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 ALOIDES, In botany, an obfolete name of the ftratiotes. See Stratiotes. ALOOF, in fea-language, a word of command from the » perfon who conns to the matt at the helm, to keep the fhip near the wind, when failing upon a quarterwind. ALOPECIA, ig medicine, fignifies a falling off of the hair, occafioned either by want of nourifhment, or a bad ftate of the h*umours. It is alfo ufed by Galen for a change in the colour of the hair. ALOPECIAS, in zoology, an obfolete name of a fpecies of the fqualus or ihark. See Squalus. ALOPECOPITHECUS, in zoology, an obfolete name of a fpecies of the didelphis. See Didelphis. ALOPECURUS, or Fox-tail grass, in botany, a genus of the triandria digynia clafs. The calix is bivalved, and the flower confxfts of one hollow valve, with a long awn inferted near the bate on the back part. There are feVen fpecies of the alopecurus, viz. the pratenfis, or meadow fox-tail grafs; the bulbofus, or bulbofe fox-tail grafs; the geniculatus, orflote fox-tail grafs; and' the myofuroides, or field fox-tail grafs; the above four grow wild in Britain : the . agredis, the monfpelienfis, the paniceus, and the hordeiformis, ail native^ of France, and the fouthern parts of Europe, except the laft, which is a native of India. ALOSA, the fhad, or mother of herrings, a fpecies of the clupea. See Clupea. ALOST,atown in the Andrian Flanders, upon the river Dender, half-way between Bruflels and Ghent. ALP, in ornithology, an obfolete name of a fpecies of the loxia. See Loxia. ALPHA, among grammarians, the name of the fird letter of the gre.ek alphabet, anfwering to our A. ALPHABET, in matters of literature, the natural or accudomed feries of the feveral letters of a language. See Language, and Character. Alphabet's alfo ufed for a cypher, or table of the ufual letters of the alphabet, with the correfponding fecret characters, and other blank fymbols intended to render* the writing more difficult to be ,decyphered. See De CYPHERING. ALPHABETICAL, fomething belonging to, or partaking of the nature of an alphabet. Thus we fay, alphabetical order, method, Sc. ALPHENIC, a name fometimes ufed for white barleyfugar, or twided fugar. ALPHESERA, in botany, an obfolete name of a fpecies ofbryonia. See Bryonia-. ALPHESTES, in ichthyology, an obfolete name of a fpecies cfiabrus. See Lasrus. ALPHETA, in affronotny, the fame withlucida coronas. See Lucida Coron.e. ALPHITIDION, a term for a fradture, wherein the bone is crufhed to pieces. . ALPHITOMANCY, a fpecies of divination, otherwife called aleuromancy. See Aleuromancy. ALPKONSIN, in forgery, an indrument ufed in extracting bullets,in gun-lhot-wouhds. See Surgery, Of Gtin-JJoot wounds. ALPHONSINE TABLES, adronomical tables, cal-

) A L S culated by order of Alphonfus king of Cadile, in the condruCtion of which that prince is fuppofcd to have contributed his own labour. ALPHOS, among phyficians, adifeafe of the fkin, which is rough, and Iprinkled with white fpots. ALPINE, fomething belonging to the Alps. See Alps. ALPINIA, in botany, a genus of the monandria mono-* gynia clafs, of which there is but one fpecies. The flower is tubulous, and divided into fix legments ; the capiule, which becomes a fruit, is divided into three cells, each containing one feed. It is a native of America. ALPS, a chain of exceeding high mountains, feparating Italy from France and Germany. ALQUIER, a liquid meafure, uled in Portugal to meafure oil, two of which make an almond. See Almond. ALRAMECH, in adronomy, the name of a dar of the fird magnitude, otherwiie called arCturus. See Arcturus, and Astronomy. ALRUM, in botany, an obfolete name of the tree from which the gum bdellium is procured. SeeBoELLiuM. ALSACE, a province formerly belonging to Germany, but aimed entirely ceded to France-by the peace of blunder ; is fituated between the river Rhine on the ead, and Lorrain on the wed, Switzerland on the iouth, and the palatinate of the Rhine on the north.' ALSADAF, in materia'jnedica, an obfolete name of the unguis odoratus. See Unguis. ALSAHARATICA, in botany, an obfolete name of the parthenium. See Partherium. ALSEN, an ifland in the lefl’er belt, at the entrance of the Baltic fea, between Slefwic and Funen. E. long. io°, N. lat. yj0 i2/. ALSCHARCUR, in materia medica. See Skink. ALSFIELD, or Asfield, a town of Heffe Caflel, in Germany. E. long. 90 5'. N. lat. 50° 40'. ‘ ALSIMBEL, in botany, an obfolete name of a fpecies of nardus. See Nardus. ALSINA, in botany, a fynonyme of the theligonum. See Theligonum. ALSINASTRUM, in botany, the trivial name and alfo a fynonyme of the elatine. See Elatine. ALSINE, Chickweed, in botany, a genus of the pentandria trigynia clafs : The calix is divided into five parts ; the flowers confifi of five petals divided in the middle; and the capfule has three valves. There are three fpecies of the alfine~,*©;z. the media, dr common duckweed, a native of Britain ; the mucronata, a native of Switzerland ; and the fegetalis, a native of France. The alfine media has fometimes been recommended in hedical cafes. ALSIRAT, in the Mahometan theology, derates a bridge laid over the middle of hell, the palfage or path whereof is (harper than the edge of a fword; over which every body mull pafs at the day of judgement, when the wicked will tumble headlong into hell, whereas the good will fly over it like the wind. ALSONE, a fmall city of Languedoc in France, upon the river Frefquel, between Carcaffone and St. Papoul. ALSWANGEN,