have occupied a conspicuous place in Latin religion, and scarcely, if at all, figures in the history of Rome under the kings, a circumstance that throws no inconsiderable light on the Roman character, for it may be taken as an indication of the grave and serious disposition of the people, who highly valued matrimony and wedded joys, but cared little for the sentimental passion of love. The figure of V. was a favorite subject of ancient sculptors. One of the most famous specimens extant is the "Venus de' Medici," preserved in the Uffizi Gallery at Florence, and generally admitted to be the finest relic of ancient art. It was dug up in several pieces, either at the villa of Hadrian, near Tivoli, or at the portico of Octavia, in Rome, in the 17th c.; and, after remaining for some time in the Medici Palace, in Rome, (whence its name,) was carried to Florence by Cosmo III. about 1860. It is a nude statue, 4 ft. 11 in. in h., without the plinth; and, from the exquisite symmetry and grace of the figure, it has become a sort of standard of excellence for the female form. The right arm, the lower half of the left arm, and a few piecings here and there are modern. The plinth (modern) bears a copy of the old inscription, stating that the statue is the work of Cleomenes the Athenian, son of Apollodorus, who flourished 200-150 B.C.

Ve'nus, the second of the planets in order of distance from the sun. (For its principal relations to the other members, see SOLAR SYSTEM.) Next to the sun and moon and an occasional bright comet it is the brightest object in the heavens, and it is the twin sister of the earth in almost every respect so far as we know any thing about it, except that it has no satellite. As also in the case of MERCURY, (q. v.,) the Greeks had two names for this planet, Phosphorus as morning-star and Hesperus as evening-star, originating probably in the early belief that they were different bodies when in these two positions. When at its brightest, between inferior conjunction and either elongation, (see PLANET,) V. is easily visible to the naked eye when any one knows just where to look for it. Sometimes, in a very clear sky, it is bright enough to catch the eye without special search. Its ALBEDO (q. v.) is about 0.50, three times the surface-brightness of the moon and nearly four times that of Mercury, but not so bright as Jupiter or Uranus. It has a dense atmosphere, probably much denser than that of the earth. When very near the sun the refraction of sunlight through this atmosphere sometimes shows the planet with a complete ring of light round it; and this is always the case at the time of a transit of V. before the planet has entirely entered on the sun's disk. This same phenomenon, combined with the phenomena of the BLACK-DROP, (q. v.,) has caused much trouble in estimating the times of true contact in the transit of V. observations. (See TRANSIT OF VENUS.) The surface of V. is probably permanently covered with clouds. Various astronomers have at different times thought that they had identified more or less permanent markings on the surface, and have deduced supposed times of revolution of the planet on its axis; but these are of doubtful reality, and we probably know nothing of the actual rotation time or direction of the axis of revolution of the planet. No ellipticity of the disk has ever been detected by measures of the diameter made upon the surface of the sun at the time of a transit. An ellipticity equal to that of the earth would show a difference of 0.2" at these times between the polar and equatorial diameters, a quantity difficult of certain determination. The distance of V. from the earth varies between about 26,000,000 m. at the time of inferior conjunction and 160,000,000 at the time of superior conjunction, and its apparent diameters at these times are about 11" and 67" respectively. The SYNODIC (q. v.) period of revolution is 584 days, and so the planet appears at corresponding positions in the morning and evening sky at intervals of about one yr. and four months. It is at its brightest about 36 days before and after inferior conjunction, when about 38° or 39° from the sun, and these are the times to look for it with the naked eye. When the planet shows the crescent phase the cusps sometimes appear much brighter than other parts of the disk, and these parts may possibly be polar ice-caps like those on MARS, (q. v.,) but this is not at all certain. Sometimes these cusps have also appeared of irregular shape, and this has been attributed to mountains like those on the moon, but these are of still more doubtful reality. There are long lists of reported observations of a satellite of the planet; but in all cases where these observations were at all reliable they have been shown to have been small stars temporarily near the planet as it moved by them in its path among the stars. It is possible that a small satellite may sometime be detected

by photography, or optically by some of the giant telescopes, but it will in any case be exceedingly minute. The difficulties in the way of an optical detection of such an object are very great, on account of the great brilliancy of the planet itself and the fact that they must be sought in the twilight, and near the horizon, where the images are always more unsteady than near the zenith.

Venus. See VENERIDE.

Venus, Transits of. See TRANSIT OF VENUS. Ve'nusberg, the name of several mountains in Germany, especially in Suabia; it is met with in Italy also. Ve'nus's Fly-trap, a plant whose leaves close suddenly when touched; so named because flies and other insects are often caught between the leaves as in a trap.

Ve'nus's Look'ing-glass, (Specularia speculum,) a very pretty little annual of the natural order Campanulacea, which has long been a favorite in flower-gardens, and is a native of corn-fields in the S. of Europe. It has brilliant blue, white, or violet-colored flowers, which fold up in a pentagonal manner toward evening. Ve'ra, a Span. town, in the prov. of Almeria; pop. 8,470. Ve'ra Cruz, a state of Mexico; area 26,232 sq. m., pop. 542,918.

Venus's Fly-trap.

Ve'ra Cruz, or Vil'la Nue'va de la Ve'ra Cruz, ("the New City of the Real Cross,") an important city on the E. coast of Mexico, about 200 m. E. of the city of Mexico, with a pop. of about 15,000, composed of a motley collection from many nations. The city is built in a semicircle, facing the sea, and is regularly laid out; the streets, which are wider than is usual in tropical countries, running E. and W. from the harbor, with others crossing them at right angles. The town is well defended by a strong wall and other substantial works, as also by the castle of St. Juan de Ulloa, which stands upon an island of the same name, about half a mile from the shore. OLD VERA CRUZ, to the N., was the first Spanish settlement on the coast.

Veragn'a, a town of New Granada, Spain, near the mouth of Soletad River; pop. 6,121.

Veran'da, a word often erroneously applied to piazzas, platforms, and porches, originated in India, where it signified a light external gallery, its sloping tent-like roof supported on latticed pillars, or on a continuous screen of lattice-work.

Vera'tria, an alkaloid occurring in cevadilla, (the dried fruit of Asagraa officinalis,) in the bulbs of Colchicum autumnale, and in the roots and seeds of different species of Veratrum.

Veratum. See HELLEBORE.

Verb, (Lat. verbum, "a word,") the name given in Gram. mar to that part of speech (see PARTS OF SPEECH) which pred icates or affirms. (See SENTENCE.) As the very end of speaking is to assert or affirm something, with a view to being believed or disbelieved, the part of speech which performs this office is, as it were, the soul of the sentence, and is called "the word," or V., par excellence.

Verbe'na, a genus of shrubs and herbs found in warm and temperate climates, including the "Simpler's Joy," formerly believed to possess magical medicinal virtue.

Verbena'ceæ, a natural order of exogenous plants, consisting chiefly of trees and shrubs, but partly also of her. baceous plants. The leaves are generally opposite and simple, and have no stipules. The flowers are generally in corymbs or spikes; the calyx is tubular; the corolla hypogynous, tubular, its limb usually irregular; the stamens generally four, two long and two short, sometimes equal, sometimes only two.

Vercelli, a venerable city of northern Italy, in the prov. of Novara, stands in a fertile plain, on the right bank of the Sesia, 44 m. W.-S.-W. of Milan by railway; pop. 20,640.

Verde Antique, a beautiful stone of a dark green color, with patches of white, and sometimes also black and red. It is a kind of hard breccia, and was much prized by the ancient Romans, and is still in great favor in Italy.

Ver'den, a walled town in Prussia, cap. of a duchy, in Hanover, 21 m. S.-E. of Bremen, noted for its fine cathedral, and engaged in the manufacture of tobacco and beer and in fishing; pop. 7,669.

Ver'di, (GUISEPPE,) the most prominent operatic com poser of any note in Italy. He was b. in 1814, at Rancola, in the duchy of Parma. He is a member of many artistic societies, and has been decorated by the rulers of Russia and

Egypt. His works comprise a long list of popular favorites, as "Ernani," "Macbeth," "Rigoletto," "Trovatore," "Traviata," "Aida," "Othello," etc.

Ver'dict, in Law, is the finding of a jury as to the issue of fact raised between the parties. The usual V. in criminal cases is Guilty or Not Guilty; in civil cases it is a V. for the plaintiff or for the defendant, according to the fact. These are general Vs. In some civil cases the jury, when doubtful, or when the court directing them is doubtful, how the law ought to be applied to the facts, find a special V., i. e., specific fact, leaving the court to draw the proper conclusion. A V. by a jury is usually conclusive in criminal cases, and no new trial can be had; but in civil cases the party defeated may, within a certain number of days allowed by the practice of the court, move to set the V. aside, and apply for a new trial on various grounds-as, for example, that the judge misdirected or misled the jury; that the V. was against the evidence, or was perverse; that the damages were too great, or too small, etc.

Ver'digris, the popular name for diacetate of copper, a substance which is largely used for commercial purposes, and as an external application in surgery. It is prepared on a large scale by piling up copper-plates with alternate layers of marc, or fermenting grape-skins. In the course of a few weeks the surface of the copper is covered with a crust of the salt, which is detached, made into a thick paste with vinegar, and pressed into molds. The salt thus obtained is in the form of a bluish-green tough mass, which is not easily pulverized. The formation of the salt by this process is due to the alcohol in the grape-skins being slowly oxidized into acetic acid, while the copper absorbs oxygen from the air, and the oxide thus formed unites with the acetic acid. V. may be obtained more directly by placing copper sheets in cloths dipped in vinegar. V. is an active poison, and cases of accidental poisoning frequently occur from its forming on imperfectly cleansed copper cooking utensils, and being incorporated into the food prepared in them.

Ver'diter, a pigment which is extensively used in common painting. It is either blue or green, the latter being generally known as Bremen Green. It is formed by a very complicated process from blue vitriol, or sulphate of copper, sea-salt, metallic copper, muriatic acid, caustic potash, and water, and occupies three months in its manufacture. The blue is most valued.

Ver'doy, in Her., a term indicating that a bordure is charged with flowers, leaves, or vegetable charges. Thus, a bordure argent V. of oak-leaves proper is equivalent to a bordure argent, charged with eight oak-leaves proper.

Ver'dun, a fortified town of France, in the Dept. of Meuse, stands on the right bank of the river of that name, about 150 m. (direct line) E.-N.-E. of Paris. In Nov., 1871, It was taken by the Germans, who thus established better communication between Germany and the troops before Paris. Pop. 15,433.

Vere, (SIR FRANCIS,) served with great gallantry in the defense of the Netherlands 1585-1602; b. 1553, d. 1608. Vere, de, (SIR AUBREY HUNT, Bart.,) b. in Limerick, Ireland, 1788, d. 1846; was well known as a poet. His son, AUBREY THOMAS, who succeeded him, was b. 1814, and his fame as a versifier has far outstripped that of his father. He has contributed very frequently to contemporary literature. Vere, de, (EDWARD,) a wit and poet of Elizabeth's court, was lord high chamberlain at the trials of Mary Queen of Scots and the Earls of Arundel, Essex, and Southampton; b. 1540, d. 1604.

Vere, de, (JOHN,) commanded the van of Henry VII.'s army at Bosworth, and was made Lord High Steward of England; b. 1450, d. 1513.

Verestchagin, (VASSILI,) a famous modern Russian painter of military and Oriental scenes, b. about 1840. Vergennes, a village of Addison Co., Vt., site of the State Reform School; pop. 1,773. Ver'ger, (Lat. verger, a rod,") an officer of cathedral and collegiate churches who carries the mace, whether before, the dean or other chief dignitary, in procession, or on any other ceremonial occasion.

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Vergil Pol'ydore, the last papal messenger to collect "Peter's Pence" in England in 1501; remained there, became prebend of St. Paul's, a friend of Erasmus, and one of the greatest scholars of the age; b. at Urbino 1470, d. 1555. Vergniaud, (PIERRE VICTURNIEN,) center and leader of the Girondist party in 1791; president of the French Legislative Assembly; noted for his wonderful eloquence; b. at Limoges in 1759, was guillotined 1793.

Veri'a, or Ver'ria, the Berea of Acts xvii, 10, a town of Turkey in Europe, eyalet of Salonica; pop. 10,000. Verifica'tion, in Law. (1) An affirmation of the party pleading in the common-law courts that he is prepared to prove his statements; (2) in Equity, the affidavit annexed to a complaint or answer.

Ver'juice, a name sometimes given to cider vinegar and to crab-apple juice, but more commonly to a drink used by the ancients and to some extent in modern Europe, made from the juice of unripe grapes.

Ver'mes, (Lat. "worms,") the name given by Linnæus to one of the classes in his zoological system, in which he included all the lower invertebrate animals, whether of worm-like form or not. The study of their structure has since led to their arrangement in several distinct classes under the subking. dom or branch Vermes.

Vermicelli, (Ital. "little worms,") the name of a very fine kind of macaroni.

Vermicula'tion, checkering or chanceling formed in mason-work as an ornament, giving the appearance of being eaten by worms.

Vermiculated.

Ver'mifuges, Ver'micides, or Anthelmin'tics, are remedies which possess the property of destroying intestinal worms or of expelling them from the digestive canal. The only worms whose presence in the intestinal canal is so common that the remedies for their destruction and expulsion require special notice are the two varieties of tape-worm. A few of this class of medicines are said to be useful in destroying all these kinds of worms, viz., the tape-worms, the round-worms, and the thread-worms. In this category we may place Absinthium, or Wormwood, whose effects are doubtful; Sabadilla, or Ce vadilla; Santonica, or Worm-seed, and its active principle, Santonine; and Oil of turpentine.

Vermiling'nia, a sub-order of mammals found in S. Am., of which the ant-eater is the representative; order Edentata. Vermilion, or artificial cinnabar, is a bisulphide of mer. cury, formed by mixing 100 parts of the metal with 16 parts of sulphur, and subliming them in properly constructed retorts; the result is a heavy dull-red cake, 1 in. or so in thickness, of acicular crystalline texture, and exactly resembling in these respects the native cinnabar. When, however, it is finely powdered, it acquires the bright-red color so well known in this pigment.

Vermilye, (ROBERT GEORGE, D.D.,) a distinguished Presb. divine of Huguenot ancestry, b. in New York 1813, d. 1875. His brother, THOMAS EDWARD, D.D., LL.D., equally if not more distinguished, became in the yr. 1839 pastor of the Collegiate Reformed Church in New York; b. 1803, d. 1893.

Arms of Vermont.

Ver'min, (Lat. vermis, "a worm,") a term commonly ap plied to small noxious animals, particularly to those which, unless their increase is checked, become very numerous. Vermont', the "Green Mountain State," is not one of the original 13 States, although belonging to New England. Its name is derived from the mountains which traverse it, and it is entirely inland, having no sea-coast, and is bounded N. by Canada, E. by N. H., S. by Mass., and W. by N. Y. Area 9,565 sq. m. Topography.-The Green Mountains occupy the whole State, dividing at the N. into two branches, one of which continues its N. and S. direction into Canada; the other, turning to the E., loses itself in N. H., and is the watershed between the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain. The contrast between the rounded wooded summits of the Green Mountains and the bare granite peaks of the White Mountains is great, none of the former attaining the height of some of the latter. The highest summits are, according to Guyot, Mansfield, 4,348 ft.; Killington 4,221 ft.; Pico, 3,954 ft.; Camel's Hump, 4,088 ft.; Equinox, 3,872 ft. The rivers of the State are chiefly tributaries either of the Connecticut River, Lake Champlain, or the Hudson River, and are none of them of great size. There are multitudes of lakes, some of them of considerable size, and many beautiful waterfalls. Natural Productions.-The minerals of the State are: Gold in small quantities, lead, ore, iron, and building stone, granite, black and white marble, slate, manganese, clay, etc. The forest trees are chiefly evergreens, the sugar-maple being the most abundant. The soil is generally