.
Avis Venti, the bird of the wind, a name by which Nie- remberg has called a bird of Mexico, called by the natives Heatototl.
AUK, in zoology, a name given by fome to a bird called the Alka in Latin, and more commonly known among us by the name of the Razor-bill, a web-footed fowl, wanting the hinder toe. Seethe article Alka.
AULETP^S, AtA*i1u?, in antiquity, denotes a flute-player. One of the Ptolemies, kings of Egypt, father of Cleopatra, bore the furname, or denomination, of Aulctes.
AULOS, in zoology, a name by which feveral of the antient writers nave called the folen, or razor-fifh. See Sol & n. Suppl. Vol, I,
A U R
AUNE, in commerce, a long meafure, ufed in France and other countries j it is of different lengths in different places See Measure, Cycl.
AURA, in chemiftry, a certain fine and pure fpirit, found in every animal or vegetable body ; but fo fubtle, .as only to be perceptible by its fmell and tafte, or other effects, not found in any other but that body. This Aura exhibits the proper character of the body, by which it is accurately diftinguifhed from all others 5 but is itfelf too fine and thin to be feen by the eyes, tho* armed with a microfcope ; or felt by the hands, and withal is extreamly volatile ; fo that, when pure and fin- gle, it flies off by its great mobility, mixes with the air, and is received into the great chaos of all volatiles, and there, ftill retaining its fame nature, it floats till it falls down in fnow, hail, rain, or dew, when it again enters the bofom of the earth, impregnates it with its prolific virtue, and is at length received by other juices of the earth, and conveyed into the bodies of animals and vegetables; and, by this revolution, panes into new bodies, whofe mate it animates and directs. This fubtle fluid is lodged in the oil of the body, to prevent its being diflipated and thrown off* and hence it is, that all the antient alchymifts fay fpirit reftdes in fulphur. Boerb.
Ch
em. p. ic
AURANTIUM, the orange- tree, in botany. See Orange;
AURANTIUS Pifcis, in ichthyology, a name given by Nieremberg to the Dorado, or dolphin, a fpecies of the cory- phaena, diiringuifhed from the others by its forked tail.
AURARIA Ars, in middle-age writers, the goldfmiths art. Hence alfo Collegium Aurarianum.
Auraria FuncJio, Penfio, or Praftatio, a tax or tribute to be paid in gold. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. p. 393. The collector hereof was denominated Sufceptor Aurarius, or Cbryfypodecles.
AURATA, in zoology. See GiLT-Head.
AURELIA, in natural hiftory. See WEB-Cafe.
AURICHALCUM. See Orichalchum.
AURICULA Urji, bears ears, or, as they are vulgarly called, Auriculas, in botany, a diftinct genus of plants, the chara- cters of which are thefe : The flower is funnel-ihaped, con- fifting of one leaf, divided into feveral fegments at the rim. The piftil arifes from the cup, and is fixed in the manner of a nail to the hinder part of the flower. It afterwards ripens into a roundilh fruit, partly covered by the calyx, and open- ing at the top, is feen to be full of fmall feeds, fixed to a placenta.
The fpecies of Auricula Urji, enumerated by Mr. Tourne- fort,_are thefe: 1. The yellow Auricula. 2. The purple Auricula. 3. The large flowered Auricula, with a velvety flower of a blackifli purple, and a large and very white umbo. 4. The flefli-coloured Auricula, with a large undulated flower, with a very large white umbo. 5. The variegated flowered Auricula, with a large undulated flower, and very large yellow umbo. 6. The Auricula, with a triple variegated umbo. 7- The Auricula with a very large gold yellow radiated umbo. 8. The Auricula, with a very large gold-coloured ffellated umbo. 9. The white Auricula. 10. The large flowered ferrugineous black Auricula. 11, The Auricula with numerous and variegated leaves, and a very large flower. 12. The variegated flowered Auricula. 13. The round- leav'd Auricula. 14. The narrow-leav'd alpine Auricula. 15. The dufty or mealy-leav'd Auricula. 16. The flefli- coloured Auricula, with leaves not ferrated. 17. The fmal- leff, flefh-coloured and white Auricula. 18. The beautiful red Auricula, with leaves hoary, and veiny on their under fide. 19. The red-flowered jagged-leav'd Auricula, called c6rtufa by Mathiolus. 20. The violet-flowered jagged-leav'd Auricula. 21. The great yellow double Au?-icula. 22„ The great double white Auricula. 23. The great double; purple Auricula. 24. The great double Auricula, with blackifh purple velvety flowers. 25. The great double fcar- Iet Auricula, 26. The great variegated double-flowered Au- ricula. 27. The graffy-Ieaved alpine Auricula, with flowers like thofe of the yellow jafmine. Toum. Lift. p. 122. The varieties raifed by feeds from thefe fpecies, are endlefs, and are one of die greateft ornaments of the Dutch and Eng- lifh gardens;
The feveral fpecies of the Auricula, when not in flower, ars known by their thick hoary leaves, which are ufually termi- nated by a point.
Tho' this herb is feldom kept in the fhops, it neveftbelefs ftands recommended as a vulnerary, and as fuch is found of fervice, both for internal and external purpofes. Mixed with ointments and planters* it is reckoned good in ruptures. Four or fix fpoonfuls of the water, in which it has been boiled, taken every morning, is faid to cure coughs and ulcers of the lungs. The juice of its flowers removes fpots. of the face, and beautifies the fkin ; and with the fame intention fome diftil a water from it. V. James, Diet. Med. in voc.
A VRXCVhJE Primus Mufculus, in anatomy, the name given by Fallopius to one of the mufcles of the head, called by Albi- nus the Attollens Auriculam, and by Winflow the fuferiar Auricula. See Superior,
3 M AVM*
