in natural history, a sort of variegated marble, of a dusky-green ground, sprinkled with spots of a lighter green, otherwise called serpentine. See the article MARBLE.
in church-history, Christian heretics, so called both from the veneration they had for the serpent that tempted Eve, and the worship they paid to a real serpent: they pretended that the serpent was Jesus Christ, and that he taught men the knowledge of good and evil. They distinguished between Jesus and Christ: Jesus, they said, was born of the Virgin, but Christ came down from heaven to be united with him; Jesus was crucified, but Christ had left him to return to heaven. They distinguished the God of the Jews, whom they termed Jaldabaoth, from the supreme God: to the former they ascribed the body, to the latter the soul of men. They had a live serpent, which they kept in a kind of cage; at certain times they opened the cage-door, and called the serpent: the animal came out, and mounting upon the table, twined itself about some loaves of bread; this bread they broke and distributed it to the company, who all kissed the serpent: this they called their Eucharist.
OPHYRS TWYBLADE: A genus of the diandria order, belonging to the gynandra class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 7th order, Orchideae. The nectarium is a little carinated below. The species are numerous; but the most remarkable are the following:
1. The ovata, oval-leaved ophrys, or common twyblade, hath a bulbous, fibrated root; crowned by two oval, broad, obtuse, veined, opposite leaves; an erect, succulent, green stalk, six or eight inches high, naked above, and terminated by a loose spike of greenish flowers, having the lip of the nectarium bifid. The flowers of this species resemble the figure of guats.
2. The spiralis, spiral orchis, or triple ladies-tresses, hath bulbous, oblong, aggregated roots; crowned by a cluster of oval, pointed, ribbed leaves; erect simple stalks, half a foot high; terminated by long spikes of white odoriferous flowers, hanging to one side, having the lip of the nectarium entire, and crenated.
3. The nidus-avis, or bird's-nest, hath a bulbous, fibrated, cluttered root; upright, thick, succulent stalks, a foot high, sheathed by the leaves, and terminated by loose spikes of pale-brown flowers; having the lip of the nectarium bifid.
4. The antropophora, man-shaped ophrys, or man-orchis, hath a roundish bulbous root, crowned with three or four oblong leaves; upright thick stalks, rising a foot and a half high; adorned with narrow leaves, and terminated by loose spikes of greenish flowers, representing the figure of a naked man; the lip of the nectarium linear triplicate, with the middle segment longest and bifid. There is a variety with brownish flowers tinged with green.
5. The inflorescens, or insect-orchis, hath two roundish bulbous roots, crowned with oblong leaves; erect leafy stalks, from six to ten or twelve inches high, terminated by spikes of insect-shaped greenish flowers, having the lip of the nectarium almost five-lobed. This wonderful species exhibits flowers in different varieties, that represent singular figures of flies, bees, and other insects; and are of different colours in the varieties.
6. The monorchis, or musky ophrys, hath a roundish bulbous root; crowned with three or four oblong leaves; an erect naked stalk, six inches high; terminated by a loose spike of yellowish, musky-scented flowers.
All these six species of ophrys flower in summer, at different times in different sorts, from May until July; and in most of the sorts exhibit a singularly curious appearance. The plants are all perennial in root, which are of the bulbous fleshy kind, from which the flowerstalks rise annually in spring, and decay in autumn; at which period is the proper time for removing the roots from one place to another. They all grow wild in Britain, &c.; are residents of woods, bogs, marshy grounds, sterile pastures, chalky soils, and the like places, where they flourish and display their singular flowers in great abundance, from which places they are introduced into gardens for variety; and having procured some plants at the proper season, and planted them in soils and situations somewhat similar to that where they naturally grow, the roots will abide for several years, and flower annually.
As to their propagation, it may be tried by seed in a shady border, as soon as it is ripe; likewise by offsets from the root, though they multiply sparingly in gardens; however, roots of some standing may be examined at the proper season, and any offsets separated and planted in the proper places.
OPHTHALMOSCOPY, a branch of physiognomy, which deduces the knowledge of a man's temper and manner from the appearance of his eyes.