Alcoran

See KORAN. Alcoran'ic, ALCORANISH, a. Relating to the sacred book of the Mohammedans, or to Mohammedanism. Alcoran'ist, n. One who adheres strictly to the letter of the Koran or Alcoran. Al'corn's, in Iowa, a village of Adair co., 160 m. W. by S. of Iowa City. Alcott, LOUISA MAY. See SECTION II. Al'cove, n . [Fr., probably from Ar. al - kauban , a tent.] ( Arch .) This word strictly means a rece in a chamber for the reception of a bed, separated from the other parts of the room by columns, antæ, or balusters. The French were particularly partial to the alcove , using it almost always for state beds. The term is commonly applied, in England, to ornamental and covered seats in gardens. Alcove, in Wisconsin, a post-village of Fond du Lac co.. 70 m. N.E. of Madison. Alcovy River. See ULCOFAUHACHEE. Alcoy, a town of Spain, prov. Valencia, 24 m. N. of Alicante. Pop . of town and district, 27,000. It is situated among hills, at the source of a river of the same name, which, 35 m. further, falls into the Mediterranean near Gondia. Al'cuin, or Albinus, FLACCUSs, was one of the most learned persons of the 8th century. B. at York, or in Scotland, in 732, he was made abbot of Canterbury. Charlemagne became acquainted with him in Parma, on his return from Rome, whence he had brought the pallium for a friend. At the invitation of the emperor, he consented to come to France. Soon after he arrived, 780, the emperor bestowed upon him several rich abbeys. But the principal occupation of Alcuin was as a public teacher of what was then called the totum scibile , or entire circle of human learning. In this capacity he was frequently honored with the attendance at his le ons of the emperor himself, his children, and the lords of the court. The school thus established by Alcuin is considered by French antiquaries as the germ from which the University of Paris originated. In 796, the emperor gave him the abbey of St. Martin of Tours, where he established a school, which soon became greatly celebrated. A. died in 804, and was buried in the church of St. Martin. Over his remains was inscribed, on a plate of copper, an epitaph composed by himself, of which the following are two of the lines: "Quod nunc es, fueram, famosus in or be, viator; Et quod nunc ego sum, tuque futurus eris." The first edition of his collected works was published at Paris in 1617, (1 vol. folio.) Al'cyon, n. See HALCYON. Alcyoʻnacea, n . pl . ( Zool .) A sub-ord. of polyps, ord. Alcyonaria . It comprises polypes which are turbinate at the base, and which are found incrusting foreign bodies. It embraces 4 fam., Alcyonide , Xeni dæ, Cornularida , and Tubiporida . Alcyona'ria, n . pl . (Zool.) An ord. of polyps, containing those which have well-developed actinal, mural, and abactinal regions; eight long, pinnately-lobed tentacles around a narrow disk; and which are united by budding. It comprises 3 sub-ord.,- Pennatulucea , Gorgon ace a, and Alcyoпасеа. Alcyone, or HALCYONE. ( Myth .) A daughter of Eolus. She married Ceyx, who was drowned as he was going to consult the oracle. When she found his body lying on the shore, she threw herself into the sea, and was, with her husband, changed into birds of the same name, with power to keep the waters calm while they built, and sit on their nests on the surface of the ocean. ALCYONE. ( Myth .) One of the Pleiades, daughter of Atlas and Pleione. She had Arethusa by Neptune, and Eleuthera by Apollo. She, with her sisters, was changed into a constellation.-See PLEIADES. Alcyone. (Anc. Geog.) A town of The aly, where Philip of Macedon, Alexander's father, lost one of his eyes.