tneozoic

[Pref. neo-; Gr. zöē life, and Eng. adj. suff. -ic.] Geol. & Palæœont .: One of two divisions proposed by the late Prof. E. Forbes for past geological time and fo iliferous strata; it ranges from the commencement of the Trias up to the existing order of things, embracing the Mesozoic and Cainozoic epochs. He contended that, while there was a wide difference between Palæozoic and Mesozoic fo ils, there was no e ential difference between Mesozoic and Cainozoic fo ils, and that it would be more philosophical to divide the whole lapse of geological time into two great epochs. [PALEO ZOIC.] "Both the palæozoic and the after-I must coin a word -neozoic mollusca." - Prof. E. Forbes, in Quar. Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. x., p. lxxix. něp, s. [A contract. of nepeta.] A plant of the genus Nepeta (q. v.); catmint. 2832 ně-pen-tha-çe-æ, s. pl. [Eng., ., nepenth (e); Lat. fem. pl. adj. suff. -aceӕ.] Bot .: Nepenths; an order of Diclinous Exogens, alliance Euphorbia les(?). It consists of herbs or half-shrubby plants, with leaves slightly sheathing at the base, dilated into a pitcher at the end, articnated with a lid-like lamina. Wood without concentric zones, but with abundant spiral ve els. Racemes dense, terminal, many-flowered. Flowers diœcio us. Sepals four, inferior. Stamens cohering into a column, with about fifteen anthers. Fruit capsular, four-celled, four-valved, the di epiments from the middle of the valves, and having the minute seeds, which are numerous, adherent. Known genus one; species six (?), from swamps, in India and China. ( Lindley .)