Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/669

GECKO claws; destitute of femoral pores; four de- scribed species. 4. Phyllodactylus (Gray), with the terminal disk as in the last genus, except that two plates take the place of the fan -like striae ; eight species. 5. Sphceriodac- tylus (Cuv.), small species, with the toes end- ing in a single, simple, smooth cushion ; nails absent, as well as femoral pores ; three species. 6. Gymnoda6tylu(&pij.), with toes not widened, but striated beneath ; 12 species. 7. Stenodac- tylus (Fitz.), with simple toes, granulated be- low, and all provided with nails ; with a single species. As specimens of this animal the fol- lowing may be mentioned : The wall gecko (PI. muralis, Dum. and Bibr. ; PI. facetanus, Aldrov.) is 6 in. long, of a grayish color, the GEDDES 657 Common Gecko (Platydactylus guttatus). pper part of the body and head rough ; this species occurs all around the Mediterranean, and conceals itself in walls and stone heaps, delighting to cover itself with dirt and filth ; it likes the heat of the sun, and, though bene- ficial in houses by destroying insects and ver- min, is generally feared and persecuted, like the toad and other useful creatures. The com- mon gecko (PI. guttatus, Cuv.) of the conti- nent of Asia and its archipelago is 11 in. long, of which the tail is about half; the general color is dark gray, with whitish spots. A com- mon gecko in, the walls of houses in the West Hemidactylus mabouia. Indies is the H. mabouia (Cuv.), about 5 in. long, of a grayish color marbled with brown, with the posterior half of the tail ringed with black. The house gecko (Pt. Hasselquistii, Dum. and Bibr.), found in Egypt, Arabia, and countries bordering on the eastern part of the Mediterranean, is about 5 in. long, of a red- dish gray color, spotted with white and pale brown, and whitish below; it is common in the damp and gloomy parts of houses, and is called at Cairo "father of leprosy," from the belief that it communicates this disease to per- sons who partake of food over which this ani- mal has walked, the poison being supposed to exude from the lobes of the toes. The truth is, that neither its bite nor any of its secretions are hurtful to man or beast ; cats pursue it and eat it eagerly. The Egyptians are said to keep it from their kitchens by large quantities of garlic. The flat-tailed gecko (6. phyllurus, Dum. and Bibr.) has the tail flattened like a leaf, and the upper part of the body rough with spines ; it is a native of Australia, and is about 9 in. long, dark gray, marbled with black- ish above, and whitish beneath. GED, William, a Scottish mechanic, the in- ventor of stereotyping, born in Edinburgh about 1690, died Oct. 19, 1749. He was originally a goldsmith in his native city, and is said to have first attempted stereotyping in 1725. In 1729 he entered into partnership with William Fen- ner, a London stationer, in order to carry his invention into regular practice, Fenner advan- cing the necessary capital on condition of re- ceiving half the profits. Other partners sub- sequently joined the firm. In 1731 the com- pany contracted with the university of Cam- bridge for the printing of Bibles and prayer books by stereotype, and invested a large sum of money in the enterprise ; but when only two prayer books were finished the contract had to be surrendered, owing, as Ged alleged, to the malignant mismanagement of the pressmen, who were hostile to the innovation, and the disreputable conduct of some of his associates. In 1733 he returned to Edinburgh, where in 1736 he completed an edition of Sallust, which was not published till 1744, and was inaccu- rately executed. Ged died in poverty. GEDDES, Alexander, a Scottish Roman Cath- olic ecclesiastic, born in Arradowl, Banffshire, Sept. 4, 1737, died in London, Feb. 20, 1802. He was educated at the Scotch college in Paris, where he distinguished himself as a theologian and linguist. In 1769 he was appointed pastor of a Catholic congregation at Auchinhalrig in his native county. In 1780 he removed to Lon- don with the intention of commencing a new translation of the Bible for the use of English Catholics; and under the patronage of Lord Petre, who allowed him 200 a year, and pro- vided him with all the necessary authorities, he applied himself to his work. His original design was to make the Vulgate the basis of his translation, but he soon abandoned this idea, and substituted the Hebrew and Greek versions in its stead. The 1st and 2d volumes of this translation appeared in 1792 and 1793 ; the 3d, which was merely a commentary on the Pentateuch, in 1800; the rest of the work was never published. This translation is con- sidered to have contributed in a considerable