Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/30

* VAPEREAU. 14 VARIANCE. VAPEREATT, vap'ra'. Louis Gi-stave (1810 — ). A French eucyclopajdist, born in Orleans, and educated at the Eeole Normale in Paris. He taught philosophy- in Tours (184.3-1852) and. re- turning to Paris, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1854, but forthwith gave himself entirely to literary pursuits. In 1858 he pub- lished the first edition of his Dictidiinuire dcs contemporains, a standard work of reference in constant process of revision (6th ed. 1891-93). Vapereau edited also a Diclionnaire iiniversel des liHeratures (1876); L'Aiinre litteraire et ch-ainatique (1859-09), and other similar works. He was from 1877 to 18S8 Inspector-General of Primary Schools. During the Prussian invasion (1870-71) he was prefectof Cantal, and later of Tarn-et-Garonne. VAPOR. A term employed to designate the gaseous state of substances that are ordinarily liquid or solid, such as water, benzine, iodine, etc. It has been proposed that the term vapor should be applied to gaseous substances below their critical points (see Critical Point), i.e. at all temperatures at -ivhich they may be lique- fied by sufficient pressure, while the term gas sliould be restricted to the state of substances above their critical points, i.e. when their exist- ence in the liquid or solid state is impossible. Such a usage of the terms might, however, be somewhat misleading, as it might convey the idea of a difference in the general behavior of gaseous substances below and above their critical points. No such difference is really known to exist, the laws of the gaseous state being equally well obeyed below and above the critical point. The most important property of vapors is their density, which leads immediately to a knowledge of the relative weights of molecules. The density ot :i vapor is usually expressed in terms of that or hydrogen taken as unit, and then the molec- ular weight of the given substance is twice its vapor densit}'. The best methods of determining the vapor density of substances together with the apparatus used are described under Molecules — Molecular Weights (q.v. ). See also Evap- OKATIOK; GaSES, GeNEEAL PROPERTIES OF; CRIT- ICAL Point; Bon^ixG-PoiNi. VAR, v;ir. A department of Southeastern France, situated in the former Province of Provence, between the departments ot Bouches- du-Rlione and Alpes-Maritimes. and bounded on the south by the Mediterranean Sea (Map: France, N 8). Area, 23.S3 square miles. The department is covered by the lower spurs and foothills of the Maritime -lps. The chief river is the Argens. Viti<'ulture is the principal in- dustry, producing nearly 30,000,000 gallons of wine annually. Silk culture is also carried on to some extent, and there are manufactures of paper, silk, and soap. Jlining is unimportant, though some iron ore and lignite are olitained. Population, in 1896, 309,191: in 1901, 326,384, The ca|)ital is Dniguignan, and the largest city is Toulon. VARAHAMIHIRA, va-rii'hft-mi'hi-ni ( ?■ A.D. 587). A celebrated Hindu astronomer who flourished in the sixth century of the Christian Era. Tradition makes him one of the 'Nine Gems' at the Court of King Vikrama (q.v.). He was the author of a number of astronomical works, including the I'tilicasiddhiintiku, an edition of which has been published by Thihaut and Dvivedi (Benares. 1889), and the Brhat- samhita, an encyclopa'dic work in one hundred and six chapters. Consult Thibaut, "Astro- nomie. Astrologie und Mathematik," in Biihler and Kielhorn, Orundriss dcr indo-arischen Phi- lologie (Strassburg, 1899). VARAN'GIANS. The name by which the Scandinavian invaders of Russia (q.v.) were knov.n to the Slavs. The celebrated Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, which existed from tile tenth century, was composed mainly of Northmen from Russia, though later other Teu- tonic warriors, notably English, were among their numbers. VARANID.a; (Neo-Lat. nom. pi., from Ta- raniis, from Ar. waran, waral, lizard). A family of aquatic lizards, called 'warans,' 'varans,' 'safeguards,' etc. See Monitor. VAREC (Fr., from Icel. vagrek, wave wrack, stuff thrown ashore by the waves). A crude sodium carbonate obtained in Brittany and Nor- mandy, France. VARESE, va-ra'za. A town in the Province of Couio. Italy, 37 miles northwest of Milan and 4 miles east of Lago Maggiore ( Map : Italy, C 2 ) . The picturesque scenery gives the town considerable prominence as a place of resort. The most interesting edifice is the Church of San Vittore, dating from the sixteenth century. Varese has a museum with a valualile collection of hi.storic relics. There are manufactures of wine, silk goods, paper, furniture, etc. Popula- tion (commune), in 1901, 17,715. VARGAS, vilr'gas, Jds£ Maria (1786-1854). A Venezuelan politician and surgeon, born in La Guayra, He studied medicine at Caracas and Edinburgh, and became professor in the Univer- sity of Caracas. In the new Venezuelan re- public he became Vice-President in 1834, and in 1835 President, but he resigned in 1836. There- after he was Senator (1838-42) and Councilor of State (1847-49). In 1853 he settled in New York City, where he died. VARGAS, Luis de (1502-68). A Spanish painter, born at Seville. He is reputed to have been a pupil of Perino del Vaga at Rome: but his pictures show .i robust realism, essentially Spanish. Of his frescoes, which were considered his best works, none survive. His principal oil paintings are in the Cathedral of Seville: a "Nativity" (1541), and his masterpiece, the "Temporal Generation of Christ" (1561), popu- larly known as the "Gamba." VARIANCE (from Lat. varinntia, difference, diversity, from variare, to change, vary, from varius, different, various). In the law of plead- ing, an inconsistency or difference between the original process by which an action is begun and the pleadings; or a difference between the facts alleged in the pleadings and those proved by the evidence introduced at the trial. A variance be- tween the process and pleadings nuist be objecled to before a trial is bad on the merits, as it is gen- erally held to be cured by verdict. Under nioilern procedure acts, if the facts alleged in the pro- ceedings are proved by valid evidence, any vari- ance in part of the proof will generally be dis- regarded. Whore, however, the proof adduced shows an entirely dilTcrcnt cause of action from