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ZOE 502 ZONE twilight, and at the close of autumn be- fore daybreak in the E. horizon. The generally accepted theory of the zodi- acal light is that it consists of a con- tinuous disk, whether of meteors or any other substance, in which the sun is central. ZOE (z5'e), Empress of the East, daughter of Constantine VIII.; became the wife of Romanus III. in 1028, when she was in the 48th year of her age. She was a debauched woman, and became the murderess of her husband, in order to place her lover on the throne, who reigned under the title of Michael IV. The latter dying, was succeeded by his nephew, Michael V., who was deposed by the people, and Zoe and her sister Theo- dora proclaimed joint sovereigns. She displayed great ability and firmness in the government, and in 1042 married Constantine Monomachus. She reigned till her death at the age of 70, in 1050. ZOISITE (after Baron von Zois), an orthorhombic mineral formerly regarded as a variety of epidote, but now shown to be a distinct species; hardness, 6-6.5; sp. gr., 3.11-3.38; luster, pearly on cleavage faces, vitreous elsewhere; color, shades of gray, apple green, peach blossom to rose red. EMILE ZOLA ZOLA, EMILE, a French novelist; born in Paris, France, April 2, 1840; the son of an Italian engineer. After work- wg for Paris publishers and writing for the press he attempted fiction with suc- cess. He first appeared as a novelist in "The Mysteries of Marseilles." "Therese Raquin" further exhibited his remark- able power of critical analysis of human nature. "L'Assommoir," perhaps his most popular work, has gone through 50 editions. Author of "Nana," "Pot Bouil- le," "The Earth," "The Human Brute," and other woi-ks. M. Zola was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1888, and elected (April, 1891) President of the Society of Men of Letters. In 1892 he published "The Downfall," and "Doc- tor Pascal" in June, 1893. This book was the final volume of the famous Rougon Macquart series of 20 volumes, and was dedicated to the memory of M. Zola's mother and to his wife. During 1894 he published "Lourdes," a love story, set in the scenery of the famous resort of French pilgrims. "Rome" followed in 1896. "Paris" in 1897, and "Fecundity" in 1899. During 1897 and 1898 he took up with splendid courage the cause of Captain Dreyfus, whom he declaimed to have been illegally condemned, and was, consequently, prosecuted by order of the government, and condemned to imprison- ment. He escaped to England. He died Sept. 29, 1902. ZOLLVEBEIN (tsol'f er-in) , the Ger- man commercial or customs union, founded originally in 1827, but ex- tended greatly after the war of 1866, when, owing to political considerations, Prussia obtained a preponderating in- fluence in the union, which included the North German Bund, Bavaria, Wiirttemberg, Baden, Hesse, and Luxem- burg. This arrangement was brought prematurely to an end by the formation of the German empire. By article 33 of the constitution of the empire, the terri- tory of the Zollverein coincides with the territories of the empire, with the excep- tions of the free ports of Hamburg, Al- tona, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Geeste- miinde, and Braahe, and some communes of the grand-duchy of Baden, while Lux- emburg and the Austrian canton of Jungholz are included in it. Its object is the regulation of a uniform rate of customs duties throughout the various states comprised in the union. The free ports were included in the Zollverein in October, 1888. Hence, any commercial or customs union. ZONE, in anatomy, a region of the body formed by imaginary lines drawn around it transversely; used specifically of the abdominal zones or regions. In biology, a stripe or belt, as of color, on a plant, a shell, etc. Also a certain strat- um of sea water, the depth of the upper and under surfaces of which are gener-