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* VICXTDA. 124 VIEILLE. VICUDA, ve-koo'Da. One of the barracudas (Snhyncna cisis), about two feet long and a food-fish of some importance on the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America. VICUNA or VICUGNA, ve-koo'nya (Sp., from Peruv. licma. Mex. vicufpie). One of the Andean llamas {Lama vicuma) . In size it is intermediate between the llama and the alpaca. Its neck is longer and more slender; its wool finer, short, and curled. It is ot a rich brown color, with patches of white across the shoulders and on the inner side of the leas The vicuna inhabits the most desolate p^rts of the Cordillera, at great elevations and delights in a kind of grass, the ychu {t>tipa ■uchu) which abounds there in moist places; but it seldom ventures to the rocky summits, for which its tender feet are ill adapted. It is com- monlv found in small herds of from 6 to 15 females with one male. The vicuiSa is a very active and alert animal, like the wild goat or the antelope. The Indians seldom kill it with fire- arms but set up a circle of stakes, about a mile in circumference, and so entrap it. It has never been domesticated. Compare Alpaca; Guanaco; Llama. See Plate of Camels and Llamas. VICUNA-MACKENNA, ve-koo'nya ma-ken'- n« Benjamin (1831-86). A Chilean historian and politician, born at Santiago. He was edu- cated in the institutions of his native country and devoted himself to literature. After engag- ing in the revolution of 1851-52 he was impris- oned and condemned to death, but escaped to the United States, whence he went to Europe. After his return to Chile in 1850 he was elected to Parliament, became Senator in 1871, and was Mavor of Santiago from 1872 to 1874. His Senatorial term expired in 1870. and he was re- elected in 1870. JIackenna was the author of popular studies in Chilean history. They in- clude: El osiracismo de los Carreras (1857) ; El ostracismo del General O'Higgins (1860); Bis- toria de la administraeidn Montt (1862) ; and Bistoria de Chile (1868). VIDA, ve'da. Jt.^RCO Gibot.amo (1480-1.506). An Italian Neo-Latin poet, born in Cremona, Italy. He was educated at Padua and Bologui^ and' became a canon of Saint .Tohn Lateran at Rome. In 1532 he was made Bishop of Alba. Vida was a learned Latinist and a profound scholar. He composed three didactic poems in Latin, viz. the De Arte Poetien, the Bomhyx (on silkworms), the Hcneehke Liidux (on chess), and an epic, the Chrii^lias, published in 1535 at the instance of Pope Leo X. Consult: Marri B'leronymi Vrdw Pocmala Omnia (Padua, 1721, and London, 17.32) ; Baldi, Die Irs poetira des ^I. Bieronymus Vida (Wiirz- burg, 1881) : Laiicetti, Delia vita et dcgli scritti di Vida (Milan. 1840). VIDA ES SUENO, ve'mi fts swa'nyft. La (Span., Life is a IJreani). The best known of Caldcron's romantic productions, written about 1630. Sigismundo. the cliief cluiracter, is a proud and selfish prince, kept captive by his father, who is gradually changed by experience into a noble and charitable type. VIDAL, vJ^'dal', Pei«E. A Provent.-al iioet. He was the son of a furrier of Toulouse, and became a favorite in the courts of Southern France and of Spain, being on terms of special intimacy with Barral, Viscount of Marseilles, whose wife he celebrated under the name of Vierna. . He lived for a time in the East, in later lite visited the ilarquis of ilontferrat and the King of Hungarv, and probably went on a cru- sade with the former. His death occurred in the first decade of the thirteenth century. Among his poems are to tie found some of the best speci- mens of Provencal literature. His sirventes and particularly his crusade songs are powerful and full of moral earnestness. An edition of Peire Vidal's songs was published by Bartsch (Berlin, 1857), but" it is now out of print. Consult Schopf, Beitriige zur Biographie nnd sur (-'^ro- noloqie der Lieder des Troubadours Peire ^ idal (Breslau, 1887). VIDAURRI, ve-Bou're, Santiago (1803-07). A Mexican general and statesman, born in the State of Nuevo Leon. He began life as a lawyer, served in several wars, attained the rank of frencral, and became Governor of Nuevo Leon in !s53. He assisted in the operations against Santa Anna, 1854-55, and participated in the 'war of reform,' 1857-60. After 1856 he united Coahuila to Nuevo Leon by force, and ruled in practical independence of the general Govern- ment which was constrained to enter into treaty relations with him. He was suspected of de- signing to establish an independent republic in Northern Mexico. He opposed, at first, the French domination, but after 1864 submitted and was made lieutenant of the Empire by Maximilian in 1807. Taken prisoner in the same year by the Liberal forces, he was shot as a traitor. VIDOCQ, ve'dfik', Frascois-.Ti'LES (1775- 1857) A celebrated French criminal and detec- tive He was the son of a baker of Arras, where he was born Julv 23, 1775. When a boy he stole from his father and was sent to the house of correction, but immediately on his return appro- priated a considerable sum of money. He was for a time an acrobat, and then entered the array. Returning home, he lived a disreputable life,' and in 1796 was sentenced to the galleys for'forgery. Escaping, he joined a band of high- waymen, 'afterwards "turned them ove'r to the police and soon acquired some note as a spy upon criminals. In 1812 he was made chief of a small detective force, the brigade de suretc, which developed great efficiency in detecting crime, and in creating crime to detect. On sus- picion of this latter, Vidocq was removed in 1825. He became a paper manufacturer, failed, opened a secret information bureau, and died in Paris, April 28. 1857. His M^moircs (1829) are of doubtful authenticity, and, if authentic, are unreliable. VIEILLE, vf.'a'y', Pavl (1854—). A French engineer and inventor, born in Paris. He gradu- ated from the polytechnic school of that city in 1875, and went into the Government service as engineer in the dejiartment of explosives. In 18f9 he was nominated assistant chief of the cen- tral laboratorv of powders and saltpetre at Paris. There lie conducted a series of investiga- tions on projeciiles which led to his invention in 1884 of a smokeless powder, which was adopted bv the Frcncli Armv. For his scientific discover- ies he was admitted to the Legion of Honor and