Diomedea

( Zool.) A genus of birds: the ALBATROSS, q. v. Diom'edes, a king of Thrace, who fed his horses with human flesh, and was slain by Hercules, who threw his body to be devoured by his own steeds. Diomedes, son of Tydeus and Deiphyle, was king of Ætolia, and one of the bravest of the Grecian chiefs in the Trojan war. He often engaged Hector and Æneas, Fig . 826. - VENUS'S FLY-TRAP. (Dionæa muscipula.) and each lobe is furnished on its upper surface with three stiff hairs, which, on being touched by an insect, or any other object, causes the two halves to collapse and enclose the object. This plant, which is known as Venus's Fly-trap, is sometimes grown in our hot-houses. Dion Cas's ius, an historian of the third century, born in Bithynia, went to Rome about 180; was appointed succe ively to many high offices; was twice consul; and wrote, in Greek, the History of Rome, from the arrival of Æneas in Italy to A. D. 229. The small portions ex. tant of Dion's work are highly valued. Dion Chrysostomos, (i. e. Dion the golden mouthed,) a celebrated Greek rhetorician, flourished the first century of the Christian æra. He was a native of Prusa, in Bithynia, but lived mostly at Rome. Suspected of conspiracy by Domitian, he took refuge in the country of the Getæ. returning to Rome on the acce ion of Nerva. He enjoyed the favor both of Nerva and Trajan, and lived to an advanced age. He left about 80 orations or discourses on morals and politics, which are admired for their elegance of style. D. A. D. 117. Dio'ne. ( Myth .) A sea-nymph, and the mother of Venus. Dionysia, ( di -o-nish'yah.) ( Antiq .) Festivals in honor of Dionysius, or Bacchus, which, originating in Egypt, were introduced into Greece by Melampus, в. с. 1415. They were four in number, the Rural or le er D., which was the most ancient; the Lenza , the An the ste ria , and the D. proper , all of which were celebrated annually, with much extravagant merriment, though they were not disgraced by the exce es of the Roman Bacchanalia, q. v. Dionysius, ( di - o -nish'yus.) (Myth.) A Greek name of the god BACCHUS, q. v. Dionysius I., the Elder , tyrant of Syracuse, was born в. с. 430. Нe served in the war with the Cart hag in i ans, got himself appointed general, and, in 405, sole emperor, and head of the republic. He formed a powerful bodyguard, conquered other cities of Sicily, carried on war with the Cart hag in i ans, and after making peace with them in 392, invaded Italy and subdued several of the Greek cities of the south. He was afterwards again at war with Carthage. Dionysius, like some other tyrants, was a patron of literary men and artists, aspired to literary fame, and contended for the prize at the Olympic games. He erected many fine temples. D. 367. DIONYSIUS II., the Younger , tyrant of Syracuse, was sor of the preceding, and succeeded him, в. с. 367. Idly brought up, he was for a time restrained from exce es by the influence of Dion and Plato. Many other distinguished men visited him, or lived at his court. His subsequent treatment of Dion and his family led to his own overthrow in 356. He went to Italy and obtained the chief power at Locri, and after ten years absence returned and regained his throne at Syracuse. A final end was put to his tyranny by the noble Greek Timoleon, 343, and he spent the rest of his life in exile at Corinth, wallowing in the mire of sensuality and vice. Diop's ide, n. The same as MALACOLITE, q. v. Diop's is, n. (Zool.) A genus of dipterous insects, re- mark able for having the eyes and antennæ situated at the extrem- ity of slender, horny peduncles, rising from the sides of the head, and equalling in some species the entire length of the body. On this account it is like- wise termed the Tele- scope-fly. All the spe- cies, but one of this country, are found in warm parts of the Old World. Dioscorea, n. ( Bot .) The typical genus of the order DIOSCOREACEE, q. v. Dioscorea'ceæ, n . ( Bot . ) The Yam family, an order of plants, alliance Dictyogens . - DIAG. Unisexual flow- ers, an adherent perianth, and consolidated, several- seeded carpels. The species are twining shrubs, chiefly natives of hot climates, and for the most part po e a dangerous acrid principle, which renders them gen- erally suspicious. The genus Dioscorea is the type, and consists of perennial fleshy-rooted or tuberous plants, with twining stems, broad alternate leaves, and loose clusters of small green flowers. D. alata , the W. India yam, is one of the best known species, and is a native of the West Indies. It is cultivated also in the nally, white internally, and often very large, weighing sometimes as much as 30 lbs. They are used as a sub- stitute for potatoes in tropical climates. D. globosa is a native of India, and is cultivated in Bengal under the name of Choo-puree-aloo. It is considered the best of the Indian yams; the flowers are highly fragrant, and the tubers are white internally. Several other species have the tubers purple-colored, and are also used as food-such are D. rubella purpure a , and Atro - purpure a , in India, and D. bulbifera in Tahiti. Some of the spe- cies, on the other hand, which have ternate leaves, pos- se tubers which are poisonous, and have a nauseous taste. D. villosa is a delicate twining vine, found throughout the U. States, in thickets and hedges. The order includes 6 genera and 110 species. See TAMUS, and TESTUDINARIA. Dioscorides PEDANIUS, OF PEDACIUS, a celebrated Greek physician and botanist, B. at Anazarbus, Silicia, in the 1st cent. of the Christian æra; he distinguished himself as the author of a work on Materia Medica, in which all the vegetable substances then used as med i- cines are described or catalogued. This work held its ground as the first and sole authority on the subject of which it treats for sixteen hundred years; its in fall i- bility and completene being almost as hard to shake and disprove as that of Aristotle or the Pope. It was printed by Aldus in 1499. Dios'ma, n. [Gr. dios , divine, osme , smell.] ( Bot .) A genus of plants, order Rutaceæ , inhabiting the Cape of Good Hope. They have alternate simple leaves, strongly marked with spots of transparent oil, and diffusing a powerful odor when bruised. The D. crenata furnishes the BUCHU leaves, once so esteemed as a valuable med i- cine. The name was given by Linnæus in consequence of the divine odor exhaled from bruising the leaves, and resulting from the e ential oil contained in the follicles or glands on the leaf. Diospyros, n. ( Bot .) The Date-plums, a genus of trees, order Ebenacea. Many of the species have hard and dark-colored heart-woods, which constitute the dif- ferent kinds of ebony; thus, D. ebenum furnishes Mau- ritius ebony; D. melanoxylon , a native of the Coroman- del coast, the sort commonly known as Black ebony; and D. ebenaster, the Bastard ebony of Ceylon. The beautifully variegated furniture-wood called Coroman- del, or Calamander wood, is obtained from D. hirsuta , and is brought from Ceylon. Other species also yield valuable timber. The fruit of D. kaki is eaten in China and Japan, and is known in the latter country as the Keg-fig. The fruit of D. Virgin i an a , the Persimmon tree, a native of the U. States, is sweet and edible when quite ripe, but very austere previously; hence it is fre- quently employed medicinally in its unripe state as an astringent. Diox'ylite, n. ( Min .) Same as LAN ARKITE, q. v. Dip, v . a . ( Imp . and pp . DIPPED, or DIPT.) [A. S. dyppan; Fris, dippe ; D. doopen ; Ger. taufen ; O. Ger. taufjan ; O. Sax. dopjan ; Goth. daupjan , to dip, to baptize; al lied to Gr. dup to , to dive, from duo , to get into, to sink in; Hind. dubna , to dive, to be immerged; Heb. tabagh , to sink, to pre in.] To plunge or immerse, for a short time, in water or other liquid substance; to put any- thing into a fluid and withdraw it again. Diorama, ( di -o- ram'd ,) n. [Fr.; Gr. dia , through, orao , I see.] A method of painting, and scenic exhibition, in- vented by two French artists, Daguerre and Bouton. It does not po e all the advantages of a panorama, but produces a far greater degree of optical delusion. The peculiar effects of the D. arise more particularly from the contrivances employed in exhibiting the painting. In the first place the picture is viewed through a pros--To cenium; the room in which the spectators are, is almost in darkne ; and the light, which is admitted through colored gla , falls upon the picture alone. It is prin- cipally used to illustrate architectural and interior views. By means of slides and shutters the light can be increased or diminished at will, and hence very pleas- ant effects may be represented; such as the ordinary change from daylight to sunshine, and from sunshine to cloudy weather, or twilight. The D. was first ex- hibited in Paris in 1822. Dioram'ie, a . Relating to, or having the character- istics of, a diorama; as, a dioramic view. Diorism, n. [Gr. diorismos.] Distinction; character- istic feature; ruling quality. dipping a wick in melted fat or tallow. (Sometimes called dipped candle .) - A sweet sauce for pudding. - A sauce made of fat pork for fish. (U.S.) Dipaschal, ( di - pas'hal , ) a . [Gr. dis , twice, and pascha, the pa over.] Comprising two pa overs. Dip'chick, n. See DABCHICK. Dipetalous, a . [Gr. dis , and petal on , a leaf or petal.] (Bot.) Double-petalled; having two petals or flower- leaves. Di'phanite, n. (Min.) Same as MARGARITE, q. v. Diph'ryges, n. (Metall.) The scorial sediment, or calyx of melted copper, gathered in the furnace when the metal has run out. Dipleidoscope, n . [Gr. diplo - ōs , double, eidos , form, and skopein , to behold.] ( Astron .) An instrument for indicating the pa age of the sun, or a star, over the meridian, by the coincidence of two images formed by a single and double reflexion. "And dipp'd an olive-branch in holy dew." - Dryden. take with a ladle or other ve el by immersing it in Diplin'thius, n. [Gr. dis , twofold, and plinthos , a a fluid; often followed by out ; as, to dip out water. To baptize by immersion. (Colloquial.) -To plunge, as into difficulty or embarra ment; to en- gage; to take concern; to mortgage; as, the property was dipped past redemption, to be dipped in a fraud, . -v.n. To dive; to plunge; to be immerged in a liquid, as water; to sink below the horizon; as, the "sun's rim dips." - Cole ridge . -To enter; to pierce; to thrust and take; to engage. "Whoever dips too deep will find death in the pot."-L'Estrange. to choose by chance; as, to dip into a book. To in- cline downward; to have a horizontal depre ion, as the strata of certain rocks. Dioris'tic, a . Distinguishing; characterizing; defining. -To enter slightly; to look cursorily, or here and there; Dioris tically, adv . In a defining or distinguishing Dip, n. Act of dipping or immersing in any liquid; as, a dip in the sea. Diplogen'ic, a. [Gr. diplo - os , double, and gennan , to produce.] Producing two bodies or substances, or par- taking of their nature or properties. Diploma, n .; pl . DIPLOMAS. [Gr., from diplo -õ, to double or fold. See DOUBLE.] Any official letter or pub- lic document; specifically, a letter or writing conferring some power, authority, privilege, honor, or degree; as, a doctor's diploma . Diplomacy, ( do - plo'ma-se,) n. [Fr. diploma tie : Sp. diplomácia . That which has reference to the knowl- edge of diplomas, charters, . -The art, science, or practice of conducting negotiations, and making trea- ties, ., between nations and states; forms of negotia- tion; art of composing diplomatic despatches; customs, rules, and privileges of amba adors, envoys, .; diplo- matism.