Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/864

 834 ZONE ZOROASTER of the Sacred Canons, and those of the Apos- tles, Councils, Synods, and Ecclesiastical Fa- thers," printed in Greek and Latin by Beveridge in his Pandectce' Canonum (fol., Oxford, 1672). ZONE (Gr. (,UVT), a belt or girdle), in the math- ematical sense, the circular belt or portion of the surface of a sphere lying between any two parallel circles of the latter, or the convex sur- face cut off to one side by a circle of the sphere. Owing to the inclination of the earth's equator to the ecliptic or plane of the sun's path at an angle of 23 28', the tropics have respectively this distance N. and S. of the equator, and when the sun is over either tropic its rays are with- drawn from the surface within a like distance of the opposite pole. (See SEASONS.) There are thus naturally established four parallel cir- cles of the earth, the two tropics and two polar circles, which with the equator divide the en- tire surface into six belts or portions, corre- sponding in pairs N. and S. of the equator. As within these several pairs of belts the rela- tive lengths of day and night and the character of the seasons and climate differ, these portions of the earth's surface have been designated as the zones of the earth. The two lying on both sides of the equator, and bounded N. and S. respectively by the tropics, are termed the tor- rid or burning zones; these have continual alternation of night and day, and over any point within them the sun is vertical twice yearly. The zones lying between a tropic and polar circle on either side of the equator are respectively the northern and southern tem- perate zones ; these also have continual alter- nation of night and day, but the sun is never vertical to any part of them. The portions within the polar circles respectively are the northern and southern frigid or frozen zones ; throughout these zones there is in each year a period, varying from 24 hours at the polar cir- cles to six months at the poles, during which the sun does not rise, and a corresponding pe- riod during which it does not set. The names of the torrid and frigid zones are expressive of the character of their climates ; the temperate ones are characterized by alternation of hot and cold seasons, though not reaching general- ly the respective extremes presented by the others. The transition from any zone to an- other is gradual both in the relative lengths of day and night and in temperature. ZOOLOGY (Gr. CQOV, an animal, and /Myo?, dis- course), the science which treats of the natural history and classification of the animal king- dom. Its various subdivisions, from Aristotle to Agassiz, have been noticed under many heads, the principal of which are AMPHIBIA, ANIMAL, ANIMALCULES, ANNELIDA, ARACHNIDA, ARTICULATA, CRUSTACEA, ENTOMOLOGY, ENTO- ZOA, ETHNOLOGY, HERPETOLOGY, ICHTHYOLOGY, INVERTEBRATA, MALACOLOGY, MAMMALIA, OR- NITHOLOGY, POLYP, SPIDER, and VERTEBRATA. The distinguishing characters will be found under the several classes, orders, and families, and under BIRDS, COMPARATIVE ANATOMY, FISHES, INSECTS, MOLLUSOA, and REPTILES. Cu- vier's and Agassiz's systems of classification may be found in the article ANIMAL. ZOOLOOS, or Aniazooloos, a nation of South Africa, constituting a branch of the Caffres. They live chiefly in the elevated country be- tween Natal and Delagoa bay, but many of them are within the bounds of Natal. They are a handsome race, and appear to occupy an intermediate place between the negro and a higher type. Their complexions are brown, and their features are more regular than those of the negro, but their hair is woolly. They are tall and graceful in figure, and noted for strength and activity. According to Living- stone, they are remarkable for their honesty and hospitality ; their intellectual endowments are said to be good; they are cheerful and social in disposition, and are not addicted to great vices. With the exception of local dif- ferences, the language, manners, and habits of the Zooloos are similar to those of the other Caff re tribes. (See CAFFRARIA.) They are said to have come from the north, and to have conquered their present territory about the beginning of this century. Under a chief named Chaka they overran the country as far as the S. borders of Natal. Chaka was succeeded by his half brother Dingan, and the latter by Panda, a full brother of Chaka. Under these chiefs the Zooloos had a regular military or- ganization, their forces being divided into bands of 1,000 men each, and each band or regiment being distinguished by different colored shields. It is said that in 1840 they could put 40,000 warriors into the field. Their progress was finally checked by the Boers, and they have now, through the influence of the missionaries and the British colonists of Natal, with whom they have treaties, partly laid aside their savage habits, and live at peace with Europeans. ZOOPHYTES (Gr. Cv, an animal, and 0w<5r, a plant), a term formerly applied to all plant- like animals, including anthozoa and bryozoa. The latter are now known to belong to the molluscoids, by Prof. Morse placed among the tubicolous worms; the former, or zoophytes proper, so called from the flower-like expan- sion of the tentacles, are synonymous with polyps, the lowest class of radiates, and include the actinoids and halcyonoids of Dana. The zoophytes have been sufficiently described un- der CORAL and POLYP; the sea anemone, one of the largest, most common, and most beau- tiful in northern waters, has been noticed un- der ACTINIA. Zoophytes bear a strong exter- nal resemblance to flowers, and by older natu- ralists were in many instances mistaken for marine plants; but they are true animals. ZOROASTER (properly ZARATHUSTRA), the founder of the ancient Persian religion. Re- specting his career, his period, and his history as reformer of the earlier religion of his peo- ple, we have scarcely any trustworthy infor- mation. He was by birth a Bactrian ; and the native tradition, ancient and modern, declares