Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/591

 GALLIENUS GALLINULE 579 tendencies. An attempt in 1831 by the abbe Chatel to establish a religious association under the name of the French Catholic church (eglise catholique franpaise), was at once re- garded by the Catholics as being not a move- ment within but a secession from the national church. The establishment of the republic in 1848 gave the church a liberty in ecclesiastical and educational affairs which she had not en- joyed for centuries. For the first time within more than 100 years the bishops held provin- cial and diocesan councils. It appeared that a difference of views still existed between them concerning the relation of the French church to Rome ; but it was no longer the same party division as formerly, the Gallican party of old being found to be almost extinct. All the bish- ops agreed that it was desirable to strengthen the union between Rome and France, especially in order to give to the national church greater strength to resist the encroachments of the sec- ular power. One of the clearest proofs of the spirit now prevailing is the gradual introduction of the Roman liturgy into every French dio- cese. Under Napoleon III. the bishops claimed the right to meet without previous authoriza- tion in provincial councils; and the govern- ment, in order to avoid a conflict, permitted them to do so without deciding the legal ques- tion. Thiers, who as leader of the dynastic opposition under Louis Philippe had often in- sisted on the maintenance of the Gallican liber- ties, had as president in 1871-'3 political rea- sons to avoid all conflicts with the episcopate, which now more than ever is a unit in repu- diating the principles of the old Gallicanism. Only a few prominent theologians protested in the name of the Gallican church against the definition of the pope's official infallibility ; but after the proclamation of the decrees of the Vatican council, the dissentient French prelates gave in their adhesion. Among the most im- portant works on the Gallican church, its histo- ry and liberties, are : Count Josephjde Maistre, Du Pape (Lyons, 1819), and De V Eglise galli- cane dans son rapport avec le souverain pontife (Paris, 1821); Dupin, Les libertes de V Eglise gallicane (Paris, 1824) ; and Frayssinous, Les vrais principes de V Eglise gallicane. GALLIENUS, Publins Lieinins Egnatins, a Roman emperor, son of the emperor Valerian, born about A. D. 235, died in 268. On Valerian's accession to the throne in 253 he immediately associated his son with himself in the govern- ment with the title of Ca3sar. The old em- peror sent him, under the care of Postumus, governor of Gaul, to repel the incursions of the Franks and Alemanni on the upper Danube and the Rhine, where Gallienus displayed con- siderable ability and bravery. On hearing of his father's defeat and capture by Sapor, king Persia (260), he made no effort to obtain his release, but succeeded with evident pleasure to his throne and title, and gave himself up to debauchery, viewing with like indifference the invasions of the empire by the barbarians and its dismemberment by usurpers. The Franks overran Gaul and Spain, and even crossed over to Africa; the Alemanni ravaged the provinces of the upper Danube; the Goths pillaged the cities of Asia on the southern shore of the Euxine ; and the Persians, after taking possession of Mesopotamia, passed over to Syria and captured Antioch. This was fol- lowed by the plague. Nearly 30 of his armies in different parts of the empire each elected their general to be emperor, and the military anarchy which succeeded has been called the age of the 30 tyrants. When the legions of Illyria in 268 proclaimed Aureolus emperor, he immediately marched on Rome. Gallienus, awakening from his apathy, marched against the usurper, defeated him in a battle near the Adda, and then besieged him in Milan, but was murdered by conspirators. Gallienus was a poet and rhetorician. GALL INSECTS. See GALLS. GALLINULE, a wading bird, of the suborder grallce, family rallidce, and subfamily gallinu- lince; comprising the genera porphyrio (Briss.), tribonyx (Dubuis.) from Australia, gallinula (Briss.), and fulica (Linn.) ; the last has been described in the article COOT. In the genus porpJiyrio (Briss.), or porphyrula (Blyth), the bill is short, thick, and strong, with the culrnen much elevated at the base, and dilated on the forehead, with a large frontal plate and com- pressed sides ; nostrils nearly circular ; the wings and tail are short and rounded, the sec- ond, third, and fourth quills nearly equal and longest ; the tarsi long and slender, with broad transverse scales ; the toes very long and free at the base, claws long and somewhat curved. More than a dozen species are described, richly colored, inhabiting warm and temperate re- gions in pairs or small flocks, on the borders of lakes, rivers, and marshes ; they prefer land to water, walk in a dignified manner, run lightly and quickly, and from the length of the toes are able to glide over the surface of floating water plants; their food consists chiefly of fruit, seeds, aquatic roots, and small fish and mollusks ; their nest is concealed in the high reeds near the water's edge, made of dry grasses, and the usual number of eggs is three or four. The only American species is the purple gallinule (P. Martinica, Linn.), with the head and lower parts fine bluish purple, darker and often nearly black on the abdomen and tibiaa ; the sides and under wing coverts bluish green, and lower tail coverts white; upper part of body dark green shaded with olive, and tinged with brown on the back and rump ; quills and tail brownish black, with green outer edging ; bill bright red with yellow tip, frontal plate blue, iris bright carmine, tarsi, toes, and claws yellow. The length to end of tail is about 13 in., extent of wings 21, tarsus 2^; weight about 8 oz. It is dis- tributed over the southern states, and $ is acci- dental in the middle and northern ; it is found also in South America. It runs, swims, dives,