Owen, Sir Richard
Sir Richard (1804-1892), a noted English zoologist. He was educated as a surgeon and held important positions in various London institutions of surgery. In 1856 he was placed in charge of the natural history collections of the British Museum . He is to be credited with their arrangement in the new quarters at South Kensington. He wrote a number of authoritative works, as History of British Fossil Mammals and Birds, Fossil Remains of Extinct Mammals of Australia, and Extinct Wingless Birds of New Zealand . It is said that he could give a shrewd guess at the size and form of a quadruped from seeing a single tooth. His knowledge of anatomy was such that, when a bone from New Zealand was brought to him, he was able to say it was a bone from the leg of a bird of the ostrich kind, only larger. He even ventured to sketch this bird, then unknown to science. Subsequent discoveries of bones confirmed his shrewd inference. His life is of interest. See Dinornis ; British Museum
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Owens College
Manchester, England, an institution established under the will of John Owens, a Manchester merchant, who died in 1846, and left about $500,000 for the purpose of founding an institution for providing a university education, in which theological and religious subjects should form no part of the instruction given. Teaching commenced in 1851, and the present Gothic building was completed in 1873. 1843- The success of the college led to the 1853- establishment of a new university, Vicwas toria University, to consist of Owens College and several affiliated colleges located in different towns, but having its headquarters in Manchester. The Victoria University was instituted by royal charter in 1880. University College, Liverpool, was incorporated with Victoria Unive University in 1884, and and the Yorkshire College, Leeds, in 1888. There is women's department in connection a with Owens College. The charter of Victoria University gives power to grant degrees to women, and the examinations are thrown open to them.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Owensboro
a city and county-seat of Daviess co., Ky., on the Ohio river, and on the Louisville, Henderson, and St. Louis, the Illinois Central, and the Louisville and Nashville railroads; 40 miles S. E. of Evansville, Ind. Here are Owensboro Female College (nonsect.), St. Francis Academy, a United works, street railroad and electric light Building, waterplants, and daily and weekly newspa- The city is noted for its large tobacco interests. It also has manufactories of flour, shingles, brick, ice, sewer pipe, furniture, etc. Pop. (1910) 16,- 011; (1920) 17,424.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Owl
in ornithology, a popular name for any nocturnal raptorial bird, of which about 250 species are known. A classification has been proposed, based on pterylological and osteological characters, broadly dividing the owls into two sections: (1) The screech-owl, and (2) the tawny-owl section, with (the Linnæan) Strix flammea and S. stridula as the respective types. The former is known as the Alucine (from Fleming's name for the genus, Aluco), and the latter as the Strigine section. The prevailing color of the plumage is brown, with a tinge of rusty-red, and it is exceedingly loose and soft, so that their flight (even in the larger species) is almost noiseless, enabling them to swoop upon their prey, which they hunt in the twilight. All owls cast up in the form of pellets the indigestible parts of the food swallowed. They range over the whole globe.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Owosso
a city in Shiawassee co., Mich.; on the Shiawasse river, and on the Michigan Central, the Grand Trunk, and the Ann Arbor railroads; 38 miles S. W. of Saginaw. It contains libraries, waterworks, street railroad and electric light plants, several banks, and a number of da daily and weekly newspapers. It has manufactories of door and window screens, hickory handles, caskets, furniture and dining-room tables, rugs, newspapers and books. Pop. (1910) 9,639; (1920) 12,575. OX, the castrated male of Bos taurus when arrived at maturity; also the popular name for the genus Bos. It has been known from remote antiquity, and in the East possessed, and in India still sacred character. They possesses, a have been broadly divided into two groups the humped, with B. Indicus, and the straight-backed, with B. taurus as a type. The domestic oxen consist of a number of different breeds.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Ox-Warble
. See Bot-Fly
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Oxalis
in botany, wood-sorrel; the typical genus of the Oxalideæ or Oxalidaceæ. Known species, 220; chiefly from South Africa and South America. O. acetosella is the common wood-sorrel. The leaves are all radical and trifoliate; handsome white flowers, with purplish veins. Found in woods and other shady places, and in nooks on mountain sides. O. corniculata is the yellow prominent wood-sorrel. O. stricta, possibly only a sub-species of the last. The stalks of O. crenata, a Columbian species, are very acid, and make good preserve. O. esculenta, O. deppei, O. crassicaulis, and O. tetraphylla have eatable tubers. O. sensitiva, O. stricta, and O. biophytum have sensitive leaves. Those of O. sensitiva are tonic and slightly stimulating.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Oxaluria
a morbid condition of the system, in which one of the most prominent symptoms is the persistent occurrence of crystals of oxalate of lime in the urine. Persons who secrete this form of urine are usually dyspeptic, hypochondriacal, and liable to attacks of boils, cutaneous eruptions, and neuralgia.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Oxenford
JOHN, an English dramatist and critic; born in Camberwell, England, in 1812, 1812, and was originally edu educated for the bar, but early turned to a life of letters, made himself familiar with French, German, and Spanish literature and translated Goethe's "Autobiography," and Eckermann's "Conversations with Goethe." For his last 30 years he was dramatic critic for the "Times." His "Illustrated Book of French Songs" (1855) showed a dexterous mastery of the lighter forms of verse. He wrote many plays, among them the "Dice of Death," the "Reigning Favorite," the "Two Orphans," as well as the libretto for "The Lily of Killarney," and one farce at least, "Twice Killed," that became widely popular. He died in London, Feb. 21, 1877.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Oxenham
HENRY NUTCOMBE, an English theologian; born in Harrow, England, Nov. 15, 1829; and educated at Balliol College, Oxford, taking a classical second class in 1850. He took orders in 1854, and held various curacies, but entered the Roman Catholic Church in 1857, and was successively professor at St. Edmund's College, Ware, and master at the Oratory School, Birmingham. Oxenham translated Döllinger's " First Age of the Church " ( 1866), and " Lectures on Reunion of the Churches " ( 1872), also vol. ii. of Hefele's " History of the Councils of the Church " ( 1876); "Catholic Eschatalogy and Universal- Aug. 28, 1654. ism" (1876); "Short Studies in Ecclesiastical History and Biography" (1884); and "Short Studies, Ethical and Religious" (1885). He died March 23, 1888.
JOHN. English novelist. He was born in Manchester, Lancashire, and educated at Victoria University in that city, acting first as a clerk and later as a commercial traveler, reresenting English firms in continental Europe and the United States. His first efforts at novel writing were in the interests of business. His works include: "God's Prisoner"; "Bondman Free"; "Barbe of Grand Bayou"; "Hearts in Exile"; "Carette of Sark"; "Pearl of Pearl Island"; "A Maid of the Silver Sea"; "The Coil of Carne"; "Red Wrath"; "Broken Shackles."
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia