in Natural History, a venomous insect found in Persia, and said to be a kind of tarantula. According to Olearius, as quoted by Mr Boyle, it neither stings nor bites; but lets fall its venom like a drop of water, which causes insufferable pain in the part for a time, and afterwards so profound a sleep, that, as report says, nothing can awake the patient except crushing one of the creatures on the part affected. It is nevertheless said, that the sheep eat these insects without damage.

ENCYCLOPÆDIA, a term nearly synonymous with Cyclopaedia; but adopted in preference to it in denoting the present work, as being more definite and of better authority. According to an observation of the late learned printer Mr Bower, the preposition en makes the meaning of the word more precise. For Cyclopaedia may denote "the instruction of a circle," as Cyclopædia is "the instruction of Cyrus," whereas in Encyclopaedia, the preposition determines the word to be from the dative of cyclos, "instruction in a circle." And Vossius, in his book De vitis sermonis, has observed, "That Cyclopaedia is used by some authors, but Encyclopaedia by the best."