DICKINSON COLLEGE.

DICKINSON COLLEGE. An institution of higher education, situated at Carlisle, Pa. It

was founded in 1783 and derived its name from John Dickinson, president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, and one of the college's largest benefactors. For twenty-five years the institution prospered; but in 1815 the interference of the trustees in the matters of discipline became so persistent that both president and instructors resigned. Repeated attempts to reopen the college met with small success, and it was not until 1833, under an amended charter closely delimiting the jurisdiction of the trustees, that the college became firmly reëstablished. Before that time it had been, though undenominational, under Presbyterian influence; under the new arrangement it passed to the control of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Dickinson comprises the college proper, the law school, and a closely affiliated preparatory school. The law school, organized in 1834, but discontinued from 1882 to 1890, offers the degree LL.B. The college confers the bachelor degree in arts, science, and philosophy. The buildings include: South College, East College, the Tome Scientific Building, the James W. Bosler Memorial Hall, and the Denny Memorial Hall. The library contains about 40,000 volumes. In 1906 the student enrollment, including that of the preparatory school, approximated 500. The endowment funds amount to $400,000, and the value of the college buildings and grounds to $440,000.

DICK'S COFFEE-HOUSE. A London coffeehouse, originally called "Richard's," after Richard Torner or Turner, who was its first proprietor (1680). The building still stands, on the south side of Fleet Street (No. 8), near the Temple. DICK'SON. A borough in Lackawanna County, Pa., 4 miles north of Scranton, on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company (Map: Pennsylvania, F 2). It is in a coal-mining region and has foundries and machine shops, and silk-mills. It is governed by a mayor and a unicameral council. Population, 1900, 4948.

DICK'SON, Sir JAMES ROBERT (1832-1901). An Australian statesman. He was born at Plymouth, England, and was educated in Glasgow, Scotland, where he began his business career in a bank. He emigrated to Australia in 1854 and settled first in Victoria, whence he removed to New South Wales, and afterwards, in 1862, to Queensland. His political career began in 1872, when he was elected to the Queensland House of Assembly. In 1876 he entered the Cabinet of Arthur Macalester, as Minister of Public Works. He held the position of Treasurer of the colony in various cabinets from 1876 to 1879, and 1883 to 1887. From 1889 to 1892 he lived in Europe, returning in the latter year to conduct a campaign in favor of introducing Polynesian labor in the Queensland sugar plantations. In 1897 he entered the Nelson Cabinet as Secretary for Railways. In March, 1898, he became Secretary for Home Affairs, and in October following he suc ceeded Thomas J. Byrnes as Premier. In this position, he threw himself into the fight for an Australian Commonwealth, secured the passage of a measure providing for the submission of the question to the people, and after an active campaign obtained a good majority at the polls in favor of federation. He resigned the Premiership in November, 1899, and early in 1900 visited Lon

DICOTYLEDONS.

don as a delegate from Queensland to discuss the affairs of the proposed Commonwealth. On his return to Australia he was selected Minister of Defense of the first Federal Cabinet, but died suddenly ten days after the inauguration of the new Government.

DICKSON, dêk'son, Baron OSCAR VON (182397). A Swedish merchant. He was born at He was a memGöteborg, of Scottish ancestry. ber of many learned societies both in London and abroad, and gave liberal pecuniary support to North Pole enterprises, particularly those undertaken by Baron Nordenskjöld after 1868. In recognition of his distinguished public services, he was ennobled in 1880, the title of "Baron" being conferred on him in 1885. Dickson Harbor and various other points in the Arctic regions have been named in his honor.

DICK'SON, SAMUEL HENRY (1798-1872). An American physician. He was born in Charleston, S. C., graduated at Yale in 1814, and in 1819 received the degree of M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. He was appointed to the professorship of the institutes and practice of medicine in the medical school of Charleston, S. C., in 1824, was professor of the practice of medicine in the University of New York from 1847 to 1850; in 1858 accepted the chair of the practice of medicine at Jefferson College in Philadelphia. He published many volumes and papers. on medical subjects, including Studies in Pathology and Therapeutics (1867).

Be

DICKSON, WILLIAM PURDIE, D.D. (1823-1901). A Church of Scotland theologian. He was born at Pettinain Manse, Lanarkshire, October 22, 1823; graduated at Saint Andrews; was, from 1863 to 1895, a divinity professor in Glasgow University, and then professor emeritus. sides translating Mommsen's History of Rome (4 vols., rev. ed. 1895) and Roman Provinces (1887), and Meyer's Commentary on the New Testament (10 vols., 1873-80), he delivered the Baird lectures of 1883, Saint Paul's Use of the Terms Flesh and Spirit (1883).

DIC'LINOUS PLANT (Gk. di-, di-, double + Kivet, klinein, to incline). A plant which has stamens and pistils in separate flowers. If the two kinds of flowers are on the same individual, the plant is called 'monœcious'; if on different individuals, 'diœcious.' See POLLINATION.

DI'COTYLEDONS (Neo-Lat., from Gk. di-, di-, double + KOTVλndúv, kotyledon, cup-shaped, hollow, from korún, kotyle, cavity). The larger and more important of the two groups of flowering plants, angiosperms (q.v.). Its members represent the culmination of the plant kingdom, and are the most conspicuous and the most modern of plants. More than 80,000 species have been described, and the actual number is probably over 100,000. The chief characters which distinguish them from monocotyledons, the other group of angiosperms, are an embryo with lateral cotyledons (usually two); the vascular bundles of the stem forming a hollow cylinder, which means an annual increase in the diameter of woody stems; an open system of venation, which means that the veinlets end freely in the tissues of the leaf or in the margins, often resulting in various forms of toothing, lobing, and branching; and flowers whose tendency is to dis

play their parts in fives or fours or their multiples.

Two great groups of dicotyledons are recognized the Archichlamydea and the Sympetala. In the former there is either no perianth (calyx and corolla), or its parts are separate (polypetalous); in the latter the corolla is sympetalous (petals coalesced). Formerly the Archichlamydea were divided into two groups-the Apetala, in which there are no petals, and the Polypetala, in which petals are present; but this division has been found to be too artificial to stand, as several natural families have both apetalous and polypetalous members.

ARCHICHLAMYDEÆ. These are the simpler and more primitive dicotyledons, and contain about 40,000, or one-half of the known species of dicotyledons, distributed among about 160 families. The prominent alliances may be given as follows: (1) A great tree assemblage, prominent in which are the oak, hickory, walnut, chestnut, beech, poplar, elm, willow, etc. These plants are probably the most primitive of the dicotyledons, a fact indicated by the simplicity of their floral structures and by their anemophilous (wind-pollinating) habit. (See POLLINATION.) Prominent in the group also is the characteristic inflorescence known as the ament (q.v.) or catkin; and it is among its members alone that chalazogamy (q.v.) has been discovered. (2) The buttercups and their allies, a great assemblage of terrestrial herbs, including waterlilies, buttercups, poppies, and mustards; certain notable tree forms, as the magnolias, custardapples, sassafras, etc.; and also the strange group of 'carnivorous plants' (Sarracenia, Drosera, Dionæa, etc.). (3) The rose family (Rosaceae), which is one of the best-known and most useful groups of the temperate regions, including such forms as the strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, rose, hawthorn, apple, pear, quince, plum, cherry, peach, etc. (4) The legume family (Leguminosa), which is far the greatest family of the Archichlamydea, which contains about 10,000 species, and with flowers elaborately constructed for insect pollination. Here belong the lupine, clover, locust, pea, bean, vetch, redbud, senna, honey-locust, indigo, sensitive plants, etc. (5) The umbellifer family (Umbellifera), which is the most highly organized of the Archichlamyder, and contains such well-known forms as the carrot, parsnip, hemlock, pepper-and-salt, caraway, fennel, coriander, celery, parsley, etc. SYMPETALÆ. This group is evidently derived from the Archichlamydeæ, and contains the most highly organized of plants. Older names of the group are Monopetala' and 'Gamopetala. The group contains about 40,000 species, distributed among 50 families. Among the prominent alliances are the following: (1) The heath family (Ericacea), which consists mostly of shrubby plants, and which contains such forms as huckleberry, blueberry, cranberry, bearberry, trailing arbutus, wintergreen, heather, azalea, rhododendron, Indian pipe, etc. (2) The Convolvulus forms and their allies, in which the flowers are prominently tubular, including the morning-glory, polemonium, phlox, gentian, dog-bane, etc. (3) The mint family (Labiata) and its allies, containing about 10,000 species, and characterized by the irregular two-lipped flowers. Here belong the mint, dittany, hyssop, marjoram, thyme, balm,

(4)

sage, catnip, horehound, lavender, rosemary, etc. In allied families are the nightshade, potato, tomato, tobacco, mullein, snapdragon, toadflax, painted-cup, verbena, plantain, etc. The Compositæ, the greatest and ranking family of the angiosperms, is estimated to contain at least 12,000 species. The name of the family suggests the most conspicuous features-namely, the organization of the numerous small flowers into a compact head, which resembles a single flower, formerly called a 'compound flower.' Among the very numerous forms are arnica, thistle, dandelion, tickseed, beggar-ticks, Spanish needles, ironweed, aster, daisy, goldenrod, rosinweed, sunflower, chrysanthemum, ragweed, cocklebur, ox-eye daisy, tansy, sagebrush, lettuce, etc. DICTAM NUS. See DITTANY.

DICTATOR (Lat., from dictare, to dictate, frequentative of dicere, to say). In the earliest times, the name of the highest magistrate of the Latin confederation; and in some of the Latin towns the title was continued long after these In the Roman Republic the Dictator was an towns were subjected to the dominion of Rome. extraordinary magistrate, irresponsible and endowed with absolute authority, whose original name was magister populi. The frequency of crises, or critical periods, in the quick, aggressive growth of the Roman State, necessitated such an office. The first Dictator (T. Larcius or M. Valerius) was appointed in B.C. 501, nine years after the expulsion of the Tarquins. According to Livy, the immediate cause of this dictatorship eral no one could be appointed Dictator who was a formidable war with the Latins. In genhad not been previously consul, and this condition was very rarely dispensed with. possible that the Dictator was originally created it is more probable that the Senate passed or elected by the curiæ, like the kings; but

It is

a decree ordering one of the consuls to name or a dictator. proclaim (dicere) Originally, of course, the Dictator was a patrician; the first plebeian who filled the office being Marcius Rutilus (B.C. 356), who was nominated by the The dicplebeian consul, M. Popillius Lænas. tatorship could not lawfully be held longer than six months; nor was it ever so, except in the cases of Sulla and Cæsar, which were altogether peculiar. It must not be supposed that during a dictatorship the functions of the other magistrates were positively suspended. The consuls and other regular authorities continued to discharge their proper duties, but in subordination to the direction and command of the Dictator, being for the time simply his officers. The superiority of his power, when compared with that of the consuls, appears chiefly in these three points: He was far more independent of the Senate; he had a more extensive power of punishment, without any appeal; and he could not be called to account after his abdication of the dictatorship for anything he had done during the period of his office. The limits of his power were as follows: He could not touch the treasury; he could not leave Italy; and he could not ride through Rome on horseback without previously obtaining the permission of the people. While the consuls had only twelve lictors, the Dictator was preceded by twenty-four, bearing the secures and fasces. To him also belonged the sella curulis and the toga prætexta. The last