170
ORNITHOLOGY.
Systematic Arrangement.
Linnxus arranges the whole class of birds under six orders, ac-cording to the different tigures of their beaks, viz. 1. Accipitres,upper mandible with an angular projection. 2. I’icie, bill com-pressed, convex; with feet formed for perching or climb-ing. 3. Anseres, bill covered with skin, broad at the tip ; somewith and some without teeth. 4. Gralhe, bill roundish, tonguefleshy; some with three some with lour toes. 5. Galling', billconvex, upper mandible arched, (3. Passeres , bill conic, sharp-pointed. The following table exhibits Mr. Pennant’s arrange- jmerit, with the correspondent orders in the Systems Nature ofLinnxus.
Div. I. Land-Birds. Div. II. Water-Fowl.
Divis. I.
Divis. II.
er I. Rapacious.
Accipitres Lin.
11. Pies.
Pica.
111. Gallinaceous.
IN’. Columbine,
V. Passerine.
VI. Struthious.
) Gallime.j Oral Ur.
lerVII. Cloven-footed,or Waders.
| Gralhe.
VIII. Pinnated feet.
\ Anseres.
I Gralhe.
IX. Web-footed.
j Anseres,
\ Gralhe.
ORNFFHOMANCY, and par a species of divina-tion performed by means of birds; being the same with augury.See Augury, and Divination .
ORNFJYION, an ancient town of Phoenicia , between Tyreand Sidoit.
ORNITJIOPUS, Birds-Foot; in botany, a genus of the de-candria order, and diadelphia class of plants; natural order, Papi-lionacex. Legumen articulated, cylindrical, and bent in the formof a bow. It has five species.
ORNUS, Fraxinus ; a species of the ash-tree, which, accord-ing to Dr. Cirillo of Naples, produces the manna. SeeI’KAXrNUS.
OROBANCIIE, Broom-Rape ; in botany, a genus of the an-giospennia order, and didymunia class of plants; natural order,Personatx. Calyx bifid; corolla ringent; capsule unilocular, bi-valved, polyspermous, gland under the base ot the germcn. It hasfourteen species.
OROBUS, Bitter Vetch; a genus of the decandria order,and diadelphia class of plants; natural order, Papiiionaee.t-. Ca-lyx blunt at the base; the tipper teetli deeper and shorter; stylelinear. There are sixteen species, with fibrated roots, which areperennial, but are annual in stalk, rising early in spring, and de-caying in autumn. They are very hardy plants, and prosper inany common soil of a garden.
ORODADA PENA, a town of Peru , on the coast of theSouth Sea, six miles S. by W. of Pay ta, and six miles N. ofLobos.
ORODES, a prince cf Parthia, who murdered his brotherMithridates, and ascended his throne. He defeated Crassus theRoman triumvir, and poured melted gold down the throat of hisfallen enemy, to reproach him for his avarice and ambition. Hefollowed the interest of Cassius and Brutus at Philippi. It is said,that when Orodes became old and infirm, his 30 children appliedto him, and disputed in his presence their right to the succession.Phraates, the eldest of them, obtained the crown from his father;and, to hasten him out of the world, he attempted to poison him.The poison had no effect; and Phraates, still determined on hisfather’s death, strangled him with his own hands, about 35 yearsbefore the Christian era. Orodes had reigned about 50 years.
OROF-, an island of Denmark, at the S. end of the Little Belt ,twelve miles long, and two broad ; eight miles S. W. of Funen .Lon. 10. 20. E. Lat. 54. 59. N.
O ROMAS DES, O RO M AZ,0 ROM AZDES, ORO.MAZES,names of the supreme god of the ancient Persians ; the origin ofall good, as Arimanius was of all evil. See Aiumanius.
OROMTCHI, a town of Asia, in Thibet . Lon. 8G. 55. E.Lat. 44. 58. N.
ORON DOCKS, a tribe of North American Indians, in Cana-da, who reside near Trois Rivieres .
ORONSAY, or ORANSAY, one of the Hebrides , a smallbut fertile island, separated from Colonsay by a narrow channel.
OROXTES, a famous river of Syria, about which Strabo andother ancient authors, mention many fabulous stories, of its disap-pearing and running under ground for several miles, &c. It rises
j in Cadosyria, and after a rapid course, fails into the Mediterra-: nean below Antioch, it is now called Asi.
j ORONT1UM, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order,and hexandria class of plants; natural order, Piperita'. Spadix! cylindrical, covered with florets; corolla six-petaied, naked; nostyle; follicles one-sceded. It has two species, O. aquaticum,; and O. japoniemn.
| OROOXOK.O, a great river of Terra Firma, which rises inj Popayan , and falls into the Atlantic, by sixteen mouths. It is
■ one of the largest rivers in South America ; and is remarkable forrising and falling once a-year. It rises gradually for five months,
;remains stationary for one; then falls gradually for other fivej months, and continues stationary for one.
I OROPESA, a town of Spain , in New Castile, 12 mites E. of1 Placentia, and 50 W. of Toledo. Lon. 4. 30. W. Lat. 39.
; 50. N.
j OnornsA, a town of Peru , in La Plala, in the valley of Co-chambamba, 150 miles N. E. of Potosi. Lon. 03. 30. W. Lat.
! 18. 0. s.
OROPUS, an ancient town of Bceotia, near the Euriptts, onthe borders of Attica.
I OROSA, a town of Sardinia , on the E. coast, 58 miles E. of! Algeri, and 73 N. N. E. of Cagliari.
! OROS1US, Paul, a Spanish historian and divine, and a disci-ple of St. Augustin ; who sent him to Jerusalem to consult St.Jerome on the origin of the sou!. He wrote an Universal Historyfrom the Creation to his own lime, intituled Miseri Humana, inwhich he displays more learning and diligence, than chronologicalaccuracy. T he best edition is that of Ilavercanys, 4to. Lug. Bat.1767. He wrote also a Treatise ort Free Will , and otiier pieces.Fie flourished about A. D. 416.
OROUST, an island on the VV. coast of Sweden , 40 miles incircumference. Lon. 11. 30. E. Lat. 58. 10. N.
ORPIIANOTROPHY, [ojpayor and t™* , i,] an hospital fororphans.
ORPHEUS, a celebrated poet and musician of antiquity, ac-cording to Sir Isaac Newton , was the son ot iEagrus, w ho re-ceived Thrace from Sesac when ho conquered lhat country. With; the kingdom, the latter gave Tagrus, one of iiis singing women,to wife, who brought him Orpheus . Hence his mother was fabledto lie Calliope. On account of the great antiquity of Orpheus numberless fables have been intermingled with Ills history, butthere can lie no doubt of ids existence. To his father lie was in-debted for his first instruction in religion, and he afterwards be-came a disciple of the IdeaDactyli in Crete . Thence he travelled
■ into Egypt , and became a proficient in ail kinds of literature.
[ From tile latter country he transplanted the whole table of Osinsi into Greece , adapting it to the family of Cadmus. The people; held him in the highest veneration, supposing him to be possessedi of tlie secrets of expiating crimes, curing diseases, and appeasing: tlie gods, lie promulgated an idea of hell; instituted the mys-: teries of 1 Iecate -among the ,'Eg'metes, and those of Ceres at Sparta.
lie is chiefly famed for his music, which is poetically represented
■ to have had the effect of taming the most ferocious animals, and
making