Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "L" to "Lamellibranchia" / Volume 16, Slice 1

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

41902

Title

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "L" to "Lamellibranchia" / Volume 16, Slice 1

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This volume of the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica offers a comprehensive alphabetical reference covering topics from 'L' to 'Lamellibranchia.' Featuring contributions from distinguished scholars and experts across diverse fields, it serves as an authoritative resource on arts, sciences, literature, and general information.

Summary up to 500 words

Volume XVI of the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, serves as a comprehensive repository of knowledge spanning history, geography, and natural science, specifically covering entries from 'L' to 'Lamellibranchia.' Authored by a distinguished group of leading academics and specialists of the early 20th century, the volume emphasizes factual accuracy derived from geological surveys, biological studies, and historical records. The text provides extensive biographical sketches of notable figures, including General Lake, a British military leader who played a pivotal role in the Napoleonic Wars and the suppression of the Irish rebellion, as well as the Mahratta wars in India. His career highlights his rapid promotion, command of the Guards Brigade, and decisive victories that secured British interests in India before he returned to England and entered the House of Commons. The volume also delves into the scientific study of limnology, the branch of science dedicated to the study of inland waters. Professor Forel of Switzerland is credited with founding this discipline, defining a lake as a mass of still water situated in a depression without direct communication with the sea. The text details the diverse origins of lakes, categorizing them into rock-basins formed by crustal movements or volcanic activity, barrier-basins created by landslips or glacial dams, and organic basins formed by vegetation or coral reefs. It further explores the life history of lakes, explaining how they eventually disappear through the deposition of detrital matter or the erosion of their outlets. A significant portion of the volume is dedicated to the systematic classification of bivalve mollusks, known as Lamellibranchia. The entries provide a detailed anatomical and taxonomic overview of these organisms, describing their shell structures, siphons, gill arrangements, and foot mechanisms. The text systematically lists various families, such as the Isocardidae, Lucinidae, Unionidae, and Tellinidae, distinguishing them by specific characteristics like the presence of siphons, the nature of their gills, and their habitat—whether marine, freshwater, or brackish. Extinct forms from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods are also included, offering a glimpse into the evolutionary history of these marine creatures. Through these detailed entries, the volume presents a broad spectrum of knowledge, reflecting the encyclopedic ambition of the Britannica to educate readers on the arts, sciences, literature, and general information of the era.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

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Categories

• Encyclopedias and dictionaries