These 7 listings are so strange that each appears in only one of the 7 encyclopedias we compared. They include such classics as Night Hawk, Nightingale, Nightshade.
a species of goatsucker (Chordeiles virginianus), a bird universally known in the United States, 9½ inches in length and 23 in extent of wing. It is a bird of strong and vigorous flight, and its prey consists of beetles and other large insects. The other American species are the "chuck-will's widow" (C. carolinensis) and the "whip-poorwill" (C. vociferus), both of which, like the night hawk, arrive in May, and leave the States in September.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
It was believed by the Sufis that to attain to the coveted state of mystical contemplation, it was necessary to close the gateway of the physical senses, so that the inner or spiritual senses might operate more freely. This injunction was sometimes taken literally, as by the Brahmin Yogis, who carefully closed eyes, ears, nose and mouth, in order to attain to visionary ecstasy. The Mystical Night is thus a shutting out of all external sense-impressions, of hope, fear, consciousness of self, and every human emotion, so that the interior light may be more clearly perceived.
Only in An Encyclopaedia of Occultism
a small, reddish-brown, thrush-like bird of the Old World, celebrated for the sweetness of its song. In England it is a modest, shy bird, haunting rich woods and thickets. It lives chiefly on insects, especially the larvae of ants. Like most insect-eating song birds, it is migratory, ranging from northern Europe to northern Africa. It appears in England in April but does not visit Wales, Ireland, or Scotland. The nest is built of grass and leaves, preferably near running water. The eggs, four to five in number, are olive green in color. The male is the singer. While the female is nesting, especially in the evening, he soars aloft pouring out a rich burden of song, as if too happy to contain his secret. When the young are hatched, he stops singing and busies himself hunting insects to fill open mouths. The male is a favorite cage bird. The nightingale is celebrated in literature. It is the Philomela of the poets. The name has been extended to a number of somewhat similar birds, including the bulbul of the Orient and one or more finches of our Southern States. See Philomela
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
a European migratory species of birds, family of warblers or Sylvicolidæ. The males of the nightingale reach the S. counties of England sometimes in April, but more commonly not till the beginning of May; the by females do not arrive till a week or 10 days after the males. Migrating from the S., they visit the N. cou countries for the purpose of breeding, and the famed song of the male is his love chant, and ceases when his mate has hatched her brood. If by accident his mate be killed, the male resumes his song; and will continue to chant very late in summer unless he can attract, as he commonly soon does, another female. The nightingale feeds chiefly on the larvæ of insects. The nest is built near the ground; the eggs are four or five in number, of a uniform dark-brown color; the young are fledged in the month of June, and are ready to accompany the parents in their migration S. in the month of August.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Florence (1820-), an English philanthropist. She was born in Florence, Italy, of wealthy English parents. Miss Nightingale took a deep interest in suffering humanity, and trained herself in the details of hospital management. During the Crimean War she was sent by the British government with a band of thirty-eight trained nurses to relieve the sick and the wounded on the battlefield. Her work was so eminently successful and called forth so many testimonials of esteem and confidence from grateful soldiers that, on her return, the British public raised $250,000 by subscription and presented it as a recognition of her services. Miss Nightingale used the money to found a training school for nurses. See Lorence; Red Cross Society
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Important: Safety Warning This page states that certain wild plants are safe to eat. Its identifications and edibility claims are more than a century old and in some cases simply wrong, and deadly look-alikes exist for many edible species. Never eat a wild plant on the strength of this text. This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon. the common name of several plants. The botanical name is Solanum. The ground cherry , potato, and tomato belong to the nightshade family. The common or black nightshade has an erect, angular stem, with spreading leaves and drooping umbels of white flowers. The fruit is a globose black berry. It has been introduced into this country from Europe. It is a common weed in waste places. It has the reputation of being poisonous; yet the berries and leaves are eaten by animals without apparent injury. The leaves are boiled by many people for greens. The drug known as belladonna is extracted from an allied species, called "the deadly nightshade."
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
a seaport of Hondo, Japan; on a narrow strip of land at the mouth of the Shinano river; er; opened to foreign trade in 1869. The harbor does not admit of the entrance of vessels of foreign build, and the roadstead is exposed; the foreign trade has therefore remained only nominal. Pop. about 62,000. NIJNI-NOVGOROD ("Lower Novgorod"), a famous commercial city of Russia, and capital of the province of the same name; at the confluence of the Oka with the Volga; 274 miles E. of Moscow. There is an upper city, containing the Kreml and many churches, a lower city, and a suburb. The great fair before the World War brought buyers and sellers from all climes between. Germany and China. For the convenience of those frequenting the fairs, there was an enormous market hall, and 60 blocks of buildings for booths, containing more than 2,500 apartments sepwalls. There were three annual fairs, two of them of minor account. The third, beginning July 15 and continuing into September, was the greatest in the world. During the fair, the normal population was very largely increased. The value of goods sold at one of these fairs often exceeded $100,- 000,000. At these fairs all foreign goods were supplied in smaller quantities, those of Russian production showing an increase. Nijni-Novgorod, founded in 1221, devastated on several occasions by the Tartars; its prosperity dates from 1817, when the great fair was removed to Nijni-Novgorod from Makariev after a great fire. Pop. about 110,000.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia