Amadina

( Zool.) A gen. of birds belonging to the sub-fam. Fringilliana, and containing the Java-sparrow and amadarada or amadurat, pretty Indian birds, which are without song, and delicate to rear. A'mad is de Gaul, the hero of an old romance of chivalry, written in Spanish prose by Vasco Lobeira, toward the end of the twelfth century. It was afterward corrected and edited in more modern Spanish by Garcia Ordoñez of Montalvo, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, and became a very popular book in Italy and France; it was translated into French by D'Her beray, and printed in 1555, with many additions, under the title of Amadis des Gaules. The Amadis is considered as one of the most interesting works in the whole library of chivalry and romance. There are also several other Spanish romances concerning Amadis and his family, which are, however, deservedly forgotten. Bernardo Ta o, the father of Torquato, wrote a poem on the subject of the Amadis de Gaula, which he called Amadigi di Francia . This poem has never been held in great esteem in Italy. Amador', in California , a northern county, measuring 52 m. in length, and 10 in breadth. The Mokelumne river separates it from Calaveras in the S. Formerly this county extended into and beyond the high Sierra, but since the erection of Alpine county in 1864, it barely reaches to the E. of the base of the great snowy range. The eastern portion is, neverthele , very rugged and broken. Among the lower foot-hills of A. are some of the richest agricultural valleys in the State. A belt of auriferous earth and rocks about 12 m. wide, runs entirely acro its lower and most populous part, and has for years been profitably worked, yielding good returns. Many mines have been opened in this belt, of which a considerable number have proved productive. Small diamonds have frequently been picked up at Fiddle town, Volcano and other places. As in California generally, however, agriculture gives the best promise for the future of the country, and much attention is being paid to the cultivation of the soil. County seat, Jackson. Pop . (1890), 10,490. Amador', in Minnesota , a post-village in Chicago co., in Amador township, on the St. Croix river, abt. 50 m. N.N.E. of St. Paul, Amador', in Nevada, a village of Lander co., 7 m. N. of Anstin. Amador' City, in California, a post-village of Amador co., on Amador creek, 8 m. N.W. of Jackson. IMG:content-0153.png:[graphic] The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia A'mak, or AMAGER, a Danish island to the S. of Copen- hagen, on which its suburb Christian shaven is built; pop . abt. 8,000. Amako'sa, or Kosas, a tribe of the Caffres, settled in Cape Colony, Africa. They are shepherds and hunters. Amaku'tan, one of the Kuriles islands, q. v. A'mal, a town of Sweden, 50 m. from Weversborg. Its harbor is on Lake Weser, and its trade consists princi- pally of deals, iron, and steel. Pop . 11,500. seed, which has an embryo curved round a central far i naceous albumen; leaves, destitute of stipules. They are found chiefly in tropical countries. The cock's-comb, the globe-amaranth, the prince's-feather, the love-lies- bleeding, of our gardens, belong to this order. Several species of the gen. Amaranth us are remarkable for the durability of their blo oms. Aman'itine, n. [Gr. amanita i , a sort of fungi.] ( Chem .) The poisonous principle of some mushrooms, unex- sometimes fibrous-rooted, occasionally with a tail, cy. lindrical woody stem. They are found in countle num- bers in South America, West and East Indies species of the genera narci us and galanthus only are found in northern countries. This is one of the few monocotyledonous ord. in which poisonous properties occur. They are principally apparent in the viscid juice of the bulbs of Ham an thus toxicarius , in which the Hottentots are said to dip their arrow-heads, and amaryllis Hippeastra, which is employed for poisoning in the West Indies. The ord. is divided into the tribes Ama rylleæ, and Narci eæ, Alströmerieæ , and Agaveæ , q. v. Amaryllis, the name of a country woman in Virgil's Eclogues. Some commentators have supposed that the poet spoke of Rome under this fictitious name. ( Bot .) A gen. of plants, tribe Amarylleæ , including numerous beautiful species, many of which are highly poisonous Amaryn'thus. ( Myth . ) A village of Euboea, whence Diana is called Amarysia, and her festivals in that town, Amarynthiæ. Am'asa. [Heb., burden .] Son of Ithra or Jether, by Abigail, David's sister. He was pardoned by David, though he had fought against him in the army of Absalom, and appointed Joab's succe or. Joab afterwards stabbed him with his sword, which he held in his left hand. (2 Sam. xx. 10.) Am'asai. [Heb., burdensome .] Chief of the captains of Judah and Benjamin, who joined David at Ziklag. (1 Chr. zii. 18.) to the rays of the sun, severe exercise, strong pa ions, drunkenne , and other causes of paralytic affections, are enumerated as producing this complaint. The disorder is generally difficult to be removed. Amau'ry I., king of Jerusalem, succeeded his brother Baldwin III., in 1162. He was a courageous and enterprising prince, but these qualities were sullied by avarice and cruelty. D. 1173. AMAURY II., king of Jerusalem, succeeded his brother, Guy de Lusignan, in 1174, and married Isabella, second daughter of Amaury I. The Saracens having taken his capital, he applied for a istance to the European princes; but before their succor arrived, he died, in 1205. Am'ausite, n. A variety of felspar or ALBITE, q. v. Amaxi'chi, a seaport town, cap. of Santa Maura, one of the Ionian islands. It is separated from the strong castle of Santa Maura by a lagoon a mile wide. It is the see and residence of a bishop of the Greek Church. Pop . 7,000. Amaze', v. a. [From a and maze, perplexity.] To confuse with terror and astonishment. Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of thee." - Ezek . xxxii. 10. To put into confusion with wonder. "Go, heav'nly pair. amaze and charm mankind." - Smith. To put into perplexity. Amasi'ah, son of Zichri, and captain of 200,000 war- riors of Judah, under Jehoshaphat. (2 Chr. xvii. 16.) Ama's ieh, or AMASIYEH, the ancient Amasia , a town Amaze', n. of Turkey in Asia, cap. of a sanjiac of same name, in the E. part of Natolia, on the Jekil-Irmak or Yeskil- Irmak, 95 miles N.W. of Sivas; lat. 40° 32′ N.; lon. 36° 26 E. Great quantities of silk and wine are pro- duced in the surrounding country, and some branches hos of the silk manufacture are carried on in the town, Pop . about 25,000. Ama ', v . a. [Fr. ama er.] To collect together into a heap or ma ; -in a figurative sense, to add one thing to another.