DEGREE 305 DEICIDE A degree of longitude is the length be- tween two meridians that make an angle of one degree at the poles, measured by the arc of a circle parallel to the equator passing between them. It is clear that this space is greatest at the equator, and vanishes at the poles; and it can be shown that it varies with the cosine of the angle of latitude. The annexed table shows the lengths of a degree of longi- tude for places at every degree of lati- tude from 0° to 90°. It is computed on the supposition that the earth is a sphere. Deg. Eng. Deg. Eng. Deg. Eng. lat. miles. lat. miles. lat. miles.
69.07 31 59.13 61 33.45 1 69.06 32 58.51 62 32.40 2 69.03 33 57.87 63 31.33 3 68.97 34 57.20 64 30.24 4 68.90 35 56.51 65 29.15 5 68.81 36 55.81 66 28.06 6 68.62 37 55.10 67 26.96 7 68.48 38 54.37 68 25.85 8 68.31 39 53.62 69 24.73 9 68.15 40 52.85 70 23.60 10 67.95 41 52.07 71 22.47 11 67.73 42 51.27 72 21.32 12 67.48 43 50.46 73 20.17 13 67.21 44 49.63 74 19.02 14 66.95 45 48.78 75 17.S6 15 66.65 46 47.93 76 16.70 16 66.31 47 47.06 77 15.52 17 65.98 48 46.16 78 14.-55 18 65.62 49 45.26 79 13.17 19 65.24 50 44.35 80 11.98 20 64.84 51 43.42 81 10.79 21 64.42 52 42.48 82 9.59 22 63.97 53 41.53 83 8.41 23 63.51 54 40.56 84 7.21 24 63.03 55 39.58 85 6.00 25 62.53 56 38.58 86 4.81 26 62.02 57 37.58 87 3.61 27 61.48 58 36.57 88 2.41 28 60.93 59 35.54 89 1.21 29 60.35 60 34.50 90 0.00 30 59.75 DEGREE, in music, a step in the tone- ladder. It may consist of a semi-tone, a tone, or (in the minor scale) of an aug- mented tone. When the notes are on the same line or space they are in the same degree. The interval of a second is one degree, the interval of a third two de- grees, and so on, irrespective of the steps being tones or semi-tones. Hence, also, notes are in the same degree when they are natural, flat, or sh^rp, of the same note, as C and C sharp, E and E flat; and they are in diff'erent degrees when, though the same note on an instrument of fixed intonation, they are called by different names, as F sharp and G flat, C sharp and D flat. DEGREE, in universities, a mark of distinction conferred on students, mem- bers, or distinguished strangers, as a testimony of their proficiency in the arts or sciences, or as a mark of respect, the former known as ordinary, the latter as honorary degrees. The degrees are bachelor, master, and doctor, and are con- ferred in arts, science, medicine, divinity, and music. DEGREE, in algebra, a term used in speaking of equations, to express what is the highest power of the unknown quan- tity. Thus if the index of that power be 3 or 4 (.r y*) , the equation is respec- tively of the third or fourth degree. DEHISCENCE, a gaping, an opening, a yawning. The opening of capsules and of' the cells of anthers for the discharge of their contents. This takes place either by clefts, by hinges, or by pores. When the anther-lobes are erect, the cleft takes place lengthwise along the line of the suture, constituting longitudinal dehis- cence. At other times the slit takes place in a horizontal manner, from the connective to the side, as in Alchemilla arvensis and in Lenina, where the dehis- cence is transverse. When the dehis- cence takes place by the ventral and dorsal sutures, as in the legume of the pea and bean, it is called sutural. When composed of several united carpels, the valves may separate through the dis- sepiments, so that the fruit will be re- solved into its original carpels, as rhodo- dendron, colchicum, etc. This dehiscence, in consequence of taking place thi'ough the lamellae of the septum, is called septi- cidal. Loculicidal dehiscence is where the union between the edges of the earpels is persistent, and they dehisce by •le dorsal suture, or through the back of the locula- ments, as in the lily and iris. Sometimes the fruit opens by the dorsal suture, and at the same time the valves or walls of the ovaries separate from the septa, leav- ing them attached to the center, as in da- tura. This is called septifragal dehis- cence, and may be looked upon as a modification of the loculicidal. DEHRA DOON (da'ra), a beautiful and fertile valley in the Meerut division of the Northwestern Provinces, Hindu- stan, at the S. W. base of the lowest and outermost ridge of the Himalaya. It is bounded on the N. by the Jumna, N. E. by the mountains of Gurwhal, from 7,000 to 8,000 feet high, S. E. by the Ganges, S. W. bv the Sewalik range, 3,000 to 3,500 feet high. Its length from S. E. to N. W. is about 45 miles; breadth, from 15 to 20 miles. The chief town in the valley is Dehra. DEIAMBA, Congo tobacco, a plant growing wild in the marshy districts of Congo, the flowers of which produce a narcotic effect when smoked, DEICIDE. the putting to death of God in the person of our Lord; also one con- cerned in putting our Lord to death.
