Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 07.djvu/222

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192
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EROSION. 192 ERROR. ited to regions of high elevation, but in past ages it is known tnat they occupied great continental areas. The Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Xe- vadas, a large part of the Northern United State-. and nearly the whole of Canada were once the seat of ice sheets which have profoundly modified the surface features. Another important denud- ing force is the sea, particularly in the upper por- tions, where the water is kept in motion by waves, tides, and currents. Wave-action breaks down clifl es to the coast-lines of continent- a constantly changing form. Tide- carry seaward the sediment brought down by rivers to their mouths. The immediate effect of erosion is to produce a variety of contour on land surfaces. The forms or types of scenery exhibited in any one locality depend upon the combination of factors at work and the material exposed to their action. A level land area composed of rocks unequally resistant to abrasion must in time be carved into a series of hills and valleys, the position of which will depend upon the relative disposition of the harder and softer material-. In the process of land- sculpturing it is also necessary to consider the predominant erosive agencies, which will van 1 in different regions and in different climates. Arid districts, like the Bad Lands of South Dakota and the plateaus of Arizona, have peculiar types of scenery that cannot be found in countries hav- ing a heavier rainfall. The general tendency of ero- sion i> to reduce the level of continents to that of the sea (base-level). This destructive process is off- set in a measure by movements of the earth's crust which repair what has been lost by superficial w;iste. The amount of material removed from the land is represented by an equivalent accumulation beneath the sea, and by upheaval this accumula- i i"ii may be raised above water-level. The ac- tivity oi the two processes, antagonistic in their effect, is illustrated by the areas of stratified rocks, such as sand-tones, shales, limestones, which form by far the larger portion of the sur- face of continents. Consult: Geikie, Text-bool of Geology (London, 1893); Davis. Physical Geog- raphy (Boston, 1900) : Gilbert, •■ecology of the Henry Mountain-," United States Geological Sur- vey Reports (Washington, 1877). See Physiog- hm'iiv; Geology; Mountain; Shore; Conti- NENT, etc EROS'TRATUS. See HeROSTRATUS. EROT'OMA'NIA (Neo-Lat., from Gk. iporo- fiavia, love-mania, from epuc, eros, love + (tavla, mania, madness). An unfortunate term applied i" a class "i patients suffering from paranoia (q.V.), in whom the morbid ideal ion centres around some real or imaginary object of platonic patients are generally hypochondri- acal and religious as well as erotic, and have variou - expansive ideas. ERPE'NIUS (1S84-1624). The Latin form of the name of Thoma- van Kipo, one of the earliest and most eminent of European Oriental- rn at i lorkum, in Holland, Sep ier ii. i Si. At an earlj i he ■< as sent to he directed hi- attention to the- tudj of Oriental languages. Having completed In- course, ho I raveled through Italy, and Germany, and re- turned to Holland in 1012. In 1613 he I ante I Ll 'I- ii The I ! ip of ||,i. ,,,, ,| (jjjjg time, a second Hebrew chair was founded ex- pressly for him in 1619. Soon after this he was appointed Oriental interpreter to the Government. toward the close of his life tempting offers of honors and distinction came pouring in upon him from all parts of Europe; but he was never pre- vailed upon to leave bis native country, where he died November 13, 1024. His works are: Gram- inutieii Arabica Quinque Libris Methodice Ex- plicata (1613); Rudimenta Lingua: Arabicoe (1620); Historia Saracenica Auctorc Georgio Elmacino (1625); Proverbiorum Arabicorum Centuries Dure (1614); and Locmani Sapientis Fabulm i 1615) . ERRAN'TIA (Lat., wandering, from errare, to wander). A group of polychsetous annelids, 'characterized by their active manner of life. See Annulata. ERRARD. iir'rar', Charles (1606-89). A French painter and architect, born at Nantes. The early years of his life were spent in Rome, and the reputation gained there caused him to be appointed Court painter upon his return to France ( 1643). He was employed by Louis XIV. to decorate the Louvre, Tuileries, and other pal- aces. He was one of the twelve original mem- bers of the Academie de Peinture et de Sculpture, in 1648. and was prominently instrumental in the establishment of the 'Academie de France' at Rome, of which he was the first director (1666). He died in Rome. The paintings of Errard have all been destroyed, excepting one small portrait in the Louvre. The best known example of bis architecture is the Church of the Assumption in Paris (1676). ERRATICS. See Boulder, Erratic. ERRERA, er-ra'ra, Alberto (1842—). An Italian political economist. He was born in Ven- ice, and was educated at Padua. He has been professor of political economy and statistics at the technical schools of Venice, Milan, and Na- ples, and at the University of Naples. Several of his works are of permanent value. They in- clude Storia e statistica deUe Industrie venete (1870) : Storia dell' economia politico nei secoli XVII. e XVIII. negli stati della repubblica Veneta (1877); Demografia (1892); Lezioni <li < conomia politico ( 1SH2) . ER'RETT, Isaac (1820-88). A clergyman of the Disciples of Christ, born in New York City. He began to preach in 1840. and for many years was secretary or president of several of the mis- sionary societies of bis church. From I860 he was editor of the Christian Standard (Cincin- nati), lie clied in Cincinnati. December 19, 1888. lie wrote Walks About Jerusalem I 1872) ; Talks in Bereans (1875); Evenings with the Bible (188.VS1I). For his life, consult Lamar (Cincin- nati. 1894 i. ERRHINES, er'rinz (Ok. Ippivov, errhinon, errhine. from iv,en, in + p"tc,rhis, nose). Medi eines formerly administered locally to produce sneezing and « discharge from the nostrils, in catarrh. Common snuff and other vegetable ir- ritanl - are so used. ERROR I I. at. error, from rrrare. to wander). In observations of every kind errors are un- avoidable. V- in astronomy correctness in the result of instrumental measurements is of the first consequence, it i* the constant care of the observer to detect and make allowances for